Importance Score: 40 / 100 🔵
Embarking on a luxury train journey offers a leisurely and opulent way to explore the globe. The allure of rail travel is experiencing a resurgence, marked by escalating demand and bookings surpassing previous years.
Railbookers, a bespoke rail holiday provider, recently announced a record-setting year, boasting a 30% surge in revenue and a notable increase in reservations for 2025, underscoring the robust comeback of premium rail voyages. To assist travel aficionados in curating their bucket lists, analysts at Japan Rail Pass have pinpointed the most captivating journeys celebrated for their lavish amenities. These experts collated data from worldwide search trends, social media mentions, and traveler feedback to identify the most coveted train experiences for 2025.
The Pinnacle of Luxury Rail Travel: Rocky Mountaineer
The Rocky Mountaineer, a distinguished rail excursion originating in Vancouver, Canada, tops the global rankings. It operates across four distinct routes traversing the Canadian Rockies, British Columbia, and extending into the American Southwest.
This celebrated train is renowned for its glass-domed coaches, affording passengers expansive vistas of lakes, glaciers, and woodlands. It also features locally sourced gourmet dining and impeccable, award-winning service.
One publication lauded the journey through the Canadian Rockies as the “most beautiful train ride in the world,” highlighting the GoldLeaf service, which includes gourmet meals prepared by Executive Chefs, panoramic views from a bi-level glass-domed coach, and a spacious outdoor viewing area.
A Journey Through Diverse Landscapes
Spanning 2,800 miles over ten days, this luxury train journey artfully blends awe-inspiring scenery, from towering mountains to significant distances, earning it an impressive score of 8.88 out of 10 in the study.
The train meanders through snow-laden peaks, alpine lakes, river canyons, and verdant temperate rainforests. Key attractions along certain itineraries encompass the Fraser and Thompson River canyons, the Spiral Tunnels, and Mount Robson, the Canadian Rockies’ highest summit.
Passenger testimonials confirm the train’s popularity, evidenced by over 60,000 Instagram mentions, an average TripAdvisor rating of 4.4, and 48,000 global monthly searches.
Top 10 Luxury Train Rides Around the World
Here is the ranking of the top 10 best luxury train rides:
- Rocky Mountaineer – Vancouver, Canada to Utah, United States
- Napa Valley Wine Train – California, United States
- GoldenPass Express – Montreux, Switzerland
- Rovos Rail – Pretoria, South Africa
- The Ghan – Adelaide, Australia
- Venice Simplon Orient-Express – Venice, Italy to Paris, France
- British Pullman – London, England
- The Canadian – Vancouver, Canada
- Twilight Express Mizukage – Osaka, Japan
- Belmond Andean Explorer – Cusco, Peru