All Aboard The World’s Most Luxurious Train Journeys

picture yourself gliding across great scenery in a rolling palace, with each gleaming mahogany panel and crystal glass speaking eternal style. Around the globe, there are few trains that provide such opulence, making the trip an experience not to be missed.

From Europe’s legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, to India’s royal Maharajas’ Express, and Japan’s luxury Seven Stars in Kyushu, these trips are works of art in design, presentation, and narrative.

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (Europe)

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is Europe’s most famous train trip, plying between London, Paris, Milan and Venice, with seasonal journeys going on to Istanbul and Budapest. Art Deco vintage carriages evoke an aura of 1920s chic, where the golden era of travel lives on in fine food, live music and night-time cocktails in the bar car. It’s a bucket-list trip for travel lovers who want romance and luxury.

On board, visitors can look forward to opulent cabins with marquetry panelling, smooth linens, and discreet steward service. Dining cars present Michelin-quality food by chef Jean Imbert, while the evenings are filled with live piano music. A formal dress code is enforced all day, adding to the vintage glamour, and 24-hour butlers mean no luxury is omitted in the Grand Suites.

Tariff:

• twin cabin – £3,800 (around ₹4.1 lakh) per person
• Grand Suites – from £8,400 (around ₹9.1 lakh) to over £25,00 (₹27 lakh) depending on route.

Booking information: Bookings can be done through Belmond’s official website with 25% deposit. Meals, wine, and steward service are included in the price.

Maharajas’ Express (India)

Dubbed the crown jewel of Indian luxury trains, the Maharajas’ Express features a number of itineraries through Rajasthan and other locations, with trips lasting from three nights to a week. The train is reminiscent of Indian royalty in its opulent design, complete with themed restaurants, lounges, and even a Presidential Suite that occupies an entire carriage, featuring a bathtub and private dining room.

Aboard, passengers have luxurious interiors, multi-course dinners at Mayur Mahal and Rang Mahal restaurants, and carefully organized tours to forts, palaces, and cultural attractions. Butler service is provided in all cabins, and the Presidential Suite provides ultimate privacy with twin bedrooms and a dining room fit for royalty.

Tariff:

Three-night trips begin at

• Deluxe Cabin – $4,900 (approx. ₹4.1 lakh) per person
• Presidential Suite – go as high as $13,600 (approx. ₹11.5 lakh)
• Seven-night cruises – can cost up to $25,000 (approx. ₹21 lakh).

Booking details: Bookings can be made on IRCTC’s official website and approved luxury travel agents. The tariff is all-inclusive, including meals, excursions, and butler service.

Palace on Wheels (India)

The Palace on Wheels is still among the most popular luxury trains in India, providing a true tour of Rajasthan’s royal past. While more conventional than the Maharajas’ Express, it has a royal appeal of its own via its cultural outings, historic interiors, and theme-based meals.

Travellers are promised intricately detailed cabins, Indian and continental fine cuisine, and themed visits to Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Ranthambore. Cultural performances are arranged for the evenings on board, and service is modelled after the hospitality of the royal courts of Rajasthan.

Tariff: 

Seven-day trips

• Deluxe Cabin – ₹3.5 lakh per person
• higher classes – go up to approximately ₹7 lakh

Booking details: Reservations may be booked through IRCTC or approved tour operators, and tariffs include meals, escorted excursions, and entertainment.

Seven Stars in Kyushu (Japan)

Japan’s premium train experience, the Seven Stars in Kyushu, seats only twenty people at a time, promising intimacy and exclusivity. Blending Art Deco with traditional Japanese craftsmanship, the train traverses scenic landscapes, hot springs, and UNESCO world heritage sites to provide a blend of culture and comfort.

Passengers discover luxurious suites with wood-panelled interiors, personal bathrooms, and futon-type bedding. Live piano music plays in the lounge car, and the dining car offers a sophisticated mix of French and Japanese cuisine. Off-train outings include visits to pottery villages, tea ceremonies, and hot spring excursions.

Tariff:

Three-night trips begin at

• basic fares – ¥680,000 (around ₹3.8 lakh) per person
• deluxe suites – begin at up to ¥2.77 million (around ₹15.5 lakh).

Booking information: Because demand is incredibly high, reservations are managed through a lottery system on the official Seven Stars website.

Rovos Rail – Pride of Africa (Southern Africa)

Rovos Rail is the Pride of Africa, with routes between Pretoria and Cape Town and more extended journeys through Tanzania and Namibia. With its Edwardian-styled carriages and vintage interior, it has become known as one of the chicest trains globally.

On board, passengers have spacious suites with en-suite bathrooms, mahogany panelling, and courteous attendants. Dining is luxurious, with South African wines and gourmet meals served aboard wood-panelled trains. Some routes offer game drives, the unique experience of blending safari excitement with train luxury.

Tariff:

• Shorter trips begin at $2,500 (approx. ₹2.1 lakh) per person
• longer holidays cost more than $10,000 (approx. ₹8.5 lakh).

Booking information: Bookings can be made through Rovos Rail’s website and international luxury travel agents.

The Blue Train (South Africa)

The Blue Train provides a traditional 27-hour Pretoria to Cape Town experience, traveling 1,600 kilometers in pure sophistication. A “five-star hotel on wheels,” it is one of South Africa’s most elite travel experiences.

Passengers are in for panoramic gold-tinted windows, butler service, and opulent suites with marble bathrooms, including some with full-length bathtubs. Menus feature fine dining South African food and wine, with the lounge and club cars on the train providing casual social areas.

Tariff:

Tariffs typically start at $1,600 (approx. ₹1.3 lakh) per person and increase based on suite category.

Booking information: Bookings are managed through The Blue Train’s official website and authorized travel agencies.

Eastern & Oriental Express (Southeast Asia)

Run by Belmond, the Eastern & Oriental Express links Singapore and Malaysia with a vintage colonial-era atmosphere. Polished wood interiors, a jazz-inspired piano bar, and open-air observation deck create the mood for sophisticated exploration across Southeast Asia.

Travellers stay in style inside, featuring Pullman and State Cabins or the majestic Presidential Suite, complete with Champagne, caviar, and 24-hour butler service. Menus are designed by Michelin-starred chef André Chiang, combining Southeast Asian flavour with French technique, featuring dining as an integral aspect of the experience.

Tariff:

Prices begin from approximately $3,000 (approx. ₹2.5 lakh) per person and go up to over $8,000 (approx. ₹6.8 lakh) for the Presidential Suite.

Booking details: Bookings are accessible via Belmond’s official website, and packages include all meals, excursions, and on-board service.

From Europe’s gilded carriages to India’s royal palaces on wheels, Japan’s intimate artistry to Africa’s wilderness adventures, these luxury trains offer far more than transportation, they are immersive experiences that blend culture, history, gastronomy, and world-class comfort. Each journey is a chance to relive the romance of slow travel while indulging in unparalleled elegance, where the landscapes outside the window become as enchanting as the opulent interiors within. For discerning travellers, these rail odysseys prove that sometimes the journey itself is the most memorable destination.