World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys

[VPS]

Those are the rack Rate.

One of the Aussie based websites suggested from 2,700 Euros

Rail journeys and luxury rail tours | World Journeys

Embark on a luxury rail journey and tour to some of the world's most scenic destinations and experience a world of luxury hotels on wheels.

worldjourneys.com.au

See also Offering Almost All Luxury Trains And Rail Cruises Worldwide - Join Free Member ddiscounts....

Interesting to see someone else view of Aussie trains ......https://www.seat61.com/Australia.htm

Thanks - hopefully I will be able to do this one day and that price seems a little more reasonable although the single supplement is a killer

If in summer, even better, don't book a seat on the Bernina Express, but go for a local train with a panoramic open air carriage attached. We were lucky, as we more or less stumbled across it, it was an amazing experience and certainly the most memorable train journey I’ve had.

Open scenic carriages

Your group will have twice the fun travelling in the open scenic carriages: wind in your hair, fresh mountain air and pure enjoyment are all included in the RhB's open-topped trips.

www.rhb.ch

View attachment 228322

Now that I love - THANK YOU

 

[bPeteb]

And another great trip is the train from Jo'burg to Capetown; there are a number of trains that do this run and while some are incredibly expensive others are quite reasonable. We took the Premier Class train and enjoyed it immensely: Train travel in South Africa | Cape Town-Johannesburg from R630/£36/$62 with sleeper

We had that trip booked for July just past. One day...

 

[Spongbob]

Those are the rack Rate.

One of the Aussie based websites suggested from 2,700 Euros

Rail journeys and luxury rail tours | World Journeys

Embark on a luxury rail journey and tour to some of the world's most scenic destinations and experience a world of luxury hotels on wheels.

worldjourneys.com.au

The €2,700 at that website is for the el cheepo Costa Verde Express

The price for the El Transcantabrico Gran Lujo is confusing. It states $5,500 AUD, but I guess it should be €5,500.

 

[AngieP]

I was supposed to be travelling on the Glacier Express with Swiss friends earlier this month.

My sister and I went on the Glacier Express last August starting a local Swiss rail leg from Sierre to Brig after a stay in the little village of Bluche near Cran Montana - highly recommended. We got off the Glacier Express in Chur a charming old town and had a delightful dinner and stay in an historic Pensione. Next day we picked up the Bernina Express to Tirano connecting then to a local train to a Varenna on Lake Como with a stay at the beautiful Royal Victoria Hotel. Fantastic couple of days on these magnificent train journeys - the Seat 61 website was very helpful in saving lots of $$ with a creative booking starting in with a ghost leg from Zurich. The big tip is to book your seat reservations first so you get the carriage and seats you want. The actual rail tix can be booked anytime before the journey. we also took a rail journey across Slovenia and Hungary starting in Ljubljana and eight hours later arriving at Budapest - best comparison was VLine standard but no food or drink on Board. An interesting journey. These tix could not be booked outside Slovenia but our hotel concierge arranged for us. really Enjoying the SBS series.

 

[neils2004]

My +1 & I did the Bernina Express over the Pass last year. I wonder if Mr & Mrs Buzzard were following us around.

A great experience and quite inexpensive if you book following the tips from the Man in Seat 61: BERNINA EXPRESS from €29.90 | Switzerland's ultimate scenic train

Great journey but if you are happy to travel on local trains as we did, using a Swiss Rail Pass it is much, much less expensive.
No meals or drinks served by staff but travels the exact same line and the exact same views without all the tourists!
Switzerland has some fantastic rail options with lines and destinations and the trains are always on time.
Man in seat 61 is a great source of info also a great book called "Switzerland Without a Car" by Anthony Lambert Published by Bradt Travel Guides - covers Train, Bus, Bike and Ferry travel in Switzerland and it contains a huge amount of info for carless travel in Switzerland.

 

[funnymummy]

I did the Swiss pass last year and really enjoyed it. Based myself in interlaken. I had the NZ one scheduled for early 2021 but that’s going to be pushed back. I am really attached to Man in seat 61 for all the ideas and tips. That’s how I found the Norway hurtigruten Ferry trip and the Oslo to Copenhagen ferry trip in 2016

 

[AngieP]

Another tip for Switzerland rail travel - we have friends we visit every couple of years. If you are an international visitor you can access commune rail tix through your hosts - price is 40 SF to go anywhere in Switzerland in a 24 hour period. There are limited tix per day in each commune (local govt area) but well worth investigating- we were able to get two separate days travel for two ppl. This included one of the iconic rail journeys With a small top up.Our hosts had to arrange and Pick up tix at the train station. Carefully evaluate your travel journeys in Switzerland- there are many options and it’s worth spending some time on evaluating the options given the expense.

 

[UP4014]

One thing to remember, like airlines, you can't beat 1st class. Travel first if you can.

As some of you guys know, 1st class is down the back on a train.

https://flic.kr/p/8JHjhm

 

[PineappleSkip]

I watched the episode last night, Northern Spain.

I saw that, Galicia had been on my bucket list for a long time, more so after we did an evening run about 18 months ago; through Basque country from Hendaye en route to Lisbon. The one week luxury train journey on the show was new to me but I’d do regular. RENFE run services through Galicia, including the narrow gauge FEVE line along the coast. Catching those gets the journey but avoids the absurd price. This comment from Seat61 piqued my interest some more...

Renfe are changing this train (i.e. Irun to A Coruña) from 3 March 2020, due to asbestos in the cars used on this train. It will still be classified Intercity but will use articulated Talgo cars running Irun & San Sebastian to A Coruna with a connection for Vigo. The Talgo will be an improvement, with Turista and Preferente class with cafeteria.

So my draft game plan, assuming the comment still holds, would be to take a few days hopping town to town from San Sebastian to say Santiago de Compostela, returning from A Coruña in Preferente with cafeteria. or maybe vice versa.

cheers skip

 

[UP4014]

I’ll put the Dunedin train on my list, thanks!

My aim over the next few months is to do Tasmania’s West Coast Railway. It’s a good time to explore closer to home.
View attachment 228001

It's a great ride, be sure to do the whole length of the line.

 

[BNEFlyer]

I'd love to do some trips in Europe on OBB's Nightjet, especially when the new stock arrives in 2022. There's a few video reports on YouTube I've seen of sleeper train trips on the Nightjet from Budapest to Cologne, Rome to Munich, Prague to Krakow.

I'd also like to do what would be an epic journey, from Fort William in Scotland to Istanbul on sleeper trains (and a Channel ferry).

 

[VPS]

I'd love to do some trips in Europe on OBB's Nightjet, especially when the new stock arrives in 2022. There's a few video reports on YouTube I've seen of sleeper train trips on the Nightjet from Budapest to Cologne, Rome to Munich, Prague to Krakow.

I'd also like to do what would be an epic journey, from Fort William in Scotland to Istanbul on sleeper trains (and a Channel ferry).

Do you have a link for the trip from FW to Istanbul please?

 

[Port Power]

Any railway journeys in particular that you'd like to book one day?

Right now I’m supposed to be halfway through a multiple rail trip from Manchester to Marrakech. ☹ At least I was able to just transfer it to the same time next year.

I am also booked on a chartered Christmas markets river cruise in December next year with a hosted extension afterwards which incorporates the Glacier Express.

Getting my train fix in spades!

 

[rbjhan]

One that I'm most interested in is Shikishima.

TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA | JR-EAST

Find out about the train used for TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA.

www.jreast.co.jp

Even visited their showroom in Tokyo once!

Back to a sans-virus world of travels! Autumn Colours 2017

Otsu 大津 is in fact in Shiga Prefecture, not Kyoto. However it's only about 10 mins by local train from Kyoto station. During peak seasons when hotel prices skyrocket in Kyoto, Otsu is a very good alternative. I started in Shijo, so instead of going to JR Kyoto I took subway/Keihan went straight...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

But alas, even with that price tag, demand is way over supply.... you only get to go if you are lucky!

 

[ramboflyer]

My aim over the next few months is to do Tasmania’s West Coast Railway. It’s a good time to explore closer to home.

We are doing a half day Apt railway trip late October from Queenstown. Unfortunately time won't allow us to do the full trip from Queenstown to Strahan.
Thanks to the OP for pointing out the SBS program. I'll be catching up on the SBS on demand app.

 

[BNEFlyer]

Do you have a link for the trip from FW to Istanbul please?

There isn't a trip report for it, it's just a trip I'd like to do. And it's not a single trip as such, it would involve the Caledonian Sleeper to London then the Eurostar to Paris or Amsterdam, then OBB to Vienna and on to Bucharest or Sofia then the 'Bosphorus Express' to Istanbul. There are videos on YouTube of each of those journeys though.

 

[VPS]

There isn't a trip report for it, it's just a trip I'd like to do. And it's not a single trip as such, it would involve the Caledonian Sleeper to London then the Eurostar to Paris or Amsterdam, then OBB to Vienna and on to Bucharest or Sofia then the 'Bosphorus Express' to Istanbul. There are videos on YouTube of each of those journeys though.

OK thanks - I thought that might have been a package. I would love to have gone on one of the trains in days gone by where the whole train went on the ferry but don't think they exist any more

 

[dajop]

I would love to have gone on one of the trains in days gone by where the whole train went on the ferry but don't think they exist any more

Seems that some are still operating. Might be an adventure to get to them...

Train ferry - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[VPS]

Seems that some are still operating. Might be an adventure to get to them...

Train ferry - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

oh wow - I read a lot of Agatha Christie when they caught the train between England and France and that's what I'd like to do but nothing doing there

All a moot point at the moment anyway

 

[JessicaTam]

I'd love to do some trips in Europe on OBB's Nightjet, especially when the new stock arrives in 2022. There's a few video reports on YouTube I've seen of sleeper train trips on the Nightjet from Budapest to Cologne, Rome to Munich, Prague to Krakow.

I'd also like to do what would be an epic journey, from Fort William in Scotland to Istanbul on sleeper trains (and a Channel ferry).

I was lucky enough to travel by train to Fort William and then on to Mallaig last year.

The Nightjet trains are great. I try to fit in one somehow whenever I am EU.

And another +1 for the Berniner Express being a terrific trip. Oslo to Bergen is also stunning.