Restored sleeper cars, Highland glens, and Rocky Mountain passes — five trains that are a journey in themselves
Luxury train journeys turn the route into the destination. The best of them are slow by design: a private cabin, a dining car, and a window that changes every hour, while the crew handles the practical details.
This guide covers five trains that are listed by their own operators for departures in 2026 or 2027: the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the Royal Scotsman, the Rocky Mountaineer, Rovos Rail, and Seven Stars in Kyushu. Each follows a seasonal calendar, so the right train often depends on the month before it depends on the continent.
Luxury train travel in Europe starts with the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, which runs restored sleeper carriages from the 1920s. Its signature journey is Paris to Venice, one night on board, with dinner on board and wines chosen by a sommelier. Longer routes listed for 2027 include Paris to the Amalfi Coast over three nights and Istanbul to Paris over five, passing through Bucharest, Sinaia, and Budapest. The operator lists departures from October 2026 to December 2027.
The Royal Scotsman works on a smaller scale, with 18 sleeper cabins, two dining cars, and an observation car. Every journey is a round trip from Edinburgh, and itineraries run from two to seven nights. Departures are listed for October and November 2026, and from April to November 2027.
Each journey starts and ends in a city that deserves a few nights of its own. Our guide to luxury hotels in Paris is a good place to start, while Rome and Lake Como suit a quiet stay after the Italian routes.
Tell us your dates and the route you like, and we will plan the trip around it
Luxury train rides do not have to be overnight. The Rocky Mountaineer travels by day through the Canadian Rockies and stops for the night in Kamloops. First Passage to the West connects Vancouver with Lake Louise and Banff, and Journey through the Clouds connects Vancouver with Jasper. The 2027 season runs from April to October.
Rovos Rail, established in 1989, covers southern Africa with journeys of up to sixteen nights. The route between Cape Town and Pretoria takes three nights and passes through the Cape Winelands and the Karoo, with a tour of the Kimberley Diamond Mine Museum and a visit to Matjiesfontein. Other journeys include Victoria Falls and a Durban safari.
Among luxury sleeper trains, Seven Stars in Kyushu is described on its official site as a cruise train. All of the guest rooms on the seven-car train are suites, and guests leave the train for excursions with crew members or local guides.
For 2027, the operator lists three journeys: the four-day Takachiho Journey from March to June, the four-day Unzen Journey in July and August, and the two-day Kuju Journey from April to August. Applications for March to August 2027 opened on 1 October 2026. Our guide to a luxury trip to Japan shows how a Kyushu journey fits alongside Tokyo and Kyoto. For couples, a sleeper journey also makes a memorable start to a honeymoon, and our luxury honeymoon destinations offer more ideas.
We plan the whole trip around the train: we help you compare routes and seasons, arrange transfers to and from the station, book the hotels at each end, and plan the days in between. Our VIP airport assistance covers the arrival before the journey begins, and one assistant stays your single point of contact from the first message to the last day.
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the Royal Scotsman, the Rocky Mountaineer, Rovos Rail, and Seven Stars in Kyushu all list departures for 2027, so the choice comes down to region, season, and whether you want to sleep on board
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the Royal Scotsman, Rovos Rail, and Seven Stars in Kyushu are sleeper trains, while the Rocky Mountaineer runs by day and stops overnight in Kamloops
It depends on the train, because the Rocky Mountaineer runs from April to October in 2027, Seven Stars in Kyushu lists journeys from March to August, and the Royal Scotsman lists departures from April to November
As soon as your dates are fixed, because cabins on the sleeper trains are limited, and Seven Stars in Kyushu opened applications for March to August 2027 on 1 October 2026
Yes, we plan the stay around the train, with hotels at each end, transfers to and from the station, and the days in between
