The Best Luxury Train Journeys in the World

There is something about a train journey that no other form of travel replicates. The pace is human. The landscape moves at a speed where you can actually see it. Meals have proper time. Conversation happens. And the great luxury train journeys add private cabins, exceptional cuisine and social atmosphere to that fundamentally pleasurable pace. These are the world's best.

The Ghan — Adelaide to Darwin (3 nights, AUD $2,200–4,500/person)

Australia's greatest train journey traverses 2,979km of the continent's red centre — from Adelaide through the Flinders Ranges, the Simpson Desert, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek to Darwin. The Gold Service cabin is private, comfortable and better equipped than many hotels. Off-train excursions at Alice Springs (Uluru and Kings Canyon for Gold passengers who add extensions), Manguri (opal fields of Coober Pedy) and Katherine Gorge (boat cruises through Nitmiluk National Park) give the journey shape and context beyond the train itself. The Ghan Experience (the premium product, with additional off-train tours and private dining) operates on select departures and represents exceptional value for what it delivers.

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (1–2 nights, AUD $3,500–12,000/person)

The most famous train in the world — the 1920s carriages have been restored to their original splendour of marquetry panels, brass fittings and Art Deco detail. The journey between London and Venice (27 hours), Paris and Istanbul, or various European combinations passes through some of the continent's finest scenery. Dinner in the restaurant car — white tablecloths, silver service, the countryside rushing past — is one of travel's iconic experiences. The VSOE is theatrical and genuinely extraordinary. Book 12–18 months ahead for the peak spring and autumn departures.

Rocky Mountaineer — Canada (2–3 days, AUD $1,800–5,500/person)

The most spectacular train scenery in the world — 1,000km of Canadian Rockies landscape between Vancouver and Banff or Jasper, all done in daylight (the train stops overnight so you miss nothing). The GoldLeaf dome car — glass ceiling, panoramic observation deck on the upper level, dining room below — is the finest way to see the Rockies that exists. The train is a day journey, not an overnight sleeper, which means you stay in hotels at each end. Combine with the Whistler Mountaineer route for a complete Canadian train experience.

Rovos Rail — Southern Africa (2–14 nights, AUD $1,800–15,000/person)

The "most luxurious train in the world" title is most legitimately claimed by Rovos Rail — vintage 1930s rolling stock restored to genuinely extraordinary luxury, traversing Southern Africa between Cape Town and Dar es Salaam on various routes through South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania. The Rovos Rail experience is as much a social event as a journey — small number of passengers (maximum 72), shared open-platform observation car at the rear of the train, formal dinners, sundowners at stations and genuine camaraderie among guests. The Pride of Africa route (Cape Town to Dar es Salaam, 10 nights) is a genuine once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Indian Maharajas' Express (7–8 nights, AUD $5,000–20,000/person)

India's most opulent train journey — 80 guests in 23 carriages crossing Rajasthan and central India visiting the major heritage sites (Agra, Ranthambore, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Khajuraho and Varanasi on the main circuit). The carriages are styled after maharaja palace architecture — all gold-leaf and teak panels, personal butlers and on-board entertainment. India by any other form of transport is a beautiful chaos; India by Maharajas' Express is India curated and extraordinarily comfortable.

El Transcantábrico Gran Lujo — Northern Spain (8 days, AUD $6,500/person)

A narrow-gauge luxury train traversing the Camino del Norte — the Cantabrian coast from San Sebastián to Santiago de Compostela through some of Spain's least-visited and most beautiful landscapes. Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia all seen from a train of 14 suites with full-length windows, a panoramic saloon car and Michelin-level dining. The chef sources produce daily at market stops. One of Europe's great undiscovered luxury experiences.

Booking Tips

All luxury trains sell out months to years in advance for peak season departures. The Ghan can be booked up to 12 months ahead through Journey Beyond (journeybeyond.com.au). The VSOE opens bookings 18 months in advance. Rovos Rail typically books 12–24 months out. Positioning flights and hotel nights at each end need equal attention to the train booking itself — the most common mistake is securing the train and leaving the surrounding trip to chance.

The Luxury Train Journeys Worth the Investment for Australians

The luxury train journeys that consistently produce the most profound travel experiences for Australian passengers: the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (London or Paris to Venice, the original Orient Express carriages restored to 1920s specification, AUD $3,000-8,000 per person for a single journey -- the most romantically named train journey in the world, and genuinely extraordinary for the combination of restored vintage carriages, gourmet dining, and the Alpine scenery passing outside the mahogany-panelled windows); the Maharajas' Express in India (Delhi to Mumbai or Rajasthan circuits, AUD $4,000-10,000 per person for 7 nights all-inclusive -- the most opulent train experience in Asia, with presidential and deluxe suites, multiple dining carriages, and carefully curated onboard Indian hospitality); and the Rocky Mountaineer in Canada (Vancouver to Banff or Jasper, AUD $1,500-3,500 for 2 days, daytime-only travel through Canadian Rockies scenery of a scale that no European mountain train journey approaches).

Australia's Own Luxury Train Journeys

The Australian luxury train journeys that compete with the world's best: the Indian Pacific (Sydney to Perth, 4,352km, 3 nights, Gold Service AUD $1,800-2,500 per person -- the Nullarbor crossing at night and the Blue Mountains departure make the journey genuinely extraordinary); the Ghan (Adelaide to Darwin or reverse, 2,979km, 2 nights, Gold Service AUD $1,200-1,800 per person -- the red centre landscape from the observation car is one of the most visually distinctive train experiences in the world); and the Great Southern (Adelaide to Brisbane via Melbourne and Sydney, 4 nights, Platinum Service AUD $3,500-5,000 per person including shore excursions -- Journey Beyond's newest route covering the most diverse Australian landscape sequence available in a single rail journey). All three are operated by Journey Beyond and bookable through journeybeyondrail.com.au -- the Ghan and Indian Pacific in particular sell their peak season (May-August) departures 6-12 months in advance and require early booking commitment for preferred journey dates.