Luxury Train Journeys
Bespoke luxury holidays built around Luxury Train Journeys, tailor-made by our specialist travel advisors.
Luxury Train Holidays
A great train journey is a holiday in itself. You unpack once, dine in carriages built for the purpose, and watch the Alps, the Scottish Highlands or the Malaysian rainforest go past the window. Luxury train holidays are among the most memorable trips we plan, and among the hardest to book, because cabins are few and the best dates sell out early.
Berkeley Travel books the great trains of the world, including Belmond’s luxury sleeper trains and the Orient Express, from the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and La Dolce Vita Orient Express in Europe to the Eastern & Oriental Express in Malaysia and the Andean Explorer in Peru. Your Travel Designer chooses the right journey and cabin, then plans the hotel nights, flights and transfers on either side.
Why Book Your Train Journey with Berkeley Travel
We know the trains, the cabins and the people who run them. Berkeley Travel is a member of the Belmond Bellini Club, so bookings on Belmond’s trains carry an onboard credit per person, and we can often secure cabins on new routes and peak dates that are hard to find through other channels.
A train journey rarely stands alone. We add the right hotel at each end, such as Hotel Cipriani after the Orient-Express arrives in Venice, arrange cars to and from the station, and fit the journey into a longer trip. Our guide to luxury train journeys goes deeper on routes, cabins and what to expect on board.
The Best Luxury Train Journeys in the World
These are the trains our clients book most often. Every one is a train we know and book regularly.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: Routes and Cabins
The most famous train in the world, and still the most romantic. The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express runs restored 1920s carriages overnight between Paris and Venice, crossing the Alps by day, with longer journeys to Portofino, the Amalfi Coast, Florence and Vienna, and a five-night journey between Istanbul and Paris.
There are three restaurant cars, a bar car with a pianist, and three kinds of accommodation: Historic Cabins with a washbasin, Suites with their own bathroom, and six Grand Suites with a marble bathroom and a butler. The Grand Suites sell out first, so we suggest booking them up to a year ahead.
Royal Scotsman: Luxury Train in Scotland
A country-house weekend that happens to move. The Royal Scotsman carries up to 40 guests from Edinburgh into the Highlands on journeys of two to seven nights, past lochs, glens and castles, with days off the train for distillery visits, clay shooting and fishing.
Evenings are spent in the observation car, which has an open-air deck and a whisky bar, and the train has its own Bamford Haybarn spa carriage. Drinks and excursions are included, which makes it one of the most relaxed trains to travel on. See our luxury holidays in the UK.
Britannic Explorer: Luxury Sleeper Train in the UK
Britain’s first luxury sleeper train. Belmond’s Britannic Explorer launched in July 2025 with 18 cabins for up to 36 guests. It leaves London Victoria on three-night journeys to Cornwall, the Lake District or Wales, or six nights combining two of them.
The dining is led by Simon Rogan, and the Wellness Suite offers treatments by Wildsmith. Every cabin has its own bathroom, and there are three Grand Suites. Our team has travelled on it and can tell you which route suits you best.
La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Luxury Train in Italy
Italy, 1960s style. La Dolce Vita Orient Express began running in April 2025 from Rome, with interiors by Dimorestudio inspired by Italian design of the 1960s and menus by Heinz Beck, chef of the three-Michelin-starred La Pergola.
Journeys of one to three nights reach Tuscany, Venice, Naples, Sicily and Matera, with time off the train at vineyards, hill towns and historic sites. From October 2026 a longer journey runs between Rome and Istanbul. See our luxury holidays to Italy.
Eastern & Oriental Express: Luxury Train in Malaysia
Southeast Asia’s great train, reborn. The Eastern & Oriental Express returned in 2024 with three-night round journeys from Singapore through Malaysia: Essence of Malaysia to Penang and Langkawi, and Wild Malaysia to the rainforest of Taman Negara and Penang.
All 32 cabins have their own shower, the menus are by chef André Chiang, and the train carries the first Dior Spa in Southeast Asia. It pairs well with a few days in Singapore before or after. See our luxury holidays in Malaysia.
Andean Explorer: Luxury Train in Peru
South America’s first luxury sleeper train. Belmond’s Andean Explorer crosses the high plains of southern Peru between Cusco, Puno on Lake Titicaca and Arequipa, on journeys of one or two nights, climbing to more than 4,000 metres along the way.
There is a spa car, an observation car with an open deck, and stops to visit the floating islands of Lake Titicaca. Most clients combine it with Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. See our luxury holidays in Peru.
Planning a Luxury Train Journey
A few decisions make the biggest difference. Your Travel Designer will help with each of them.
Choosing Your Cabin
Cabins on historic trains are compact, and on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express only the Suites and Grand Suites have their own bathroom. On the newer trains, including the Britannic Explorer, the Eastern & Oriental Express and La Dolce Vita, every cabin has one. If space matters to you, book a suite.
When to Travel
Most European trains run from spring to late autumn. The Eastern & Oriental Express runs through the year, with routes that change with the seasons, and the Andean Explorer is at its best in Peru’s dry season, from May to October. For summer and special departures, book nine to twelve months ahead.
Before and After
Every journey starts and ends somewhere worth staying. We book the hotel the night before and after, arrange flights and private transfers to the station, and our private jet team can fly you to the start of the journey.
FAQ
Luxury Train Holidays: FAQs
The questions our clients ask most often when planning a luxury train journey.
As a guide, 2026 fares per person, sharing, start from about £4,300 for a Historic Cabin on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express from Paris to Venice, £9,700 for a Suite and £13,500 for a Grand Suite. Two nights on the Royal Scotsman start from about £5,850, and three nights on the Britannic Explorer from about £6,300. Fares on the Andean Explorer in Peru are considerably lower. Prices vary by date and cabin, and we confirm current fares when you enquire.
Through a travel agency such as Berkeley Travel. Tell your Travel Designer the journey, dates and cabin you would like, and we book it at the same fare as booking direct, with our Belmond Bellini Club benefits on Belmond trains, and arrange the hotels and transfers either side.
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is run by Belmond and has carried guests between Paris and Venice in restored 1920s carriages since 1982. Orient Express is a separate brand, owned by Accor, which runs La Dolce Vita Orient Express in Italy and is restoring a new Orient Express train due to launch in 2027. We book both.
Belmond runs the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the Royal Scotsman and the Britannic Explorer in Europe, the Eastern & Oriental Express in Malaysia and the Andean Explorer in Peru, as well as day trains including the British Pullman and the Hiram Bingham to Machu Picchu.
It depends on what you value. The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express has the history and the Grand Suites, while newer trains such as the Britannic Explorer, La Dolce Vita Orient Express and the Eastern & Oriental Express offer more space and a private bathroom in every cabin. Your Travel Designer can compare them for your dates.
Nine to twelve months for most journeys, and earlier for Grand Suites, summer dates and special departures, which sell out first.
Meals are included on every train on this page. On the Royal Scotsman and the Britannic Explorer, drinks and excursions are included too. On the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, drinks are charged separately in Historic Cabins. We confirm exactly what each fare includes before you book.
Most trains ask for smart clothes during the day and something more formal at dinner. On the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express many guests wear black tie or evening dress, and jeans are not permitted. Each train sends a dress guide with your tickets.
Yes. As a member of the Belmond Bellini Club, Berkeley Travel bookings on Belmond trains include an onboard credit per person, and we can often find cabins on dates that are hard to secure elsewhere.
The trains on this page start in Paris, Edinburgh, London, Rome, Singapore and Cusco, all easy to reach by air. We arrange flights, a hotel the night before and a private transfer to the station, wherever you are travelling from.
Speak to a Travel Designer
Tell us which journey you have in mind and when you would like to travel, and a Travel Designer will come back to you the same day.
YOUR DEDICATED TRAVEL PARTNER
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TAILORED SERVICES
TAILORED SERVICES
Our in-house concierge service will use their extensive contact list
to help you source anything you desire.
TAILORED SERVICES
Our in-house concierge service will use their extensive contact list
to help you source anything you desire.
BESPOKE itinerary
BESPOKE itinerary
We work hand in hand with clients to create your dream
itinerary ensuring every detail is looked after from start to finish.
BESPOKE itinerary
We work hand in hand with clients to create your dream
itinerary ensuring every detail is looked after from start to finish.
BESPOKE AIR
BESPOKE AIR
We have access to every major airline and an extensive knowledge of their pricing schedules helping our clients achieve highly competitive airfares in all cabins.
BESPOKE AIR
We have access to every major airline and an extensive knowledge of their pricing schedules helping our clients achieve highly competitive airfares in all cabins.
PRIVATE SKY
PRIVATE SKY
Working directly hand in hand with our brokers and
aircraft owners we can source the best deals and most convenient slots for Private Jet hire.
PRIVATE SKY
Working directly hand in hand with our brokers and
aircraft owners we can source the best deals and most convenient slots for Private Jet hire.
EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS
EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS
We have arranged with a number of our luxury partners some exclusive additional benefits. These can include complimentary daily breakfast, a hotel credit towards food or spa treatments,an upgrade on arrival where available, and early check in / late check out.
EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS
We have arranged with a number of our luxury partners some exclusive additional benefits. These can include complimentary daily breakfast, a hotel credit towards food or spa treatments,an upgrade on arrival where available, and early check in / late check out.
COST MANAGEMENT
COST MANAGEMENT
We provide access for our clients to the most cost effective and convenient travel means. Our long standing partnerships and in depth industry knowledge ensure that we source the best rates available on the market.
COST MANAGEMENT
We provide access for our clients to the most cost effective and convenient travel means. Our long standing partnerships and in depth industry knowledge ensure that we source the best rates available on the market.
London office suite
