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Rocky Mountaineer Train, Canada
Home Holiday Types Great Journeys Rail Journeys

Rail Journeys

Travel on a luxury train across Australia, Canada, South Africa, Russia, Central Asia or Europe and see the world from a unique perspective. You don’t have to be a train-spotter to enjoy one of our rail journeys. You just need to embrace the notion, that the journey is as much a part of the experience as the destination itself.

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Travelling by train has its own distinct pace and rhythm. Most of our rail journeys celebrate the notion of slow travel, giving travellers time to relax while the country you are travelling through unhurriedly reveals itself on the other side of the train window.

There is something inescapably nostalgic about train-travel. It conjures up memories of a bygone age when people dressed for dinner and travellers were in less of a rush. Our rail journeys give a nod to some of this nostalgia but drop the pretence of formality and elitism. They celebrate the romance and history of train travel while providing the modern traveller with luxury amenities and an idiosyncratic means of transport.

Golden Eagle Train, Bar Carriage in winter, Russia
St Petersburg, Russia
Europe and Asia

Golden Eagle Luxury Trains

Golden Eagle Luxury Trains are renowned for operating some of the world’s most pioneering rail journeys over the last 29 years. Voyages include rail journeys through Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, Mongolia, China, Central Asia and India, on board a selection of the world’s leading luxury private trains.

Journey on the Golden Eagle for the voyage of a lifetime by rail.

Golden Eagle train journeys

Shinkansen bullet train passing by Mount Fuji, Yoshiwara, Shizuoka prefecture, Japan
Bullet train passing Mount Fuji, Japan
Rail Journeys across Japan

Slow travel by luxury train

Combine the capital city of Tokyo with the natural beauty and volcanic landscapes of Hokkaido. A Shinkansen bullet train links Tokyo and Hakodate on the island making a holiday here incredibly easy. The itinerary is put together to include stops along the way where you will take guided excursions to gain a greater insight into the places you are seeing.

This is a great trip for a second visit to Japan or for anyone seeking wilderness landscapes, wildlife, great food and rich culture.

Japan train journeys

Idea
Japan
Japan Holiday By Train
Travel through Japan by train, combining the iconic cities of Tokyo and Kyoto with time in the Japanese Alps, bursting with beautiful scenery, traditional villages, hidden valleys and wonderful wildlife.
10 days from $4,894pp
Two women walking away through a square archway of orange pillars.
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Idea
Russia
Golden Eagle – The Silk Route by Train
For centuries the domain of adventurers and merchants trading their wares, the ancient Silk Route covers some 4,000 miles. Board the luxurious Golden Eagle train and cross four countries, following in the footsteps of Alexander the Great on a journey from Kazakhstan…
13 days from $18,026pp
GW Train, Lake Baikal, Russia
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Idea
China
Golden Eagle – China and Tibet by Train
Journey through remote Western China skirting the Gobi Desert, visiting the silk route city of Kashgar, ancient sites and the iconic Great Wall of China before journeying by train to the ‘Roof of the World’.
13 days from $14,806pp
Mount Saipal with prayer flags Nepal Tibet
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Idea
Japan
Journey North by train to Hokkaido
For those keen on train travel, this fun and varied holiday to Japan showcases the ease and speed in which you can travel to the northernmost parts of the country, in comfort and style.
12 days from $5,925pp
Fileds with lines of different brighly coloured flowers and snow capped mountains in distance.
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Idea
Russia
Golden Eagle – Trans Siberian Railway
This iconic train journey connects east and west travelling from Moscow across endless steppes landscapes, over the Urals, hopping across the border into Mongolia before terminating in far eastern Russia in the military port of Vladivostok. Travel 6,500 miles across Russia, through…
15 days from $16,738pp
Golden Eagle Railway, Lake Baikal, Russia
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Idea
India
Golden Eagle Madras Mail – South India by Luxury Train
Journey through Southern India, covering everything from India’s most important cities of Mumbai and Hyderabad to spectacular World Heritage Sites and the coastlines of Goa and Kerala.
15 days from $15,910pp
Deccan Odyssey Train, Rajasthan, India
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Need inspiration
Browse our train itinerary suggestions.

From Peru to New Zealand, Japan and India, these suggested holidays include some of the world’s most iconic train journeys. Take the time to search through them and find something that is the spark for your unique adventure.

Idea
Japan
Japan Holiday By Train
Travel through Japan by train, combining the iconic cities of Tokyo and Kyoto with time in the Japanese Alps, bursting with beautiful scenery, traditional villages, hidden valleys and wonderful wildlife.
10 days from $4,894pp
Two women walking away through a square archway of orange pillars.
View Holiday Idea
Idea
Russia
Golden Eagle – The Silk Route by Train
For centuries the domain of adventurers and merchants trading their wares, the ancient Silk Route covers some 4,000 miles. Board the luxurious Golden Eagle train and cross four countries, following in the footsteps of Alexander the Great on a journey…
13 days from $18,026pp
GW Train, Lake Baikal, Russia
View Holiday Idea
Idea
China
Golden Eagle – China and Tibet by Train
Journey through remote Western China skirting the Gobi Desert, visiting the silk route city of Kashgar, ancient sites and the iconic Great Wall of China before journeying by train to the ‘Roof of the World’.
13 days from $14,806pp
Mount Saipal with prayer flags Nepal Tibet
View Holiday Idea
Idea
Japan
Journey North by train to Hokkaido
For those keen on train travel, this fun and varied holiday to Japan showcases the ease and speed in which you can travel to the northernmost parts of the country, in comfort and style.
12 days from $5,925pp
Fileds with lines of different brighly coloured flowers and snow capped mountains in distance.
View Holiday Idea
Idea
Russia
Golden Eagle – Trans Siberian Railway
This iconic train journey connects east and west travelling from Moscow across endless steppes landscapes, over the Urals, hopping across the border into Mongolia before terminating in far eastern Russia in the military port of Vladivostok. Travel 6,500 miles across…
15 days from $16,738pp
Golden Eagle Railway, Lake Baikal, Russia
View Holiday Idea
Idea
India
Golden Eagle Madras Mail – South India by Luxury Train
Journey through Southern India, covering everything from India’s most important cities of Mumbai and Hyderabad to spectacular World Heritage Sites and the coastlines of Goa and Kerala.
15 days from $15,910pp
Deccan Odyssey Train, Rajasthan, India
View Holiday Idea
View all holiday ideas

Experiences

Fast or slow, what kind of train experience suits you?

Bullet Train, Japan
 

Bullet Train

Travel on the world famous Shinkansen bullet train reaching speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Golden Eagle Railway, Lake Baikal, Russia
 

The Golden Eagle train

Travel across Russia’s wonderfully unexplored interior on the Golden Eagle train.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Train of the clouds, La Polvorilla viaduct, Argentina
 

Board the “Train to the Clouds”

Board the Tren de las Nubes for an exhilarating journey that clambers through tunnels and over floating tracks to reach a 4,475-metre-high destination.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Shangri La Express Train, Golden Eagle Silk Road Journey, China
 

Silk Route by Train

Journey the Silk Route by luxury train crossing five countries, from Russia, through Central Asia to China; a magical way to see this ancient trading route.

Suggested Holiday Idea

TranzAlpine train
 

TranzAlpine Train Journey

Board the TranzAlpine train for a spectacular journey between Greymouth and Christchurch, passing through epic scenery.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Station View, Eastern & Oriental Express, Bangkok, Thailand
 

Eastern & Oriental Express

Board the iconic E&O train to journey between Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Discover more experiences

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The train was out of this world - the staff were friendly and helpful and the food excellent.

Trans Siberian - Golden Eagle Train

Meet our experts

A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.

Paul at DMZ border, South Korea
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Paul Craven

Paul is the Conde Nast Traveller chosen Specialist for Central Asia and the Silk Route.

Being from a family with Army connections I can from an early age remember travelling. From camping in Europe and then later being sent to boarding school when we lived in Germany at the age of eight, complete with shorts, long socks, a cap and my suitcase. In appearance not too dissimilar to the children evacuated to the countryside during the blitz.

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Clare infront of traditional ger.
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Clare Higginson

It was my passion for languages that first encouraged me to leave the UK behind and grab my rucksack. Since then, it’s been a mixture of intriguing cultures, jaw-dropping landscapes and the wonder of seeing animals in their natural habitat that sees me continuously extending my travel wish list.

Talk with our experts
  • 1 800 571 2985

From the blog

Thoughts. Opinions. Experiences

The Trans Siberian Railway, Lake Baikal, Russia
Stories
A Tale of Two Trains
Paul Craven
“We were waiting for you” the lady said.I acknowledged her and apologised. “Haven't I seen you before. Are you involved in…
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Our knowledge and expertise set us apart. So too our curiosity. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.

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