Rovos offers two- to 14-day trips, with destinations such as Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Pretoria and Dar es Salaam. Trains carry a maximum of 72 passengers. Carriages feature wood paneling, Edwardian-era décor, air conditioning and en suite bathrooms. Sleeping cars also offer mini bars and 24-hour room service.
South Africa's Blue Train provides luxurious hotel-like amenities, such as marble-tiled bathrooms, air conditioning and satellite television. Dress up for dinner in the formal silver-service dining car or browse the jewelry selections at the onboard boutique. The 1,000-mile line connects Pretoria and Cape Town and runs several times a week. The train carries a maximum of 84 passengers and 27 staff.
The Eastern and Orient Express travels through Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Laos. Dining cars serve gourmet Asian and European cuisine at lunch and dinner. Breakfast is delivered to your cabin each morning, or you can relax with tea or coffee in the open-air observation car. Cabins offer air conditioning, en suite bathrooms and 24-hour steward service. Trips range from three to seven days.
India's Deccan Odyssey, also known as the Rajasthan Palace on Wheels, offers eight-day trips between Mumbai and Delhi. The line travels the coast from Ganapatipule Beach to Goa, and then crosses the Thar desert and former kingdom of Maharashtra. Train amenities include a spa, salon, two five-star restaurants and a lounge car. Sleeper carriages include air conditioning, attached toilets, hot showers and CD players.
Australia's Great Southern Railway operates the Indian Pacific, a 2,698-mile-long line between Perth and Sydney. Connecting the Indian and the Pacific Oceans, the journey takes three nights and three days with stops in Kalgoorlie and Adelaide. Sleeper cabins feature twin bunks, air conditioning, wash basins and shared restrooms.
The Venice Simplon Orient Express is a re-creation of the mythical Orient Express. The line connects Warsaw, Krakow, Budapest, Bucharest, Istanbul, Prague, Venice, Rome, Paris and London. Plan to dress up for dinner because semi-formal evening wear is required in the dining car. The train's 35 sleeping cars feature Art Deco décor.
The Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express offers service between Moscow and Vladivostock in the summer and Beijing and Moscow in the winter. Trips take up to 15 days, traverse 6,000 miles and cross eight time zones. Luxury carriages include two bedrooms, a private bathroom and the services of a private chef.
Amtrak's Coast Starlight runs for 1,377 miles between Seattle and Los Angeles, with stops in Portland, Eugene, Sacramento, Oakland and San Luis Obispo along the way. The line passes through mountain ranges and along the scenic Pacific coastline. Sleeper cars feature en suite bathrooms and Internet service. Passengers can eat in the dining car, grab a latte at the onboard coffee bar or watch a movie in the theater.
The Rocky Mountaineer in Canada travels between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Calgary, Alberta. The two-day trip includes views of the Fraser River's Hells Gate waterfall, a Continental Divide crossing and spectacular glacier and mountain views from the double-decker carriages. Trips generally depart three times a week. The trains do not have sleeping cars, so passengers debark for an overnight stay in Kamploops, British Columbia.
Peru Rail's Hiram Bingham line runs from the city of Cusco to the ancient ruins at Machu Picchu. The eight-hour roundtrip includes brunch, dinner, bus transportation from the station to Machu Picchu, entrance fees and a guided tour of the ruins. The train carries up to 84 passengers and features two dining cars and an observation car.
