Formally called the Venice-Simpleton-Orient Express, this two-day, one-night train journey from London to Venice takes you back to the golden age of railway travel of the 1920s and '30s. The trains and cabins are restored to authentic art deco style. Don't expect to spend this trip in your sweats; black tie and gowns are encouraged for dinner in the dining car, and jeans are unacceptable at all times. All overnight passengers sleep in private cabins, and the cabin steward is on call at all times to ensure you have everything you need to be comfortable. The trip's highlight is waking up to views of the Alps.
Venice-Simpleton-Orient Express
New York Corporate Office
1114 Avenue of the Americas
38th Floor
New York, NY 10039
800-524-2420
Orient-express.com
There are several train routes through the Alps, all of them through pretty scenery. The Glacier Express, from Zermatt to St. Moritz, has panorama coaches with large windows so passengers get the most of the views as they travel through the 7,000 foot elevation Overalp Pass. A gourmet lunch with Swiss white wine is served at your seat. You'll cross 291 bridges and go through 91 tunnels. Travel time is just more than seven hours.
Glacier Express
Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn
Bahnhofplatz 7, CH-3900 Brigue
+41-027-927-70-00
Glacierexpress.ch
For fjord country travel, the train from the shoreline village of Flam to Mydral in Norway packs a lot of scenery into the one-hour ride. Gain nearly 3,000 feet in elevation and see two waterfalls: the Rjoandefossen with its 459 foot drop and the 305 foot drop Kjosfossen, where the train makes a photo stop. The steep mountains and narrow fjords provide majestic views and photo opportunities. The UK Telegraph calls this "Norway's most celebrated scenic route."
Flam Railway
Flåmsbana
P.O. Box 75
NO-5742 Flåm
47-57-63-14-00
Visitflam.com
The Elipsos Francisco de Goya Trenhotel leaves Paris in the evening and arrives in Madrid the next morning, 13 and a half hours later. Passengers staying in a Gran Class cabin have a private bath and shower, plus a three-course dinner and breakfast included with their ticket. Other accommodations are in shared sleeper cars or reclining seats in the common areas. As you get farther out of Paris, the scenery becomes increasingly rural. Tickets are available at rail stations in Europe or online.
Elipsos Francisco de Goya
Elipsos.com
The iconoclastic Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest railway on Earth. It leaves Moscow and spans eight time zones and more than one-third of the globe across Russia to end in Vladivostok, a port town on the Pacific. Stops along this mythic route include Yarsoslavl, a town built in 1010 with many of its original churches still standing. Other stops are Ekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Khabarovsk and Ulan Ude, the Buddhist center of Russia. While the scenery is unforgettable, most agree that the interactions with people of all classes on this train is the real bonus. The Trans-Siberian Railway recommends you purchase tickets from a reputable travel agent, as the railway company itself does not sell tickets online.
Trans-Siberian Railway
Transsiberianrailway.org
