It’s one thing riding a train through stunning mountain ranges and along gorgeous coastlines, but it’s a whole other thing to experience those views onboard carriages complete with three-course dinners, glamorous entertainment and bespoke interior design.
Condé Nast Traveler has compiled a list of the 20 best and most luxurious train journeys in the world, based on its annual Readers Choice Awards. And three British journeys were fancy shmancy enough to make the cut. These aren’t rail journeys designed just to get you from A to B. Oh no siree. These trains are a step above your average first class and oozing with opulence.
In fourth place, just below the world-famous Orient Express, was the British Pullman which takes passengers on a tour from London through towns and cities including Cambridge, York and Canterbury on its restored 1920s and 30s art-deco carriages.
The Royal Scotsman landed in eleventh place on the list. For two nights of travel from Edinburgh through Perthshire, Cairngorms National Park and Aberdeenshire, cabins start at £4,400 per passenger. That includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, a cheese board, booze, an on-board ceilidh and private tours of a distillery and Culloden Battlefield.
There’s also a Dior Spa to relax in as you chug along, with specialists ‘trained to synchronise their motions with the natural lilts and tilts of the train’.
Making an appearance at number 13 was the Northern Belle, which only offers day trips but is nonetheless a uniquely luxurious experience. The publication gave a special shoutout to the Belle's culinary excellence and said: ‘The meal services are exquisite, offering fine dining crafted mostly from UK suppliers, so you can enjoy classic British fare as the heaths, meadows, and dales roll on by.’ We couldn’t think of anything better (besides that plush Dior spa, maybe).
You can read Condé Nast Traveller’s full list for yourself here. But if you’re looking for rail trip inspiration, we at Time Out have plenty of that. Not only do we have our own list of the best luxury train rides in the world, but we also have guides to scenic rail routes in the UK, Europe and the world.
ICYMI: This spectacular scenic train route connects all eight Scottish cities.
Plus: Trains between Scotland and England could soon get lie-flat beds.
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