From jam-packed stations, or smoke-hazed docks, there’s the frantic surge of passengers, then the whistle blows - and you’re off. The train eases out of the city, free at last, and shoots off towards the horizon, while beautiful landscapes scroll serenely past the windows. There is nothing quite like train travel - arguably the most pleasing of all the ways to get from A to B. It brings an undeniably romantic quality to any trip, and is the ideal way to immerse yourself in your destination. There are practical trains - linking European towns, or Japanese megacities. Then there are trains which feel like expeditions to far-flung lands:
to the Canadian Rockies, or the Peruvian Altiplano. And then there are the trains of legend, monuments to the art of train travel, like the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express or the iconic Trans-Siberian railway. If you too love train travel, we will always try to weave a train trip into your itinerary, or tailor-make entire luxury train holidays because it allows you the chance to really appreciate your destination in a way air travel just can’t, and without the faff inherent in driving yourself. One last thought: in an age where flying is increasingly a dirty word, travelling by train is also helping save the planet too.
Contact one of our specialists + 44 (0) 20 3958 6120
This is the first time we went on a trip with Original Travel,
a specialist advisor who listens to our expectations, and really
the feeling of being pampered from departure to arrival.
The concierge service is so efficient that we quickly become addicted.
There's an undeniable romance to this particular form of 'slow travel', although if you find yourself on board a Japanese bullet train speeding along at 200 mph the epithet 'slow' might not really apply.
In addition to simply savouring the joy of a leisurely pace (in most cases), there are the environmental benefits of train travel to shout about, too. With the increasing awareness of the impact of travel on the planet, as a society, we are becoming ever more conscious of travelling with a conscience. Enter the train. With tracks across the world connecting some seriously cool destinations via some seriously scenic routes - and all with a fraction of the carbon footprint of a flight - getting to where you're going has never been more elegant, or guilt-free.
We know the finest rail routes - many involving stupendous feats of tunnel and bridge engineering - in our favourite destinations around the world and can talk you through which elegant compartments to book on the most luxurious trains. Settle back, watch beautiful scenery drifting by, order a drink from the passing waiter and enjoy travel at its most civilised.