For couples who believe the journey should be just as extraordinary as the destination.
Few travel experiences feel as intimate — or as timeless — as a long-distance train ride. With no need to navigate or plan the next move, couples can settle in, watch the landscape shift, and enjoy the kind of unhurried connection that’s hard to find elsewhere. Whether it’s a glass of wine in a velvet-lined bar car or waking to pale light in a sleeper cabin, rail journeys offer space — both literal and emotional — to simply be together.
For couples seeking more than just a destination, we’ve put together a guide to 15 of the most romantic rail journeys in the world. Some are beloved for the landscapes they traverse: alpine passes, jungle-fringed coastlines, and vast plateaus far from roads or runways. Others are unforgettable for the trains themselves — rolling sanctuaries of elegance and detail, where nothing is rushed and everything invites you to linger. What they all share is a sense of occasion, and an experience to be savoured with the one you love.
1. Eastern & Oriental Express, Southeast Asia
Route: Singapore to Malaysia (Penang, Merapoh, Pulau Payar)
Journey time: 3 days
After a four-year hiatus, Asia’s most iconic train is back on track. The Eastern & Oriental Express carries just 64 guests across Malaysia in rich, old-world style — all cherrywood panelling, velvet armchairs, Thai silks and white-gloved service.
By day, you will enjoy excursions curated by local experts, but it’s the evenings that steal the show. Chef Andre Chiang’s sumptuous menus span the culinary history of Malaysia, all dishes served up with Belmond’s bespoke cutlery, dinnerware and crystal glasses.
Enjoy five-star dining, then drift from the dining car to the Piano Bar for post-dinner drinks, sharing stories or a game of cards with strangers-turned-friends. In the open-air observation car, rainforest silhouettes flicker past under a night sky with no signal and no distractions.
Couples will love: The sheer elegance of the journey, with evenings spent sipping champagne and swapping stories beneath the crystal chandeliers.
Need to know: Relaunched in 2024, this journey sells out fast — book at least six months ahead via Belmond. State Cabins are the sweet spot. Add time in Singapore to round out the trip. Check their website for details on the different journeys, from special culinary events to wildlife encounters.
belmond.com/trains/asia/eastern-and-oriental- express/
2. The Danube Express – Golden Eagle Luxury Trains
Route: Budapest to Vienna, Eastern Europe Discovery
Journey Time: 12 days
The Danube Express offers couples an unforgettable journey through the heart of Europe visiting the spectacular cities of Krakow, Warsaw, Malbork, Gdansk, Berlin, Dresden, Prague Salzburg and Vienna. Aboard this elegant private train, guests enjoy spacious en-suite cabins, gourmet dining and attentive service, all while travelling through some of Europe’s most romantic landscapes – think vineyards, medieval towns and grand cities.
By day, there are private tours of castles, galleries, and markets that offer a window into the region’s layered past. By night, candlelit dinners and live music unfold on board, creating space for quiet connection. For couples drawn to Europe’s old-world charm but in no rush to tick off landmarks, the Danube Express offers something rarer: the pleasure of taking it slow.
Couples will love: The grandeur of European architecture and artistry kept over the centuries for future generations to explore.
Need to Know: The Golden Eagle runs fascinating train journeys throughout Europe and beyond. Check their website for dates and prices.
goldeneagleluxurytrains.com/journeys/
3. The Ghan, Australia
Route: Adelaide to Darwin
Journey time: 3 days
This is an unsurpassed outback adventure – a journey through the heart of Australia, from the wine country of South Australia to the tropics of the Northern Territory and vice versa. The Ghan is not about speed — it’s about scale. Plains of arid red punctuated by green scrub stretch endlessly, relieved by exciting and picturesque off-train adventures showcasing the extraordinary beauty of the Outback.
Uncover the rich history of Alice Springs, take a guided walk through sacred Simpsons Gap, and cruise down the Katherine River through Nitmiluk Gorge, or better yet, take a helicopter flight over all 13 gorges. Onboard, panoramic windows frame it all while private cabins offer a place to unwind between chef-prepared meals and fine wines. The journey is both raw and refined, a true shared adventure.
Couples will love: The feeling of being alone together in the Outback, reconnecting with each other while sharing adventures not available at home.
Need to know: Operates March–October. Book Gold or Platinum Service for private ensuite cabins. Add time in Uluru or Darwin for a complete trip.
journeybeyondrail.com.au/the-ghan/
4. Rocky Mountaineer, Canada
Route: Vancouver to Jasper, Lake Louise, or Banff
Journey time: 2–6 days
The Canadian Rockies deserve to be seen slowly, and the Rocky Mountaineer delivers that in spades. With domed glass ceilings and locally inspired menus, the journey is as much about what’s on the plate as what’s beyond the window: alpine forests, turquoise lakes, and waterfalls cascading down craggy slopes. There’s no overnight travel; instead, guests disembark at dusk for restful hotel stays, then re-board refreshed. The pace is unhurried, the service polished, and the sense of awe ever-present.
Couples will love: Extending this amazing train journey to 6 days with overnight stays in Jasper, Lake Louis and Banff, including standing on a glass platform 300 metres in the air at the Glacial Skywalk, riding on horseback through the stunning mountain terrain or paddling a canoe on Lake Louise.
Need to know: Operates April–October. GoldLeaf Service includes bi-level coaches and gourmet dining. Combine with a self-drive trip through Alberta and extra time in the beautiful city of Vancouver.
5. Rovos Rail – Africa
Route: Cape Town to Dar es Salaam
Journey time: 16 days
There are faster ways to cross a continent — but none more graceful. Rovos Rail’s journey from Cape Town to Dar es Salaam spans five countries and over 5,500 kilometres, but it moves to an older rhythm: long lunches, polished wood interiors, and the quiet thrill of seeing giraffes through the window while you dress for dinner.
Carriages have been restored to their 1920s grandeur, with leather armchairs, mahogany panelling, and clawfoot tubs in the Royal Suites. The route begins in the vineyards and coastlines of the Cape before heading north through Botswana and Zimbabwe, where guests disembark for a safari and an overnight stay at the Victoria Falls Hotel. From there, it’s into Zambia and Tanzania, winding past tea plantations and colonial towns before reaching Dar es Salaam.
It’s not just the destinations — it’s the pauses between them that couples will remember most: reading in the observation car as the landscape unspools, sipping cocktails at sunset, or falling asleep to the soft rhythm of the rails.
Couples will love: The rare combination of old-world glamour and unfiltered wilderness — game drives by day, Champagne by night.
Need to Know: The Dar es Salaam route departs just a few times each year (2025 journeys confirmed for July and August) and books out well in advance. Royal Suites offer lounge areas and full baths. Consider pairing with time in Cape Town or a safari in the Serengeti.
rovos.com/journeys/dar-es-salaam
6. Venice Simplon-Orient Express – Europe
Route: Paris to Venice (with seasonal extensions to Tuscany and Portofino)
Journey time: 1–2 days
It begins in Paris, as these things should. Liveried stewards in navy and gold greet you at the platform, ushering you into restored 1920s and ’30s carriages finished in polished mahogany, Lalique glass, and velvet. From there, the train slips east toward Venice, winding through Alpine passes and vineyard hills, where the scenery feels almost too cinematic to be real.
The Venice Simplon-Orient Express is not about speed. This is rail travel as ritual — dressing for dinner, sipping Champagne in the bar car while a pianist plays Cole Porter, falling asleep in a cabin that feels more like a stage set than a sleeper. Compact cabins are rich in detail; Grand Suites offer the kind of opulence once reserved for royalty. A new addition for 2025, L’Observatoire — a private carriage by artist JR — blends Art Deco with modern edge: oculus skylight, turntable, curated vinyls.
For couples, the allure is in the pace. There’s time for conversation, for watching the Alps glide past, for leaning into the art of travel itself.
Couples will love: Dressing to the nines for a multicourse dinner, then slow dancing as the train slips into the mountains.
Need to Know: Journeys run March through November. Classic Paris–Venice itineraries sell out fast, but new seasonal routes include Portofino and Tuscany with overnight hotel stays. Book a Cabin Suite for space or a Grand Suite for full luxury.
belmond.com/trains/europe/venice-simplon-orient-express
7. La Dolce Vita Orient Express – Italy
Route: Rome to Venice and Portofino
Journey time: 2–3 days
There’s luxury, and then there’s Italian luxury — tailored suits of it, in velvet and brass. A newcomer to the Orient Express family, La Dolce Vita trades Gatsby opulence for something more cinematic: a train dressed in mirrored panels, mid-century curves, and moody Fellini-era elegance. It drifts across Italy in slow, gleaming style — from Rome to Venice to the Ligurian coast.
The journey begins in the capital, easing through countryside before reaching Venice in time for a sunset boat tour down the Grand Canal. There’s a negroni at Harry’s Bar, then dinner somewhere waterside, candlelight flickering off stone. At midnight, the train slips away toward Portofino. By morning, couples are exploring its pastel harbour and hidden coves before returning for Le Grand Soir — a dinner experience under the guidance of Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck. The return to Rome is marked by breakfast with sea views, and that quiet ache that follows something fleeting and extraordinary.
Couples will love: The sense that they’ve stepped into a perfectly lit scene — where the soundtrack is soft jazz, and every moment feels composed.
Need to Know: Launched in 2025 with a growing list of seasonal itineraries. Book early — and plan a few extra nights in Florence or Tuscany to make the most of the mood.
orient-express.com/la-dolce-vita
8. Hiram Bingham, Peru
Route: Cusco to Machu Picchu
Journey time: 3.5 hours (each way)
Though brief, the Hiram Bingham is a bucket-list journey wrapped in Peruvian elegance. This is the most exclusive way to reach Machu Picchu: vintage carriages, open-air observation deck, white-gloved staff, and a four-course Andean menu with Pisco cocktails to match. Along the Urubamba River, the train winds past farmlands and cloud forests en route to one of the world’s great wonders. It’s indulgence with a sense of discovery — and a rare moment of stillness before the climb.
Couples will love: Arriving at Machu Picchu in style, with champagne in hand and the Andes unfolding outside.
Need to know: Runs year-round but books quickly. Combine with a night at Belmond’s Sanctuary Lodge or a stay in Cusco’s historic centre.
belmond.com/trains/south-america/peru/belmond-hiram-bingham/
9. Andean Explorer, Peru
Route: Cusco to Arequipa via Puno and Lake Titicaca
Journey time: 3 days
South America’s first luxury sleeper train, the Andean Explorer is a travelling boutique hotel. Expect plush cabins, gourmet dining, a piano bar, and an observation car that opens onto the altiplano — high plains fringed by volcanoes, lakes, and Inca ruins. Days are spent exploring off-train at Lake Titicaca and Lake Lahunillas, visiting the Sumbay caves, home to 8,000 year old rock paintings: evenings are candlelit and quiet. The experience is immersive, unhurried, and steeped in place.
Couples will love: Watching the sun rise over Lake Titicaca from a heated cabin as the train gently sways.
Need to know: Best booked April–November. The full journey spans two nights, with shorter options available. Most guests pair this with time in Cusco or Arequipa.
belmond.com/trains/south-america/peru/belmond-andean-explorer/
10. Maharajas’ Express – India
Route: Delhi to Mumbai (The Indian Splendour)
Journey time: 7 days
A journey aboard the Maharajas’ Express is as rich and layered as India itself. Suites are finished with carved wood, embroidered silk, and antique-style brass fittings, evoking the romance of a bygone era without sacrificing comfort. Each cabin comes with butler service and wide windows that frame the shifting landscapes of Rajasthan — from golden desert forts to pink palaces and temple towns.
Off the train, the itinerary reads like a roll call of the subcontinent’s greatest wonders: tiger safaris in Ranthambore, a private breakfast overlooking the Taj Mahal, candlelit dinners in Jaipur palaces, and guided walks through ancient bazaars. Onboard, guests dine in jewel-toned restaurants inspired by India’s royal courts, with menus that balance spice and refinement. Evenings bring live music, folk dance, or the quiet pleasure of retreating to your suite with a pot of chai as the train slips through the night.
Couples will love: The quiet luxury of sipping masala chai in bed while the desert rolls past your window — and the sheer theatricality of arriving in Udaipur or Agra aboard what feels like a travelling palace.
Need to Know: The Maharajas’ Express operates from October to April, with several routes across North and Central India. Suites book out months in advance — consider pairing with a stay at Delhi’s Imperial Hotel or the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur.
11. Transcantábrico Gran Lujo, Spain
Route: San Sebastián to Santiago de Compostela
Journey time: 8 days
Spain’s north coast feels like a world unto itself, and the Transcantábrico Gran Lujo offers a weeklong rail voyage through its heart. From seaside Basque cities to green hills, Romanesque churches, and seafood feasts, this is slow, sensual Spain. The train itself is deeply comfortable — suites with living areas, full bathrooms, and gourmet meals paired with regional wines. Stops include Picos de Europa and the Guggenheim in Bilbao.
Couples will love: Sharing Galician wine and Fabada Asturiana bean stew as the train hugs the Atlantic coast.
Need to know: Runs March–October. Book the Gran Lujo version for the most luxurious experience. Best paired with a stay in San Sebastián and Santiago.
12. Golden Eagle, Central Asia
Route: Almaty to Tashkent (via the Silk Road)
Journey time: 14 days
For couples who’ve done Europe and want something more intrepid, the Golden Eagle’s Central Asia route delivers high luxury and cultural immersion. The train cuts through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan — stopping at Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, and the Darvaza Gas Crater. Interiors are plush, with a piano bar, fine dining, and daily excursions led by expert guides.
Couples will love: Drinking cocktails as you cross vast steppe landscapes and ancient Silk Road cities.
Need to know: Select departures annually. Book the Gold Class or Imperial Suite. Best to arrive a few days early in Almaty or extend in Tashkent.
https://www.goldeneagleluxurytrains.com/journeys/the-grand-silk-road/
13. Norient Express, Norway
Route: Bergen to Trondheim (via Oslo)
Journey time: 6 days
Launching in late 2025 or early 2026 (exact dates and prices are yet to be revealed), the Norient Express brings Nordic design and slow travel together in a journey that celebrates nature, sustainability, and style. The journey will commence weekly on Sundays from either Bergen or Trondheim and continue until Thursday with passengers staying in carefully selected hotels along the way. The electric-powered train features onboard fitness and wellness offerings, and panoramic views of fjords, forests, and — if you’re lucky — the Northern Lights. Expect boutique hotel vibes with Nordic flair.
Couples will love: Watching the aurora dance outside while sipping aquavit in a wood- lined lounge.
Need to know: Bookings expected to open mid-2025. Routes run autumn–spring. Pair with time in Bergen or a coastal cruise to the Lofoten Islands.
14. The Presidential Train – Portugal
Route: Porto to Porto, through the Douro Valley
Journey time: 1 day
Once reserved for Portuguese royalty and visiting heads of state, the Presidential Train now hosts just a handful of departures each year — a single-day journey through the Douro Valley built around food, wine, and old-world glamour.
The interiors have been immaculately restored, with burnished wood, velvet seats, and brass fittings that recall the train’s 19th-century origins. Outside, the route winds through terraced vineyards and steep riverbanks; inside, couples are served a multi-course menu by Argentine-Portuguese chef Chakall, known for pairing bold Iberian flavours with local ingredients. At Vargelas, guests disembark for a private port tasting at one of the region’s most storied wineries before reboarding for a slow return to Porto. The final stretch brings live music, Douro specialties, and long golden light across the valley.
Couples will love: The way the experience marries royal nostalgia with contemporary cuisine — and how much can be savoured in a single, beautifully orchestrated day.
Need to Know: Departures are limited and typically run on select Fridays and Saturdays in September and October. For the latest dates and bookings, cp.pt/passageiros/en/how-to-travel/For-leisure/Nature-and-Culture/presidential-train
15. The Royal Scotsman – Grand Tour of Scotland
Route: Edinburgh to Edinburgh
Journey time: 7 days
The Royal Scotsman moves at a pace that suits its surroundings. With just 10 carriages and space for 40 guests, this is travel designed for intimacy — a slow unfolding of Scotland’s most remote and beautiful places.
The Grand Tour of Scotland, offered once a year in late summer, is its most expansive itinerary. Over seven days, the train traces a wide arc from Edinburgh to the Highlands and out to the islands, stopping for wild swims off Orkney, gin tastings on windswept beaches, and whisky drawn straight from the cask in Glenmorangie’s warehouse. There are castle visits, garden walks, and a gentle cruise across Loch Lomond. Onboard, guests return to cabins panelled in polished wood and dressed in Highland hues. The newer Grand Suites take things further: driftwood armchairs, tartan woven with 37 threads to honour the train’s years in service, and hand-finished details that echo Scotland’s wild terrain and layered history.
There’s a spa carriage offering Dior facials between stops; an observation car where cocktails are served beside misty windows; and a rhythm to each day that begins with light over the moors and ends with scallops by candlelight and music in the lounge. It’s not just the landscape that’s carefully preserved here — it’s the art of lingering.
Couples will love: The sweep of the route, from Skye to Orkney to Loch Lomond — and the way each moment feels both deeply Scottish and quietly celebratory.
Need to Know: The Grand Tour runs once annually in August, with only 36 passengers onboard. The Royal Scotsman offers 12 other itineraries throughout the year, ranging from two to five nights.
