If you've been around here a while, First name / friend, you know we love riding the rails. Especially when they’re distinctive, well designed, and the views make you stop mid-sentence.

 

The view from a hotel window can be beautiful. But what if that view kept changing? Coffee in hand as you cross the Alps. A book open while the Australian Outback rolls by through wide, panoramic windows.

 

Train travel is having its moment once again and that makes sense to me.

 

✨ Scenic immersion: Unlike most other ways of getting around, trains give you uninterrupted scenery right outside your window. Mountain ranges, desert plains, coastal cliffs. No seatbelt sign, no turbulence. Just a front-row seat.

 

✨ Comfort and space: This isn’t commuter rail. The great trains have private cabins, proper beds, generous seating, and room to move. You unpack once and let the landscape do the work.

 

✨ Timeless and distinct: A well-run train has rhythm. Long lunches. Time to read. Conversations in the lounge car. They're stylish, often bringing you back to days past. It’s transport and hotel in one, with character a plane will never replicate.

 

If you want to move through the world differently in 2026, let's hop aboard.

 

So, where to first? See some of my picks, one for each season, below.

📍 Route: Paris to Istanbul
📍 Duration: 5 days

 

If you want rail history at its most cinematic, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express sets the standard. This is the full Paris to Istanbul journey, crossing France, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria before arriving in Türkiye. It’s about atmosphere and old-school elegance.

 

You move from Western Europe into the Balkans, watching the landscape shift from alpine peaks to open plains and small towns suspended in time. Onboard, restored 1920s and 30s carriages set the tone: polished wood, brass details, white tablecloth dinners, and time to sit, talk, and revel while the evening musicians play. Days unfold slowly and include iconic stops and experiences. Evenings lean formal and lively.

 

🤝 Bookend it with: A few nights in Paris before departure to settle in and enjoy the city. On arrival, give Istanbul at least two nights, three is better. Stay near the old city to walk between mosques and markets, then cross the Bosphorus for a different angle on the skyline.

📍 Route: Cusco to Arequipa, Peru
📍 Duration: 2 nights

 

The Belmond Andean Explorer runs high through the Peruvian Andes, linking Cusco with Arequipa over two nights. You pass Lake Titicaca, remote plains, and on certain departures, the edge of Colca Canyon. It’s altitude, big skies, and long stretches of quiet landscape.

 

Cabins draw from local textiles and materials, with warm tones that offset the cool mountain air. Days are built around the scenery and off-train stops. Evenings gather everyone back in the dining car for Peruvian-focused menus and a pisco sour at the bar.

 

Many of Peru’s headline sites are best visited in the dry season, May through October, when skies are clearer and travel logistics are simpler.

 

🤝 Bookend it with: A few days in Cusco to acclimate and explore the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. While there, reserve a table at Mauka, led by chef Pía León. Expect native grains, high-altitude ingredients, and a tight, thoughtful tasting menu.

On arrival in Arequipa, spend time in the historic center and at Santa Catalina Monastery before heading toward Colca Canyon, where condors ride the thermals overhead.

📍 Route: Darwin to Adelaide, Australia
📍 Duration: 3 nights

 

The Ghan runs straight through the center of Australia, linking the tropical Top End with the vineyards of South Australia. Over three nights, you cross the Northern Territory into South Australia, moving through red desert, wide cattle stations, and towns that exist because the railway does.

 

Early autumn brings milder temperatures, which makes the off-train stops more comfortable. Onboard, cabins are set up for the long haul, with dining that leans into regional produce and evenings in the lounge car. You cover serious ground on this route. The Outback stretches for hours, and the train gives you time to take it in without rushing past.

 

🤝 Bookend it with: A few days in Darwin to explore Kakadu National Park for rock art, wetlands, and waterfalls. After Adelaide, head into the Barossa Valley for structured tastings and long lunches among the vines.

📍 Route: Fukuoka to Fukuoka, Japan
📍 Duration: 3 nights

 

Seven Stars in Kyushu circles the island of Kyushu, moving through southern Japan’s volcanic landscapes, coastal stretches, and small historic towns. It’s one of the hardest train tickets in the world to secure, with just 14 suites and a lottery-style booking process.

 

Interiors are warm and wood-lined, with large picture windows and a strong craft element. Service is meticulous without being stiff. Stops often include local artisans, shrines, and regional food producers, giving context to what you see from the tracks. January is a strong month to travel, with crisp air, fewer crowds, and the chance of snow on higher ground.

 

🤝 Bookend it with: Time in Fukuoka to explore temples, contemporary design pockets, and the city’s yatai street food stalls. After the journey, head to Beppu or Yufuin for onsen time, where outdoor baths look out over winter hills.

Sometimes we need to change the pace, let the journey be the journey, and see things from a lower, slower angle. This is only a sampling of the train routes running across our very good-looking planet, and we love playing matchmaker when it comes to pairing you with the one that fits you best.

 

If 2026 is the year you travel with more intention, let’s plan for wide windows, unhurried meals, and a few days where getting there is not the point.