August 26 marked an exceptional trip from Vancouver, British Columbia as it merged seven individual luxury train lines across four continents. The journey, planned by the renowned travel agency, Railbookers, began in North America, crisscrossed through Europe and Africa, and ended in Asia with a few international flights interspersed at a starting price of $113,599 per person. This unique travel package, “Around the World By Luxury Train”, with its hefty price tag, caters to a niche audience. Yet, the rising demand for such high-end rail travel is a testimony to the transformation underway in the luxury travel market.
Many attribute this popularity to the growing preference for “slow travel,” an avenue being more sought after in the wake of Covid. As industry moguls indicate, there has recently been an increase in interest toward slowing down and experiencing different things uniquely. The case in point is Italy’s forthcoming La Dolce Vita Orient Express, the country’s first luxury train. This high-end train is one of the many planned expansions under the Orient Express brand from the Accor Group. Each one of their eight unique roundtrip itineraries will set out from Rome in 2025.
The grandeur of these plush train carriages induces a sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of the lavishness of the Gilded Age. It feels as though meticulously designed film sets have sprung to life in the form of these luxurious trains. This heightened magnificence is but a reflection of the booming luxury travel sector which thrives on delivering immersive experiences wrapped in a captivating narrative.
As the future of luxury rail unfolds, more and more travellers deviate from the historically famed routes, flocking toward lesser-travelled areas and with frequent stops for custom off-train excursions. We see this trend reflected in the sales record of 2024, which Railbookers dub as “record-breaking,” marking a 30% rise in sales compared to the previous year. Luxury travel, more specifically, has witnessed a whopping 43% increase.
The appeal of rail travel, and consequently, the lucrativeness of the travel industry, rests not in any specific location or targeted campaign, but the all-encompassing craving for such exclusive experiences, which only trains can offer. These new-age sleeper trains transform the tedious process of travelling from one place to another into a comforting, enjoyable journey.
The market is seeing growth beyond the traditionally affluent demographics to what Matt Foy, Railbookers’ senior director of rail and transportation, calls “the little-bit-of-luxury traveller.” These individuals are incorporating luxury rail segments into their otherwise moderately priced holiday.
Two notable trains contributing to the luxury rail travel growth are Rovos Rail in South Africa, the Rocky Mountaineer in Canada, and the Maharajas’ Express in India. The debutant luxury rail travel routes also focus on bringing passengers to previously unexplored destinations, spanning South America, rural Japan, and Italy.
Italian region-specific trains, like La Dolce Vita, slow cruise at 80 kilometers per hour, emphasizing rather a sense of localization as opposed to high-speed connectivity. A novel concept, La Dolce Vita, is Italy’s first slow cruise luxury train operating in the market, setting it apart from the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express from Belmond.
Other players in the luxury rail sector are no less in their offer either, promising an immersive journey throughout the trip. So, even though luxury travel seems at odds with high-speed modes of travel, the growth of luxury rail journeys is accelerating. Hence, it appears like the resurgence of rail travel in its ‘golden age’ might outdo the myth itself.
