Which luxury train are you a crew member on?

OGs

venice simplon orient express

The Ride

VSOE is the progenitor of fantasy and the 5-star sleeper of your dreams. The vintage car, restored down to the last hand-enameled panel, was built between 1926 and 1949. With one very nice exception added this year. It’s L’Observatoire, a brand new full car suite with a “secret”. ” Tea room and library designed by French artist JR (currently accepting bookings for travel from March 2025 at very high prices)
list-y £80,000 per trip).

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Thanks to its aggressive expansion in 2021, VSOE now calls at more destinations than ever before, including Prague, Lyon, Florence, Vienna, Budapest, Istanbul and Rome. You can also book exclusively for milestone events, so you can create a customized itinerary in case you want to stop in places like Chiavari or Ancona. (The standard overnight route from Paris to Venice doesn’t mean you won’t get all the feel, fun, and Alpine views you want.)

food and drink

Chef Jean Humbert serves much more upscale dishes in VSOE’s three dining cars, including turbot with champagne sauce, loin of lamb, and finished mignardise. Breakfast can be delivered in your cabin, and the top floor suites have unlimited Petrosian and Champagne. Barker, which never actually closes, has a baby grand piano that allows for unique singalongs (mostly) after midnight.

what to pack

Stepping on the fantasy line gives you a throwback elegance during the day. We highly recommend wearing a black tie in the evening. Similarly, putting on sequins, beads, fancy baubles, and, in general, sparkles and sway in an outfit that gives it extra sex appeal. When in doubt, choose Le Smoking. Tom Ford for him, Saint Laurent for her (probably a bejeweled choker; nothing under the jacket).

ounce of wizards

Garn Expedition

The Ride

The name is a shortened form of the original Afghan Express. The Afghanistan Express is named after the Afghan camel driver who planned a north-south route for trains across some of Australia’s most rugged and spectacular inland landscapes from Darwin to Adelaide in the late 19th century. This is Outback Oz, and the experience is understated without cutting corners. In the new Gold Premium Suite, walnut cabinetry and brass are complemented by indigenous prints. Gold’s twin or single cabins offer more comfortable sleeping arrangements. Picture windows are uniformly huge regardless of travel class.

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The 3,000km, 4-day, 3-night itinerary will stop in the Northern Territory’s historic Katherine Springs and Alice Springs, then wind through the heart of the country, passing through the mining town of Coober Pedy and on to Adelaide. Excursions include bush walks, visits to indigenous art galleries, and outdoor lantern-lit dinners. Helicopter tours and private visits to Uluru are available for an additional fee.

food and drink

Simple, modern Australian cuisine with excellent wines, craft beers and spirits, but Bollinger is available free flow for Platinum travelers. It also has its own restaurant car, whose chef privileges vendors with local produce. But the charm seems to center on the Queen Adelaide restaurant, where the ricotta pancakes a la Granger & Co. are the breakfast highlight. Everything is included in the price, right down to your last glass of Seppeltsfield Para Tawny at midnight.

what to pack

Orient Express is not like that. As long as you wear nice pants and a linen shirt, you’ll be fine until dinner. Far more important is having the best equipment to deal with the vagaries of light and temperature during your excursion, including proper footwear, layers, hats, and sunscreen. Basically, you can’t go wrong with Breathtech Slowear and old Blundies.

Club Tropicana

Eastern & Oriental Express

The Ride

This luxury Belmond night train, which once connected Singapore and Bangkok via Kuala Lumpur and Penang, was relaunched in early 2024. The refurbished carriages shine with tropical hardwood parquet, brass detailing, gold-thread passementry, and a pervasive Victorian flourish. . There’s also an observation car with wall-to-wall windows and simple banquettes, and a bar with a rotating cast of crooners and the odd wandering magician. A very Belmond bonus: Dior Spa on board (vehicles with two treatment rooms).

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Mr Belmondo hinted that Bangkok would be back on the agenda by next year. Meanwhile, E&OE is tracking two itineraries to and from Singapore. ‘Wild Malaysia’ offers a variety of hiking, e-cycling, caving and tiger watching (if you’re lucky) in Merapaw and Taman Negara National Parks. ‘Essence of Malaysia’ is all about street food sampling, art tours of George Town (Penang’s bustling former colonial capital) and speedboat rides off the beaches of Langkawi.

food and drink

Some of us think the most exciting aspect of E&OE’s reboot is resident chef Andre Chiang. His eponymous Singapore restaurant won multiple Michelin stars and Asia’s highest honors before closing in 2018. On board, he marries and reinterprets French and Southern cuisine. East Asian tradition: Think piping hot bowls of laksa bouillabaisse and spicy cacao ganache.

what to pack

Jungle treks and ocean splashes during the day won’t interfere with your nighttime glow. Bring a pair of silk slip dresses from Dodo Bar Or or Anine Bing, along with insect repellent from The Organic Pharmacy, a sturdy-soled walker, and loose cotton linens (with full-length sleeves). In his case, it’s chinos and a travel jacket from Connolly or De Bonne Facture.

design spotter

La Dolce Vita Orient Express

The Ride

La Dolce Vita is backed by a venture with hospitality industry giant Accor (owner of the Orient Express brand name), luxury hotel group Arsenale and three Italian railway companies, with Italian money in the works. Aiming to make a successful VSOE to earn money. Display destinations and stopovers as trains themselves. Designed by Milanese darlings Dimore Studio, it features mirrored walls, stylish textiles inspired by the 60s and 70s, and decor throughout inspired by Gio Ponti, Osvaldo Borsani and Gae Aulenti. I am.

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The Premium will connect destinations not previously served by luxury sleeper trains, from Montalcino in southern Tuscany to Maratea and Matera in Basilicata, Monferrato (truffles and Nebbiolo) in Piedmont and Sicily. The tour includes tastings, private palazzi, world heritage sites, and aperitifs at 5-star partner hotels along the way, including the lovely Santa Venere in Maratea.

food and drink

They needed a name that would make waves, and they certainly went for it. Heinz Beck is the three-time Michelin-starred founder of the Order of Italian Cuisine, and his La Pergola in Rome remains one of Italy’s premier gourmet spots. La Dolce Vita has also partnered with Vinitaly to provide exclusive access to Beck’s personally selected award-winning vintages representing northern, central and southern Italy.

what to pack

High Italian glamour: from floor-length La DoubleJ-print frocks to wide-lapel jackets from Giuliva Heritage and Cifonelli. She also paired it with capri sandals and unisex navy and black velvet fur lanes. Released in Spring 2025

royal subjects

maharaja’s express

The Ride

Since opening in 2010 (first featured in the pages of HTSI), Maharaja has been touted as the closest thing to a palace on wheels, from the proportion of dedicated butlers for each client to the generously sized suites. Ta. Separate lounge and sleeping area (and in some cases, full-sized bathtub in the bathroom). The 23 vehicles are nearly half a mile long. A red carpet, fuchsia silk canopies, musicians and dancers greet guests at the arrival station. There are two restaurants, a bar, a gaming lounge, and even a boutique. When it comes to palettes and materials, the more the better, but I’ll add a few just in case.

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The itineraries, which range from 3 to 6 nights, are multi-state journeys connecting all-star destinations in northern and central India. The train runs along the old railway tracks at night, and during the day it stops at Mehrangarh Fort, Orchha, Ranthambore (starting point for India’s most famous tiger safaris), the Taj Mahal, or the temples of Khajuraho. Caravans and the occasional vintage limousine transport guests to and from the venue, or to cocktails and dinner at historic palace hotels along the route.

food and drink

Generally good, even if it has less wow factor than other comparable trains (perhaps it’s time for state owner IRCTC to consider putting Garima Arora or Gagan Anand on board?). Traditional Indian dishes such as daily local thalis and rustic Mewari dishes alternate with standard continental and international dishes. Both Mayur Mahal and Rang Mahal restaurants serve carnivore and vegetarian cuisine.

what to pack

Best kani woven pashmina made by Kashmiri looms or Andraab. Perfect for an elegant onboard dinner or for covering your shoulders at Hindu and Muslim holy sites.

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