Dreaming of travelling the world? Overwhelmed by planning? Got a massive wad of cash to splash? You’re in luck. Railbookers have just announced an epic, round-the-world luxury train itinerary, and it’s set to launch in August next year.
The 80-day trip, which visits 13 countries across four continents, makes for an incredibly glamorous way to zig-zag across the planet. You’ll travel on seven of the world’s most luxurious trains, enjoying world-class dining and private cabins. There are also stays in some amazing hotels included, and along the way you’ll see stunning natural landscapes, Unesco World Heritage Sites and 20 fabulous cities.
Beginning in Vancouver, you’ll board the Rocky Mountaineer to journey through the Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise, and Banff National Park over three days. Next up, it’s Edinburgh, for a week-long tour through the lochs and peaks of the Highlands on the Belmond Royal Scotsman.
A journey from Paris to Venice on the Belmond Venice-Simplon Orient Express follows Scotland, and then you’ll have the chance to see the Taj Mahal, thanks to six nights on The Maharajas Express from Delhi to Mumbai.
The Golden Eagle Danube Express, departing from Istanbul, will take passengers through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary over four nights, past the castles and hilltop hamlets of south-eastern Europe.
Finally, a three-day gander from Pretoria to Cape Town on Rovos Rail will be followed by a jet to Singapore, where passengers will board the newly resumed Eastern and Oriental Express to Malaysia. Have a look at the detailed day-to-day itinerary here.
Planners at Railbookers said they designed the trip to meet growing demands for luxury rail journeys, and they’re keen to emphasise the joy of slow travel. There are bags of time for sightseeing scheduled in, after all.
Sounds pretty wonderful, doesn’t it? Well, sadly wonderful has a pretty hefty price tag. A ticket for the full three-month itinerary starts at £90,099 (€103,495, $113,599). Though that does include hotel stays, car transfers, a few flights, meals and tours, a stay in a safari lodge and ascending the Eiffel Tower. Maybe it’s not that expensive after all?
The itinerary is also available to book in segments, so you can customise your own trip. Maybe treat yourself to one luxurious stint, and then have a look at our list of the nine best train journeys around the world, which should be a bit kinder on the wallet.
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