Discover the joy of slower travel
Forget busy airports, traffic jams and lack of legroom: rail travel is your ticket to slow down and enjoy the ride. Travelling by train isn't merely a means of getting from A to B – you'll share carriages with the locals and soak up the scenery before stepping off the platform into the heart of the action. Whether you want to embark on an iconic rail journey like the Reunification Express in Vietnam or zip through Japan on a super-speedy Shinkansen, climb aboard for a slower-paced, lower-carbon adventure.
Our rail trips
Why choose us
Whether you’re a die-hard rail nerd or a novice train traveller, get on board because trains are the future of travel. Trains generally produce less carbon emissions than airplanes and fuel-powered cars, and by joining a rail trip, not only will you be taking a more scenic route, you'll be skipping those tedious airport commutes and security queues.
You might be able to fly between cities or countries, but are you really seeing them when you’re thousands of feet in the air? In a world that feels like it’s always going at full steam, rail travel invites you to settle in, turn to the window and appreciate the destination you’re in rather than rushing through it.
Most trains we take are a mode of transport for local people. Whether it’s an overnight train from Delhi to Varanasi or a misty morning ride through the Scottish Highlands, rail travel doubles as an immersive cultural experience. With a local leader to help bridge language barriers, there'll be plenty of opportunities to interact with your fellow passengers.
Rail highlights
Up there with onsens, sushi and sumo wrestling, the shinkansen (bullet train) is a must-do activity in Japan. The shinkansen was the world's first high-speed rail and is renowned for its comfort and punctuality – the average delay time is less than one minute per year. Despite reaching up to 320 kilometres per hour, riding the shinkansen is a totally Zen experience, with orderly carriages and polite passenger etiquette. Japanese railway meals, or ‘ekiben’, also put soggy train sandwiches to shame.
Spanning 1726 kilometres between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the Reunification Express is an iconic railway line that symbolises the reunification of North and South Vietnam after the war. Weaving through sleepy fishing villages, rice paddies, mountains and cities, this hop-on-hop-off journey showcases the diverse beauty of Vietnam and is a great way to glimpse into daily life.
Are you ready to board the world’s highest railway? Hitting an altitude of 5027 metres in the pristine peaks of the Tibetan Plateau, the Lhasa Express is about as scenic as rail journeys get. With never-ending views of snow-capped mountains, glistening lakes and vast highlands speckled with yaks, you won’t be able to peel your eyes away from the window.
With over 270,000 km of railway tracks, Europe has no shortage of train travel adventures. Whether you fancy rumbling along the world’s oldest railway system in Britain, savouring the lush Swiss countryside on the Gotthard Panorama Express, or uncovering the history and mystique of the iconic train route between Paris to Istanbul, there’s so much to see on an overland odyssey across the continent.
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