A flight from Paris to the Amalfi Coast takes about two hours. Some travelers are choosing a three-night train instead, trading speed for restored 1920s carriages and two nights at a clifftop hotel in Ravello. Luxury rail is having one of its biggest years yet, with new routes launching across North America, Europe and the Middle East, all betting travelers want the slow way there.
These trains take years to build, so operators locked in these bets long before this year’s demand numbers came in. A region with zero luxury rail history is getting its first one. A century-old route is being rebuilt from scratch. Operators are betting on slower trips being the whole point of booking, not a drawback travelers put up with, so they’re adding capacity instead of discounts.
The surge isn’t just anecdotal. Bookings for rail vacations to the United Kingdom jumped 186%, and bookings to Italy climbed 98% for 2026 per the same report, across the specialist’s six-continent portfolio. Travelers are also staying longer, with the average trip now lasting 11 days.
A first-ever train through Italy
Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express added a three-night route from Paris to the Amalfi Coast this spring, its first-ever run through Italy. The trip pairs nights aboard restored 1920s carriages with two nights at a clifftop hotel in Ravello, part of a wider 2026 series linking the train to four of the brand’s Italian hotels.
Saudi Arabia gets its first luxury train
Dream of the Desert is expected to start running by the end of the third quarter, departing Riyadh and winding through desert heritage sites along the country’s Northern Railway. Built in Italy with 34 suites across 14 carriages, it’s set to become the Middle East’s first purpose-built ultra-luxury train.
Canada opens a brand-new mountain route
Rocky Mountaineer‘s new Passage to the Peaks route launched this summer, running through the Canadian Rockies with stops in Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise and Kamloops. Glass-domed cars carry travelers past Kicking Horse Canyon and Craigellachie, where the last spike of Canada’s transcontinental railway was driven in 1885.
An old Rome-to-Istanbul route, rebuilt
More than a century after the original Orient Express first linked the two cities, La Dolce Vita Orient Express is reviving the route from scratch. The five-day trip carries just 62 passengers, with interiors inspired by 1960s Italian style and a menu from three-Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck.
If any of this sounds tempting, don’t wait too long. These operators are already booking well into next year’s calendar, and demand shows no sign of slowing. Sometimes getting there really is the whole point of the trip, so maybe it’s time to trade the middle seat for a window with a view that changes every hour.
Jennifer Allen is a retired chef turned traveler, cookbook author and nationally syndicated journalist; she’s also a co-founder of Food Drink Life, where she shares expert travel tips, cruise insights and luxury destination guides. A recognized cruise expert with a deep passion for high-end experiences and off-the-beaten-path destinations, Jennifer explores the world with curiosity, depth and a storyteller’s perspective. Her articles are regularly featured on the Associated Press Wire, The Washington Post, Seattle Times, MSN and more.