Reviving Rail: High-End Sleeper Trains to Watch Around the World
2025-10-27
Richard Shane
Founder and CEO
The World’s Greatest Vacations
Luxury train travel is experiencing a powerful comeback — and it’s not just nostalgia. As travelers seek slower, more meaningful journeys with a strong sense of place, high-end sleeper trains are stepping back into the spotlight. With Michelin-level dining, elegant suites, and immersive itineraries, these rolling hotels prove that the journey can be the true destination.
Here are the sleeper trains generating the most excitement around the globe:
🇪🇺 Venice Simplon-Orient-Express — Europe
The legend continues.
This Art Deco icon sets the standard for glamorous sleeper travel. Plush suites, tuxedo-style service, and piano-bar cocktails take you back to the golden age of rail — while new routes to Paris, Venice, Verona, and beyond keep the legacy fresh and exciting.
Luxury Highlight: Newly launched grand suites with private marble bathrooms (yes, on a train!).
🇯🇵 Train Suite Shiki-Shima — Japan
A futuristic jewel with traditional soul.
This ultra-luxury train travels through remote northern Japan, celebrating craftsmanship and nature. Guests enjoy panoramic lounges, kaiseki dining, and immersive cultural stops.
Luxury Highlight: Tatami-style suites with hinoki soaking tubs looking out toward the landscape.
🇿🇦 Rovos Rail — South Africa
Safari by rail, done in pure elegance.
With wood-paneled lounges and vintage glamour, Rovos Rail offers multi-day adventure routes across South Africa, Namibia, and Tanzania.
Luxury Highlight: Off-train excursions to wildlife reserves and historic sites — without losing your luxury base.
🇮🇳 Maharajas’ Express — India
Royal hospitality on rails.
From palaces to bazaars, this train delivers an immersive tour of India’s most iconic destinations — complete with butler service and opulent interiors.
Luxury Highlight: Experiencing India’s royal history while sleeping in a palace-inspired suite on the move.
🇺🇸 Rocky Mountaineer’s New Routes — USA
North America’s renewed rail romance.
Already famed for glass-domed train cars in the Canadian Rockies, Rocky Mountaineer is expanding in the U.S. with routes like Denver to Moab — stunning red rock country meets gourmet service.
Luxury Highlight: Five-star daytime sightseeing paired with premium hotel overnights along the way.
✨ The New Golden Age of Sleeper Trains
Why the resurgence? Travelers want more:
✅ Connection to culture
✅ Room to slow down
✅ Boutique comfort
✅ Scenic immersion
✅ Sustainability over short-haul flights
High-end sleeper trains deliver all of the above — wrapped in elegance and adventure.
This renaissance proves one thing:
We’re not just traveling fast anymore — we’re traveling better.
