This past March, SmartFlyer travel advisor Daniela Ratner embarked on a three-week-long honeymoon in Southeast Asia. It wasn’t ancient temples or vibrant cities that initially inspired the choice — though she and her husband enjoyed those, too. Instead, it was the Eastern & Oriental Express, a Belmond Train.
The luxury sleeper train offers 32 opulent suites and cabins, impeccable service, dining helmed by Michelin-starred chefs and even a Dior Spa. On the three-night Wild Malaysia itinerary, Ratner and her spouse partook in all of the above while traveling from Singapore to Malaysia and back again. Pristine rainforest connected stops such as Malaysia’s Taman Negara National Park and the culturally rich capital of George Town.
The Eastern & Oriental Express, a Belmond Train, is a luxury sleeper train with just 32 suites and cabins.
Credit: 2025 Belmond
"The views on this train were like nothing I’d ever seen — plantations, palm groves and rolling hills,” Ratner said. “It was like going back in time, when travel was just totally different, and a little more special.”
Train Travel Equals Slow Travel
“Traveling different” is a solid step toward defining slow travel, a trend that industry professionals have watched grow in recent years.
Though many trains move like lightning — I recently traveled 200 miles per hour on a TGV train in France — rail travel allows passengers to slow down in other ways. They can enjoy the landscape without the stress or distraction of driving. They can connect with locals if they utilize public rail networks. And if they ride a train to a less-visited destination and linger longer once there, they are acing the art of slow travel.
“More and more clients are looking for something less rushed and more immersive,” said Kendra Wagner, owner of Kendra Wagner Travel. “They are craving experiences that are personal, intentional and rooted in the destination. Train travel checks all those boxes.”
Tristan Armstrong, CEO of luxury train companies Rocky Mountaineer (which traverses Western Canada) and the new Canyon Spirit (highlighting the American Southwest), has observed countless passengers board and disembark trains over the years. The smiles on their faces say it all, according to Armstrong.
Being on a train is a great opportunity to get back in touch with yourself, and with the environment around you. I’ve always found that extremely charming.
Onboard Canyon Spirit itineraries, the American South West's famous red rocks are common sights.
Credit: 2025 Armstrong Collective“There’s a sense of calm that comes when you are onboard a train,” Armstrong said. “You’re on a different schedule, a different timetable. A lot of the attention on rail travel right now comes from the romance [of the niche]. Being on a train is a great opportunity to get back in touch with yourself, and with the environment around you. I’ve always found that extremely charming.”
On Sustainability
Bjorn Bender, CEO of Rail Europe, believes that demand for train travel, especially from the North American market, is partially due to a shift in mindset.
“Today’s travelers — especially younger generations — are choosing rail not just for convenience, but for the experience,” he said. “It’s more connected, more sustainable and more human.”
Today’s travelers — especially younger generations — are choosing rail not just for convenience, but for the experience. It’s more connected, more sustainable and more human.
Bender pointed to Booking.com’s 2024 Sustainable Travel Report to prove his point; in it, 75% of global travelers report wanting to travel more sustainably, and millennial and Gen Z respondents are up to 60% more likely to choose rail over other modes of transportation. In the 2025 version of the same report, 73% of travelers say they are committed to supporting the local economies they visit, and 69% want to leave a place better than they found it.
“That says a lot about what people value in travel today,” Bender said.
But even the most well-intentioned travelers aren’t always sure what trip options are actually sustainable. Yves Marceau, vice president of product at G Adventures, hopes travel advisors will suggest rail travel to such clients. Trains require less energy to run, produce far fewer carbon emissions than cars and planes, boost local economies and improve congestion on local roads
G Adventures new Rail Collection has dozens of itineraries that utilize rail networks for the majority of a trip's transportation needs.
Credit: 2025 G AdventuresTo make sure prospective travelers can find train-centric trips, G Adventures debuted its Rail Collection this past spring; to be included in the portfolio, which currently features 60 guided itineraries, at least 50% of all travel on a given trip must be done by rail.
“The value proposition behind our Rail Collection is key,” Marceau said. “Traveling this way is sustainable, it is social in nature and it supports the infrastructure in the country you’re going to. Philosophically, this aligns with our brand, and in making sure our commitment to local communities is met.”
The Diverse Train Travel Market
The train travel market is diverse, and Urvshi Marwah, owner of luxury agency The Suite Sojourn, says that educating herself on what’s out there has been (and continues to be) a crucial part of her work.
Marwah used Rovos Rail as an example of a lesson learned. Operating since 1989, the luxury train company traverses South Africa and neighboring countries on two- to 15-night journeys that whisk passengers to sites such as Victoria Falls, the Kalahari Desert and Kruger National Park. Despite the rail company’s long history, Marwah only learned about Rovos Rail last year, when she was conferring with a close friend and fellow advisor.
That conversation inspired further research, and then Rovos joined Marwah’s list of luxury train recommendations. Also on that list is the Maharajas Express sleeper train in India; The Vietage by Anantara in Vietnam, which offers six-hour-long scenic journeys to and from Da Nang and Quy Nhon; the Seven Stars in Kyushu, a luxe sleeper train with just 10 suites; and Hiram Bingham, a Belmond Train, which carries passengers from Cusco, Peru, to Machu Picchu.
Knowing which journey will satisfy which client is the next hurdle.
“My job is really like that of a matchmaker,” Marwah said. “From a brief 20- or 30-minute discovery call, I have to truly understand what a client is like and how I can add value.”
Growing Demand and More Train Options
Where demand goes, product will follow, and that certainly seems to be the case with trains.
La Dolce Vita Orient Express, a luxury train offering one-, two- and three-night journeys in Italy, turned heads this spring upon its debut. Guests are treated to live Italian music, skilled sommeliers, handwritten dinner invitations and a dining program helmed by a three-Michelin-starred chef.
The Britannic Explorer, a Belmond Train, is among the market's newest products, set to debut at the end of this month.
Credit: 2025 BelmondThen, there’s the anticipated Britannic Explorer, a Belmond Train, which will roll out on its inaugural journey at the end of this month in the United Kingdom. Hendrik Huebner, the train’s general manager, touts the train’s unique focus on wellness; facials and massages are available in the onboard Wellness Suite, but there are also opportunities for rejuvenation on land. Clients might disembark and stroll through lavender fields in rural Wales before jumping in a swimming hole, or partake in a moving meditation in Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens in Cornwall, England. Early bookings show that travelers are particularly drawn to Britannic Explorer journeys that highlight the beauty of England’s Lake District, Huebner says.
Intrepid Travel has responded to growing demand for the niche, as well; in 2024, the operator announced a new rail category with 40 train-centric itineraries and brand-new trips. This May, six new rail tours for 2026 were added. Among the additions is the 10-day Eastern Canada by Rail itinerary — Intrepid’s first rail journey in a destination known for its train network.
In the U.S., Canyon Spirit is also making moves. The classic Rockies to the Red Rocks ride, which has connected Denver, Colorado, and Moab, Utah, since 2021, will add Salt Lake City to its route in 2026 for a three-day adventure through river canyons, iconic red rock formations and the Great Basin.
Trains for All Budgets
Luxury train trips can come with a hefty price tag, but the big joys of train travel are available on a smaller budget, too. Sojourner White, a digital creator and Fora advisor, spends as much time on more affordable scenic trains as she does on higher-end ones — and she’s happy to report that the same sense of ease and opportunities for reflection come with just about any rail ride.
“I’m a perpetual passenger princess,” White said. “I love being chauffeured around, and a train is a cool way to do that. The views are beautiful, and many trains go through places you can’t access by car, so there’s some exclusivity about it.”
Alaska Railroad’s Coastal Classic itinerary connects Anchorage and Seward in a matter of hours and traverses through stunning untouched landscapes.
Credit: 2025 Alaska Railroad/Joanie HavennerCase in point: Alaska Railroad’s Coastal Classic itinerary, which White experienced earlier this year. Glaciers, waterfalls and untouched backcountry landscapes filled her window. The seasonal route connects Anchorage and Seward, and the roundtrip fare for GoldStar Service (the train’s premium seating category, with glass-domed ceilings) hovers around $400. Guests overnight in hotels of their choice in Anchorage and Seward.
Other rail offerings that White loves include the Napa Valley Wine Train, which offers multi-hour day and evening rides that highlight California wines and cuisine (there’s even an onboard murder-mystery dinner); the Jose Cuervo Express, which connects Guadalajara and Tequila, Mexico, via UNESCO-designated agave fields; and Amtrak’s California Zephyr, which links the Golden State to Chicago via the Rocky Mountains, the plains of Nebraska and more. On longer Amtrak journeys, White books a Roomette; the accommodation type (and the categories above it) comes with three meals a day and gives her the privacy and quiet she prefers while traveling, without breaking the bank.
Scenic daytime and evening rides onboard the Napa Valley Wine Trail highlight beautiful California scenery and local wines, too.
Credit: 2025 Napa Valley Wine TrainWhite has more than 100,000 followers on Instagram, and when she posts new train content, they direct message her with comments, recommendation requests and inquiries. She likes to connect with her audience, but it can be hard to keep up.
“I think there’s something very soothing about watching someone sit on the train,” White said. “And to me, train travel rejects hustle culture — but you still get the views and you’re still going somewhere.”
Amtrak's California Zephyr connects San Francisco and Chicago.
Credit: 2025 Amtrak Vacations Train travel rejects hustle culture — but you still get the views and you’re still going somewhere.
Dispelling Misconceptions About Train Travel
Trending or not, selling train travel requires a certain amount of client education. One idea that Frank Marini, president and CEO of Railbookers Group, hopes advisors will help dispel is that train travel is harder than air travel.
"People don’t realize that trains often take you to the city center,” Marini said. “And it’s actually relaxing. I can read a book, I can have a glass of wine, I’m not worried about airport security or parking a car. And I’m continuously moving and seeing things.”
I experienced that ease myself this summer — taking the train to Annecy, France, and Grindelwald, Switzerland, deposited my family right in the middle of each town and 10 minutes away from our hotels by foot. Walking down cafe-lined streets in Annecy and under the watch of Swiss peaks in Grindelwald, I didn’t miss the airport experience or the need for a taxi or shuttle one bit.
Another misconception? Younger people don’t ride trains. Marini can disprove that, too.
“We don’t market rail honey-moons, but the number of honeymooners we had last year was surprising,” he said. “There was an influx of 25- to 40-year-olds — and a lot of travel advisors themselves — who booked with us. It was hard enough planning the wedding, they said. They didn’t want to think about the honeymoon.”
Ratner of SmartFlyer says that “with trains, it’s an ‘If you know, you know’ situation.”
“I’ve known about Belmond trains, and it had been my dream to go on one,” she said. “But friends who aren’t in this line of work were confused. Then I show them photos and they totally get it."
Belmond's Andean Explorer is a luxury product in Peru.
Credit: 2025 Belmond The real magic happens when travelers reach places planes don’t go — places like Colmar, France, or Germany’s Black Forest. That’s when people become train converts.
Marini sees rail travel as the next river cruise market — a segment that’s about to boom. In response, Railbookers is adding to its offerings. It recently announced a VIP, after-hours experience in the Vatican Museums on select Italy trips, and new culinary journeys that highlight cuisine in Germany, Spain, Scotland and beyond.
Like Marini, Bender of Rail Europe is looking to travel advisors to help spread the word about the value of train travel.
“This is the moment,” Bender said. “If we want to change how people move, we need long-term thinking, investment and collaboration. And the travel trade has a key role to play. The real magic happens when travelers reach places planes don’t go — places like Colmar, France, or Germany’s Black Forest. That’s when people become train converts.”
