Embrace slow and sustainable travel with these luxury sleeper trains worldwide
The fact that everything has to be fast, fast, fast is clearly visible when traveling by train. Where first hot whereas it was about taking longer and slower trains, the last twenty years have mainly been about fast, fast from A to B.
A shame, because a train ride can be so romantic and fairytale-like. (Okay, maybe not if you're on an NS route, but that's not what we mean either). And in comes The sleeper train revival: fast isn't necessarily the way to go anymore. We embrace slow and sustainable travel. Hello sleeper train! And these are the most beautiful ones. sleeper trains Worldwide.
More often by train? We say do it! And be sure to read the category by train.
Basel is located at the tri-border point of France, Germany, and Switzerland. This beautiful city lies just across the Swiss border and is easy to reach. By car, it takes about eight hours. With the Nightjet, it takes longer, but you simply sleep those hours away. You board the train from Amsterdam in the evening and get off in Basel in the morning—destination reached. You can choose from a 2-, 4-, or 6-person compartment. From December 13, 2026, the new generation Nightjet will be operating here, featuring mini-cabins for one person, ideal if you are traveling solo. Good to know: with the BaselCard, which you get for free with your hotel, you have no public transport costs and can therefore travel through the city free of charge (score!). With the BaselCard you benefit from even more BenefitsFor example, you get a 25% discount on museums.
- Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (Belmond): the classic of classics! And okay, fairly unaffordable for the average mortal… Since May 2026, it also runs from Paris to the Amalfi Coast, from around 8.000 pounds per person.
- Britannic Explorer (Belmond, England and Wales): has been running since July 2025 and is the first luxury sleeper train in the area (and we want it!). Your journey lasts three nights from London Victoria to Cornwall, Wales, or the Lake District. There are 18 cabins, all with private bathrooms, and chef Simon Rogan creates the menus. From £6.300 per person.
- Eastern & Oriental Express (Belmond, Singapore – Malaysia): has been away since February 2024. You travel over three nights to Penang and Langkawi, among other places, and an open observation carriage.
- The Grand Tour (France): has been running since June 2026: the journey spans six days from Paris, via Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Provence, with 18 cabins for 36 guests.
- Golden Eagle Silk Road Express (China and Central Asia)The first voyage departed in September 2026 and it is an amazing (at least, that is how it looks in the images) 22-day journey along the Silk Road, starting from $53.000 per cabin.
- On the radar: Dream of the Desert in Saudi Arabia. This train journey can already be booked, but the first trip is not scheduled until October 2027.
Traveling by train in search of the Big Five, that is not something we see every day. And Rovos Rail is, as far as we are concerned, the most luxurious train in the Southern Hemisphere. A old school steam train from the outside, but inside you feel like you are in luxury.
The trips last from two nights (to Durban) to fifteen nights, all the way from Cape Town to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. You will have to save up for those two weeks, but a man is allowed to dream.
You certainly get something in return: top-class cuisine and the best wines of South Africa. With this train, for example, you can take a tour through the desert and coast of Namibia, spend a few days at Victoria Falls, or go on safari through South Africa.
Welcome back, Orient Express! The Orient Express has been running since April 2025. Orient Express La Dolce Vita through Italy. Over 140 years ago (in 1883), the first Orient Express traveled through Europe. The legend has been reborn in beautiful Italy. This looks more like a moving boutique hotel than a train: with colorful carpets, large windows, and plenty of art.
On board, you sleep in a Deluxe Cabin, a Suite, or the unique La Dolce Vita Suite, and dine on menus by three-star chef Heinz Beck (of La Pergola in Rome). Plus, of course, fine Italian wines. Where is the journey heading? From Rome to Venice, Portofino, or the vineyards of Montalcino. Or you go all the way: from Rome to Istanbul in four nights, from 20.000 euros per person.
A luxurious ride through India: with the Maharajas Express You travel through India like royalty. Of course, this also includes passing by palaces and temples.
The train ride can accommodate a maximum of 88 guests, divided into 4 different types of compartments: 20 Deluxe compartments, 18 Junior Suites, 4 Suites and 1 Presidential Suite. And the choice is huge, because the train runs on four different routes in India.
Is it really the most luxurious train in the world…? No. Certainly not, but the luxury of this train is that you can board in Amsterdam. The European Sleeper has been connecting countries and cities in Europe since 2023, starting with the night train from Brussels via Amsterdam and Berlin to Prague. It now also runs from Paris to Berlin, and from December 2026, you can board in Breda or Eindhoven for Milan.
