- Many train companies around the world offer first-class experiences.
- Some trains’ first-class options include private cabins with en-suite bathrooms.
- On other trains, first-class travel means getting a cushier seat, more legroom, and free food.
Train travel is experiencing a renaissance.
In the years after COVID-19, many people have turned to slow and sustainable travel, and luxury train operators have capitalized on this, offering opulent experiences worldwide.
These days, luxury trains feel straight out of an Agatha Christie novel. Think plush interiors in first-class cabins, free-flowing Champagne, and, in some cases, vanities decked out with designer toiletries.
Last year, travel agency Railbookers launched an extravagant itinerary called “Around the World by Luxury Train.” The journey spanned seven luxury train lines across four continents, starting in Vancouver and ending in Asia, with intercontinental flights connecting each leg and prices starting at $113,599 per person.
Despite the hefty price tag, the 59-day trip’s 2025 offerings attracted a waitlist of over 500 people even before tickets went on sale, Condé Nast Traveler reported.
This boom in high-end rail experiences is fueling what travel experts have termed a new “golden age” of train travel.
From hand-carved wall details to lavish spread of meals on board, here’s what traveling in first-class train cabins looks like across the world.
