Skip to content

Rail holidays

4.8/5

Average Customer Score
Based On 1280 Reviews

4.8/5

Average Customer Score
Based On 1280 Reviews

Overview

Our collection of Rail Holidays gets you on track for experiencing some of the world’s most spectacular journeys in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Alaska. They include long-distance classics, like the Ghan and Rocky Mountaineer, plus our new portfolio of European Rail Holidays, taking you south to the Alps and Italy, and north to the Arctic Circle.

Nearly 200 years after Robert Stephenson invented the Rocket, train travel is still one of the most civilised and enjoyable ways of getting from A to B. Rail journeys are not only steeped in nostalgia, but they also provide a calm, comfortable space in which you can sit and relax, lulled by the gentle rocking of the carriage as you gaze through picture windows at the world passing by.

Mind your language- Brush up on your basics with an app like Duolingo- knowing a little of the native language can go a long way!
Plan Your Trip

  • Rail holidays by destination

    Europe Rail

    Recapture the adventure, excitement and romance of travelling through Europe by train making the journey can be as much a part of the experience as the destination itself.

    View Our Trips Discover More
  • canada rocky mountaineer scenic rail journey rm

    Rail holidays by destination

    Canada

    From the iconic Rocky Mountaineer to The Canadian cross country, add a experience on a tailor made Canada holiday or put it at the heart of your journey.

    View Our Trips Discover More

  • Rail holidays by destination

    Norway

    Norway’s excellent rail network includes some of the world’s finest train journeys. Just sit back and soak up the stunning views roll past your window.

    View Our Trips Discover More
  • new zealand south island tranzalpine train istk

    Rail holidays by destination

    New Zealand

    Ranging from a 15km jaunt on the Glenbrook vintage steam train to the 4.5 hour TranzAlpine route across the Southern Alps, New Zealand rail journeys are short but sweet.

    View Our Trips Discover More
  • australia indian pacific train journey flora

    Rail holidays by destination

    Australia

    Unsurprisingly, Australia has some of the longest, most legendary rail journeys of them all combining comfort and mesmerising scenery.

    View Our Trips Discover More
  • alaska railroad coastal classic train

    Rail holidays by destination

    Alaska

    The Alaskan Railroad extends 470 miles from the coastal community of Seward to the interior city of Fairbanks offering a relaxing and scenic way to see the country.

    View Our Trips Discover More

Travelling by train

As independent travel specialists, we have 40 years’ experience creating individual, tailor made holidays. We also know how to make the journey itself both rewarding and captivating. Our rail holidays embody the spirit of travel and unique sense of adventure that comes from boarding a train that will take you slowly and intimately through the heart of a country.

Our new collection of European rail holidays recaptures the adventure, excitement and romance of travel by train. You’ll get closer to the countries you visit and enjoy a more rewarding, less stressful alternative to flying – not to mention reducing your carbon footprint and its impact on climate change.

Train travel is, by its very nature, so much more than the destination. Your adventure begins the moment you leave the station, travelling through the heart of a country, mesmerised by the constantly changing views through your carriage window.

Rail holiday ideas in Europe

View Our Trips
  • switzerland bernina express winding through valley istk
  • new zealand tranzalpine waimakariri river gjnz

Great Rail Journeys

Switzerland boasts several of the world’s most scenic rail journeys including the Bernina Express. The highest railway in the Alps, crossing the 2,253m Bernina pass, it tackles gradients as steep as 1 in 7 between Chur in Switzerland and Tirano in northern Italy.

Also breathtaking is the train journey from Oslo to the mountain station of Myrdal, crossing Norway’s high plateaus before linking with the famous Flamsbana ‘Corkscrew’ railway to take you deep into the fjords.

In New Zealand, you can sample several train trips in one holiday, combining the Taieri Gorge Railway and Glenbrook Vintage Railway with the legendary TranzAlpine, which crosses the breadbasket of the Canterbury Plains before climbing into the Southern Alps above the milky-blue meltwaters of the Waimakariri River.

  • canada rocky mountaineer goldleaf photo opportunity rm
  • australia the ghan train rolling through the outback

One of the world’s most iconic rail journeys, the Ghan crawls nearly 3,000km across the Australian Outback between Darwin and Adelaide – an unforgettable four-day trip. Equally epic, the Indian Pacific crosses Australia from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific.

Another trans-continental odyssey, the Trans Canada Rail Adventure traverses North America, from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic. Shorter, though no less dramatic, the Rocky Mountaineer weaves through the Canadian Rocky Mountains between Vancouver and Jasper.

In Alaska, we offer year-round adventures on the Alaska Railroad. Imagine the thrill of boarding a train in Anchorage bound for Denali National Park, the Kenai Fjords or Fairbanks! A great alternative to self-drive, you’ll see Alaska at a different pace and – like Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer – some carriages have glass roofs, providing wonderful views of the forests and mountains.

Holiday ideas featuring classic rail journeys

View Our Trips