In this story · 6 sections
There are faster ways across Europe than by train, and that is precisely the appeal of the journeys below. Each is built around the idea that the hours between departure and arrival are the point: a dinner in a 1920s dining car, a panorama window filling with glacier, a night in a cabin while the country changes outside. Some are scheduled services anyone can book with a seat reservation; others are private trains with five-star dining included. All are worth planning a trip around.
01Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: London to Venice
The most famous name in rail travel is, in its current form, a creation of the 1970s. When the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits withdrew from the original Orient Express service, the American businessman James Sherwood bought two original carriages at auction in 1977, and over the following years spent US$16 million acquiring 35 sleeping, restaurant and Pullman cars. The first London–Venice run left on 25 May 1982. The train is now owned by Belmond.
The carriages date mostly from the 1920s and 1930s. In Britain, passengers travel in Pullman cars; they cross the Channel by coach through the tunnel, then board the continental train of former Wagons-Lits sleeping and dining cars. Accommodation comes in four levels: Historic Cabins, Suites, Grand Suites and a private carriage, L'Observatoire. The train runs from March to November. The classic route is London–Paris–Venice, and once a year, traditionally at the turn of August and September, the train travels to Istanbul via Budapest and Bucharest.
02Glacier Express: Zermatt to St. Moritz
The Glacier Express has been called the slowest express train in the world. First run on 30 June 1930, it links the two great Swiss resorts – Zermatt below the Matterhorn and St. Moritz – in about eight hours over 291 kilometres. Along the way it crosses 291 bridges, passes through 91 tunnels including the 15.4-kilometre Furka Tunnel, stops at Andermatt and reaches its highest point on the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 metres. For much of the route it runs through the Unesco World Heritage landscape of the Rhaetian Railway. Since 2017 it has been operated by Glacier Express AG, jointly owned by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and the Rhaetian Railway.
03Bernina Express: Chur to Tirano
The Glacier Express's southern cousin crosses the Engadin Alps from Chur in Switzerland to Tirano in Italy. The Albula and Bernina lines it follows were jointly declared a World Heritage Site in 2008, and the four-hour ride crosses 196 bridges and runs through 55 tunnels in panoramic coaches with enlarged windows and an audio guide. It is technically an enhanced regional service, so a seat reservation is required. From Tirano, a connecting bus runs via Lake Como to Lugano.
04Orient Express La Dolce Vita: Italy by night
The newest name on the Italian rails belongs to Accor, which bought a 50 per cent stake in the Orient Express brand from SNCF in 2017. Its Orient Express La Dolce Vita trains, six of them, each for 62 guests, were built in Brindisi with interiors inspired by 1960s Italian design. The inaugural journey left on 4 April 2025, and the overnight itineraries include Rome, Venice and Portofino. In 2026 a Rome–Istanbul service was added. Accor's restored Orient Express proper, using 17 Wagons-Lits carriages from the 1920s and 1930s, is due to begin running between Paris and Istanbul in 2027.
05Belmond Royal Scotsman and Britannic Explorer: Britain
Britain has two luxury sleepers, both run by Belmond, owned by LVMH since 2019. The Royal Scotsman, started in 1985 and run by Belmond since 2005, makes journeys of two to seven nights around the Scottish Highlands, visiting castles, distilleries and historic sites, and once a year a seven-night circuit of Great Britain. The Britannic Explorer, launched in July 2025, uses rebuilt carriages from the former Grand Hibernian. Its three-night itineraries leave London Victoria for Cornwall, Wales or the Lake District, with a formal dinner ashore on the final evening.
At a glance
| Train | Route | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Venice Simplon-Orient-Express | London–Paris–Venice and more | Overnight, March–November |
| Glacier Express | Zermatt–St. Moritz | Day, about 8 hours |
| Bernina Express | Chur–Tirano | Day, about 4 hours |
| Orient Express La Dolce Vita | Italy; Rome–Istanbul | Overnight |
| Belmond Royal Scotsman | Scottish Highlands | 2–7 nights |
| Belmond Britannic Explorer | London to Cornwall, Wales, Lake District | 3 nights |
06Making the most of it
Treat the train as one chapter of a longer trip. The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express delivers you to Venice; stay on for a few days. The Bernina Express connects by bus with Lake Como. The Glacier Express joins two resorts that each deserve a stay of their own. For more journeys and destinations, see our travel section, the international edition at metromode.co and our Riviera guides at verapi.fr.
