Journeys — May 2026
Train Journeys Worth Remembering
Four routes on which the way really is the point, and an honest assessment of who they suit.
10 minutes
A train journey is not an efficient way to travel, and that is precisely its purpose. Going aboard means trading speed for attention: for the landscape, for dinner, for conversations you would not otherwise have had.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express — Europe in the original
The carriages date from the 1920s and 1930s and are narrow accordingly; knowing that, one enjoys the journey. London to Venice is the best known route, the longer runs to Vienna or Istanbul the more interesting ones.
Royal Scotsman — landscape rather than distance
The train travels slowly and stops often. Highlands, small stations, excursions to distilleries and gardens. Cabins are larger than in the historic European carriages, the atmosphere more relaxed.
Andean Explorer — altitude as experience
From Cusco across the altiplano to Arequipa, above 4,000 metres. Scenically the most striking of the four, physically the most demanding. Two nights of acclimatisation beforehand are a requirement, not a suggestion.
Eastern & Oriental Express — Southeast Asia slowly
Malaysia and Thailand seen from the train: rice fields, rainforest, stretches of coast. Rewarding for travellers who know the region and want to experience it without airports.
Which route to choose depends mostly on whether you are after landscape or atmosphere. The two rarely come in the same train.
