Rail holiday types

Just as there are so many different trains around the world, from sleeper to Shinkansen, Highland to high speed, there are also lots of different rail holiday types. It used to be that rail holidays were divided into opposing camps. First, the rail romancers who loved travelling in style on the ‘late’ Orient Express (‘late’ as in now defunct, rather than British commuter train ‘late’). Or, in contrast, the backpacking, Interrail hippy scene, where young people would spend months on end loving life and all things loco. However, the railway holiday market has changed a lot, not only crossing this divide and catering for all budgets, but also helping you create imaginative itineraries around your rail trip. Ideally with a funicular thrown into the mix. Just because we love that word – funicular.

These holidays may not even have the word ‘train’ in the title, but it does still play an important role. They are like the supporting actor to the lead, if you like. Such as the Machu Picchu rail trip which will be the highlight of any holiday in Peru. Or simply taking the train in Japan. Unlike so many other countries, most tourists choose to travel by train here, just because it is such an efficient, fast and cool experience. A trip to Alaska is always exciting, but taking the Alaska Railroad to Denali National Park is the way to go. And you can’t go to Sri Lanka without experiencing one of their extraordinary train journeys, such as the rickety train journey into the hills from Kandy to Ella. And fitting a sleeper journey into your holiday is always an adventure, such as the Southern Explorer in Thailand, from Bangok to Nakorn Si Thammarat or the Caledonian Express from London to the Highlands of Scotland.