Travelisto rail holidays
Rail journeys
The world's great train journeys — from Scotland's sleeper to the Canadian Rockies. Planned and booked by people who've taken them.
A different kind of holiday
Why trains still matter
The train journey is the holiday, not just the way to get there. You wake up in the Scottish Highlands having watched the sun set over the Cairngorms the night before. You have breakfast while the Canadian Rockies scroll past the window. You sit in a wood-panelled dining car with strangers who become friends by dinner. None of that happens at 35,000 feet.
Travelisto plans rail journeys with an understanding of which routes are genuinely spectacular, which carriages are worth the supplement, and which journeys need a night flight to reach the starting point.
From the team
Why we love train travel
The thing people always say after their first serious train journey is that they slept better than they do at home. There's a rhythm to it — the motion, the sound, watching landscapes appear and disappear.
I've been on the Caledonian Sleeper seven times and I still look forward to the moment the Highlands appear in the window at dawn. The train is the destination.
RossellaLuxury & Destination SpecialistSix legendary journeys
The routes we book most
Scotland
Caledonian Sleeper
The overnight from London Euston to the Highlands. Club car, private cabins, dining service.
Enquire about this routeEurope
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
London to Venice in original 1920s carriages. White-tablecloth dinner, private cabins. The benchmark luxury rail.
Enquire about this routeCanada
Rocky Mountaineer
Banff to Vancouver in daylight only. GoldLeaf dome coaches, gourmet meals. A two-day journey people describe as life-changing.
Enquire about this routeSwitzerland
Glacier Express
St Moritz to Zermatt, 291 bridges, 91 tunnels. Panoramic windows, lunch included.
Enquire about this routeIndia
Maharajas' Express
Mumbai to Delhi via Rajasthan. Private ensuite cabins, fine dining, off-train excursions included.
Enquire about this routeSouth Africa
The Blue Train
Pretoria to Cape Town, 27 hours through the Karoo. Butler service, observation car.
Enquire about this routeHow it fits together
Three ways to build a rail holiday
Rail-only
The journey is the holiday. Start and end where the line does — Caledonian Sleeper, Glacier Express, Rocky Mountaineer. Best for travellers who like to keep things simple and want the train to be the main event.
Fly + Rail
A long-haul flight to the start point, then a legendary train journey. India's Maharajas' Express or South Africa's Blue Train — both reached by a single overnight flight, then several days on rails.
Multi-stop Rail
A train journey woven into a wider itinerary. A few days in a city before boarding the Orient Express, then a hotel stay at the other end. We design the full trip — flights, hotels and rail in one booking.
Plan ahead
Practical essentials
When to book
Luxury rail routes (Orient-Express, Maharajas, Blue Train) book 12–18 months ahead for peak season. Caledonian Sleeper and Glacier Express are more last-minute friendly — 3–6 months is usually enough.
What's included
Varies by train. Luxury rail typically includes all meals, drinks, off-train excursions and butler service. Sleeper services usually include cabin only, with meals charged separately. We confirm exactly what's included before booking.
Luggage
Most luxury trains have strict luggage limits — one medium case per passenger is typical. The Caledonian Sleeper is especially restrictive (no large suitcases in cabins). We send a packing brief at booking.
Good to know
Rail journeys — your questions
Do I need to fly somewhere to start the journey?
Some routes start in the UK (Caledonian Sleeper, Orient-Express from London). Long-haul rail journeys — Rocky Mountaineer, Maharajas' Express, Blue Train — need a flight to the start point first. We package the flights with the rail booking so it's one ATOL-protected purchase.
Are these suitable for older travellers or those with limited mobility?
Most luxury rail journeys are excellent for older travellers — minimal walking, ensuite cabins, on-board doctors on several routes. Some excursions (off-train hikes, fortress visits) may have stairs or uneven ground. Tell us your needs at enquiry and we'll match the route, cabin and excursions accordingly.
Can you combine a rail journey with a hotel stay?
Yes — that's how most rail bookings work. A couple of nights in London before the Orient Express, four nights in Cape Town after the Blue Train, a week's relaxation in Banff before the Rocky Mountaineer. We build the whole itinerary in one ATOL-protected package.
Are rail journeys ATOL protected?
Flight-inclusive rail packages are fully ATOL protected. Your money is also held in a Protected Trust Services (PTS) trust account — member 6035 — independently of Travelisto.
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Plan your rail journey with a Travel Designer
Routes you'd never find on a brochure, carriages worth the supplement, flights and hotels woven in. Tell us where you'd love to wake up — we'll plan the whole journey.