FX Excursions

FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.

Make Tracks on a Luxury Train Trip in 2023

by Becca Hensley

Jan 31, 2023

PHOTO: © TOBIAS RYSER

January/February 2023

Ah, the romance of train travel … even commuters feel it. There’s something oh so Alfred Hitchcock, Agatha Christie and Harry Potter about chugging down a track on the way to some wonderful — perhaps even mysterious — destination, your bag neatly tucked above you, a book in your lap, your journey ahead. The scenery outside passes by like a film in fast motion. The seats (comfortable on most global trains, even in second class) feel like super-plush movie theater lounge chairs. Each train car, like a narrow living room, boasts its own mood depending on fellow travelers and the ministrations of attentive staff.

On overnight locomotive trips, you have your own compartment: cozy, tidy and posh. You take your meals in the dining car — rather decent, even exquisite, food, perhaps — while sipping luscious libations. Sometimes the staff even wear tails. Time seems both to stand still sublimely and pass surreally fast, as it might at a party you truly enjoy.

On a lavish train leading to iconic destinations, the primary purpose is sightseeing (and pampering) rather than simply traveling from one place to another. These jaunts also immerse travelers in a dimension of fantasy, the sensation of taking flight (or, rather, to the rails) in a moving luxury hotel. Whether the mahogany-clad Belmond Royal Scotsman which rolls through the Scottish Highlands, Switzerland’s storied Glacier Express service with its possibility of fondue, or India’s regal Maharajas’ Express, these trains offer reverie, pampering, unparalleled service and a total break from routine and real life. Here are a few we love.

THE GLACIER EXPRESS
Nearly a century old, the world’s “Slowest Fast Train” rolls from Switzerland’s swanky St. Moritz to legendary Zermatt, home to the Matterhorn. The historic, bright-red steam train traverses a mountainous path across Switzerland on a 7.5- hour trek, passing through 91 tunnels and crossing 291 eye-popping bridges along the way. Board it, as I have, with children, bags packed for skiing and palates ready for hot chocolate.

Highlight: The panoramic windows in the train cars provide 180-degree views.

ORIENT EXPRESS LA DOLCE VITA TRAINS
New in 2023, the storied Orient Express — the renowned and more-than-a-century- old, divinely glamorous train service — launches six new locomotive itineraries, each inspired by Italy’s elegantly hedonistic 1960s era dubbed La Dolce Vita. A tribute to that good life, the new trains, elegantly designed by Dimorestudio, will feature 11 cars each, providing space for 63 passengers within 18 suites and 12 top-notch cabins. Choose from 15 itineraries across Italy and beyond, including stops in Paris, İstanbul and Split, most lasting one to three days.

Highlight: Focusing on Italy, the reimagined Orient Express experience will showcase 14 Italian regions, many of them lesser-known.

PHOTO: © BELMOND

BELMOND ROYAL SCOTSMAN
Castles, gardens, whisky distilleries, golfing on Scottish links courses and clay pigeon shooting constitute only a parcel of the diversions you’ll experience from the dignified, Edwardian-intoned Belmond Royal Scotsman. Like a classic Scottish country house, the baronial-style décor cossets sumptuously: wood- paneled rooms, green tufted leather, tartan blankets and such. Formal dinners require tuxedos … or kilts for those who dare. Meals are multicourse gourmet affairs. Choose from two- to four-day itineraries running April through October.

Highlight: The onboard Whisky Advisor

MAHARAJAS’ EXPRESS
The most princely way to be whisked through India’s Golden Triangle — Delhi, Agra, Jaipur — and to safari with tigers at Ranthambore, this much-awarded train reflects the opulence of bygone times. Incorporate it with a boat trip on Uniworld’s Cruise & Rail: The Sacred Ganges & the Maharajas’ Express, a bountiful 16-day excursion blending seven nights cruising in comfort on the Ganges with a luxury train journey to see Rajasthan’s most fabled sights, including the Taj Mahal.

Highlight: The amazing Indian food and the festive welcomes with rose petals, dancing and music galore

INCA RAIL
Ascend to the great abandoned city of Machu Picchu by train, passing by quinoa and potato fields, terraced mountain farmland and valleys hewed by a rushing river. Inca Rail, a first-class railway option in Peru, offers train trips to the great UNESCO-listed site from Cusco or Ollantaytambo, located in the Sacred Valley. Summoning halcyon days with shades of the Jazz Age, Inca Rail’s service includes a scope of travel levels, including the over-the- top, grandly splendid Private Car, taking first class to a whole new standard. Available for one-party bookings, the exclusive car, with its leather stools, local textiles, polished wood, bar and kitchen, serves arrival Champagne; Pisco sours; and a delectable, locally inspired, three-course meal as you ride the rails. Please note: Travelers are currently advised to check government warnings before planning travel to Peru.

Highlight: Peruvian entertainment sets a mood.

Introducing

FX Excursions

FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.

Explore Excursions

#globility

Insta Feed
Daily
Nov 21, 2024

5 Can’t-Miss Black Friday, Cyber Monday Hotel Deals

Plan to shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Add these deals from hotels around the country to your shopping list.

Discover the Pristine Beauty of the Sporades Islands

Nestled in the northwest Aegean Sea, the Sporades Islands are a hidden gem of Greece, offering breathtaking natural beauty and unique experiences for every traveler. Comprised of four main islands — Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos and Skyros — this island cluster is renowned for its lush pine forests, crystal-clear waters and idyllic beaches.

Daily
Nov 21, 2024

Belmond Unveils First Luxury Sleeper Train in England and Wales

The first luxury sleeper train officially debuts in England and Wales next July thanks to the new Britannic Explorer, A Belmond Train. This pioneering train seamlessly blends timeless rail heritage with contemporary British cuisine, culture and style. Guests will enjoy fine-dining experiences designed by Chef Simon Rogan and an on-board wellness suite offering therapies to relax and revive.

November 2024
Nov 20, 2024

A Fusion of History and Modernity Makes Bangkok a Perfect Meeting Spot

In this city of contrasts, glass skyscrapers stand behind century- old temples. Street food vendors sling steaming noodles along roadways while tucked-away restaurants serve multicourse, Michelin-level cuisine. Roadways jam with cars as jewel-toned tuk tuks whizz through the gridlock. Long considered a tourist mecca, Bangkok also makes for a dynamic, budding location for corporate travelers.

United Airlines First to Purchase Sustainable Aviation Fuel for ORD

Chicago O’Hare International Airport will soon receive sustainable aviation fuel, all thanks to United Airlines, which became the first airline to purchase SAF for use at the airport, one of the largest in the United States. Neste, a producer of SAF, will provide up to 1 million gallons of its Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel. The first supply arrived in August.

Daily
Nov 20, 2024

Le Massif de Charlevoic, Québec, Announces Winter Ski Season Festivities

Ski fever? This year, skip the long flight over the water and stay a little closer to home at four-season Le Massif de Charlevoix resort in Québec. Snow fun kicks off Nov. 30 when skiers and snowboarders carve the first tracks of the season. The resort, about an hour from Québec City and 20 minutes from Baie-Saint-Paul, is the location of North America’s first Club Med mountain village.

eFlyer News
Nov 20, 2024

Langham Hospitality Group to Open The Langham, Kuala Lumpur in 2027

In a joint venture between Langham Hospitality Group and Artisan Hospitality, Kuala Lumpur will soon be home to The Langham, Kuala Lumpur. Slated to open in 2027, the property will sit in the prestigious Golden Triangle neighborhood of the Malaysian capital’s central business district.

Royal Air Maroc Relaunches Direct Casablanca–Beijing Route, Debuts Toronto Flight

As part of its international network expansion, Royal Air Maroc will reinstate the direct Casablanca–Beijing route initially launched in January 2020 and suspended just a few weeks later due to the health crisis.

eFlyer News
Nov 20, 2024

San Diego International Airport to Launch KLM Flights to Amsterdam Next May

Beginning May 8, 2025, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will be San Diego International Airport’s seventh international airline to offer direct service. The new route will offer three weekly flights between San Diego and Amsterdam (AMS).