Luxury rail is having one of those quiet comebacks the trade knows well, never loud, never desperate, just confidently back in the spotlight. And right on cue, Railbookers has rolled out Luxury Rail Week again, running 15–22 February, complete with a tidy $600 per couple bonus saving on select journeys.
It’s a simple hook, but in a category built on romance rather than rush, simplicity works.
Railbookers Group President and CEO Frank Marini summed it up in typically measured fashion, saying Luxury Rail Week is really about celebrating “what makes rail travel so specia,l the journey itself.”
“Today’s luxury travellers want unforgettable experiences, personalised planning, and the confidence that everything is handled,” Marini said. “With demand for high-end rail journeys continuing to grow, our team makes it easy for travel agents and guests to enjoy seamless, tailor-made holidays that go far beyond the train.”
That last point matters. Luxury rail has shifted from a nostalgia product to an experience currency. It’s less about ticking the Orient Express off a list and more about slowing the whole trip down, something premium travellers are increasingly leaning into.
And the lineup reads like a bucket list written on parchment. The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express still carries its cinematic mystique, while Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer continues to charm Australians chasing big landscapes without big effort. Rovos Rail delivers old-world grandeur across southern Africa, and India’s Maharajas’ Express remains as unapologetically lavish as ever.
Elsewhere, the Eastern & Oriental Express keeps Southeast Asia firmly in the luxury rail conversation, while Europe’s Glacier Express Excellence Class offers alpine theatre with a polished edge. Newer entrants like La Dolce Vita Orient Express show the sector isn’t just trading on history it’s still evolving.
For advisors, the appeal is as practical as it is romantic. Railbookers has built a reputation on making complex rail itineraries feel oddly manageable. One call can bundle trains, hotels, transfers and sightseeing, and the long booking window stretching up to two years — gives planners room to breathe.
Add in customisable itineraries, cruise extensions and round-the-clock support, and it’s easy to see why rail keeps resurfacing as a premium wildcard in long-haul planning.
From an Australian perspective, the timing feels right. With high-value travellers increasingly trading short bursts of luxury for longer, more meaningful journeys, rail hits a sweet spot: immersive, unhurried and just indulgent enough to feel special without trying too hard.
Luxury Rail Week ultimately taps into something the industry understands instinctively. In an era obsessed with speed, rail still has the confidence to slow things down, and that, perhaps, is its most enduring luxury.
Advisors can explore itineraries or request quotes via: www.railbookers.com.au/luxury-rail-week.
by My Thanh Pham – (c) 2026.
Read Time: 2 minutes.
About the Writer.
My Thanh Pham has led a more travel-intensive life than most people. After studying tourism, she went straight into the work of building journeys across South-East Asia, temples, beaches, night trains, and all, quietly fixing the messy bits so others could enjoy the ride.
She was never meant to stay behind a desk. Airline life followed, dividing her days between reservations and the airport floor, right where travel shows its true colours. Missed flights, tight hugs, frayed tempers, sudden joy, she saw it all, close up.
Now at Global Travel Media, My Thanh has traded ticket stubs for a keyboard. She writes the way she once worked: steady, clear-eyed and respectful of the road’s unpredictable rhythm, guiding readers through a world she knows from the inside.
