Called Jupiter, the carriage features a similar decor to the rest of the ride: rich wood paneling, beautifully carved screens, plush floral fabrics for the chairs, and suffused lighting. Once seated, passengers are served seasonal cuisine from the island of Kyushu—the part of Japan the train travels through—crafted by a team of local masters that only works with trusted farmers in the area. The quality of the food is excellent and varied, as dishes are customized to each journey, although you can expect classics like takiawase (an assortment of bite-sized vegetables served with fish, meat, or tofu), and takikomi gohan (seasoned rice cooked with seasonal ingredients, from mushrooms and vegetables to meat and fish).
Besides the train, guests also have the opportunity to eat at some of the region’s most sought-after restaurants, from the French La Verveine to the all-Japanese Imoto—one of Kyoto (and Japan)’s best dining spots—where dinner is a full omakase affair of 10 to 12 dishes that change seasonally. Tickets start at $4,330 per person for a two-day trip.
The Ghan, Australia
The Ghan—the legendary luxury train linking Adelaide to Darwin since 1929 (it also runs from either destination to Alice Springs and back)—offers a full-immersion into Australia’s wild outback. So does the food on board, which is essentially a celebration of Australian cuisine.
Guests get to enjoy not one, but two different restaurant cars and two lounges, plus a swish private club, each designed to have their own character and specific ambience. The classically styled Queen Adelaide with its Art Deco details, for instance, serves hearty breakfasts, two-course lunches, and three-course dinners, while the more relaxed Outback Explorer is a lounge-meets-social hub where you can sip tea or beer over a board game. Then there’s the newly introduced Gold Premium Dining—another beautiful display of Art Deco design by design firm Woods Bagot—which does two-course regionally inspired lunches and four-course dinners with well-thought-out Australian wine pairings; and the Gold Premium Lounge, where you can go to for a morning cup of coffee or an evening night cap. Lastly, the more exclusive Platinum Club, accessible to Platinum Service passengers only (top-of-the-line ticket holders), is the ideal place for a quiet formal dinner with decor that features quartzite tabletops, timber flooring, and leather banquette seating.
The culinary team works closely with local suppliers, farmers, and providers to source ingredients from the diverse environments the train travels through across all of its cars, offering a regionally inspired menu that includes local lamb, saltwater barramundi, Margaret River cheeses, and grilled kangaroo filet. Tickets start at $1,840 per person one way for an entry-level (Gold Twin) cabin from Adelaide to Darwin, and $1,200 per person one way in the same cabin category from Darwin to Alice Springs (in low season). Platinum fares start at around $3,100 per person one way.
Royal Scotsman, Scotland
Another Belmond train, the Royal Scotsman really is all about the journey and giving guests one of the most memorable experiences of their lives. Leaving from and returning to Edinburgh’s Waverley Station by way of the Scottish Highlands, the uber-indulgent ride places a strong emphasis on its dining offerings as well as the libations, with some 30 fine wines, liqueurs, and malt whiskies to tickle guests’ fancy throughout the day. There are two dining cars, Raven and Swift, appointed with mahogany-paneled walls and on-brand tweed upholstery (you are in Scotland after all), stark white linen, and fine china.
The best of Scottish produce from both land and sea makes up the menu created by head chef Mark Tamburrini, with plenty of Scottish specialties featuring at each meal—think smoked salmon, kidgeree, spiced roast halibut and pigeon salad. At breakfast, the Full Scottish is a must-try if you like meat—it’s a hefty combination of eggs, back bacon, sausage, black pudding, and haggis (a type of pudding composed of the liver, heart, and lungs of a sheep).
But it’s not just about the food. Together with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, the Royal Scotsman also does a five-day Scotch Malt Whisky Tour that—besides three-course lunches and four-course dinners (which you get on the regular trips as well)—comes with tasting opportunities and distillery visits.
And when it’s time for a little R&R, you can either head to the recently unveiled Dior Spa Royal Scotsman, the only spa on rails in the UK, or book yourself into one of the new ultra-luxe Grand Suites set to debut for the 2024 season.
Tickets start at around $7,000 per person for two nights in a twin cabin.
