Aussie icon named among the best train journeys in the world
Travelling by train can be one of the most luxurious ways to uncover a country's beauty.
Whilst some luxury train journeys promise stunning scenery or gourmet cuisine, each offers their own unique charm - the world at a leisurely pace.
This inspired the experts at Japan Rail Pass to analyse the most popular and talked-about luxury train rides across the globe to uncover the best.
They did this by looking into a range of factors including Tripadvisor reviews, Instagram hashtags and global search volumes - their total was then weighted to create an index score.
Here is their ranking of the best.
7. British Pullman: London, England
Criss-cross the British Isles aboard this glamorous vintage train and relive the Golden Age of Travel on a British Pullman day trip.
The Belmond train journey came in seventh place with a score of 7.97 out of 10.
While driving through the English countryside, guests are seated in beautifully restored vintage carriages from the 1920s and '30s.
Onboard, passengers also enjoy gourmet dining, expertly crafted by top chefs, and first-class service.
6. Venice Simplon Orient-Express: Italy-France
In sixth place with a total score of 8.17/10 is the Venice Simplon Orient-Express, a stunning rail journey from Paris to Tuscany.
The journey through some of Europe's most stunning landscapes and historic cities has earned an average Tripadvisor score of 4.6 out of five.
A decadent journey back to the 1920's, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express offers elegant cabins complete with rich details including fine fabrics and glossy wood.
5. The Ghan: Adelaide, Australia
Scoring 8.54 out of ten and placing fifth is Australia's iconic train journey, The Ghan - a service that operates between the northern and southern coasts, through the cities of Adelaide, Alice Springs and Darwin on the Adelaide–Darwin rail corridor.
This luxury ride has scored an average review of 4.3 stars, 13.2k tags on Instagram and the second highest monthly searches in the dataset, with 22,200 enquiries on average.
The Aussie train journey celebrated its 95th anniversary in 2024, and introduced a new travel class, Gold-plus, as well as ultra-luxury suites that are also on the horizon.
4. Rovos Rail: Pretoria, South Africa
Ranking as the fourth most luxurious train ride in the world is Rovos Rail in South Africa, scoring 8.6/10 in the study.
The Rovos Rail is a railway journey that explores the south of Africa, and is said to be one of the most luxurious train journeys in the world.
In a series of journeys lasting from 48 hours to 15 days, Rovos Rail links some of the sub-continent's greatest destinations.
The beautifully rebuilt trains, featuring vintage charm, wood-panelled interior and fine dining, carry a maximum of 72 passengers in 36 suites.
3. GoldenPass Express: Montreux, Switzerland
In third place is the GoldenPass Express, scoring 8.62 out of ten.
Located in Switzerland, the GoldenPass Express takes passengers from the resort town of Montreux to Interlaken in the Bernese Oberland.
