This article offers the reader information about the various types of trains to be found in Europe, Africa and Asia.

The European continent is a hotpot of different cultures with some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet, and each nation is connected to the others by a great railway network; same-gauge tracking is the norm, although there are times when you have to change trains. Aside from transporting people to and from work, there are luxury trains, which this article mentions below.

Danube Express

This unique locomotive runs under the brand of Golden Eagle and it covers central and eastern Europe. Here are a few examples of routes that this train makes:

• Venice To Istanbul – Spend 11 nights enjoying the stunning scenery through northern Italy, Greece, Serbia. Stops include Trieste, Lake Bled, Zagreb, Sarajevo, Belgrade, Skopje, Thessaloniki, Sofia and ending in Istanbul. One of the best luxury trains in Europe, this is one of the most sought-after routes. See eastern Europe in the best way, from a luxury train.
• Budapest, Vienna, Prague – An epic route that takes 9 days and 8 nights, bringing you stunning forest views and superb architecture in cities that are steeped in history. Once on the tour operator’s website, you can download the full itinerary, which is in PDF format and that details every aspect of the trip.
• Grand Alpine Express – Spanning Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Italy and Serbia, this route brings you the best Alpine vistas. Enjoy 11 days and 10 nights aboard the luxury Danube Express, which departs from Budapest, passing through Vienna, Lake Achen, Innsbruck, Zurich, Lake Coma, Milan, Verona, Trieste, Lake Bled, Ljubljana and finishing in Venice.

African Explorer

The best way to see stunning Africa is aboard the Rovos luxury locomotive, the African Explorer, which offers two classes of sleeping accommodation. These routes are available: Lobito, Angola to Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania. Travel through the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia before reaching Dar Es Salaam. The African Explorer is like a 5-star hotel on wheels, with full a/c in the sleeping carriage and fine dining cars with a well-stocked bar, plus there are many game drives to see the diverse African wildlife. The English-speaking guides know all the best places, just tell them what animals you would like to observe and make sure you have enough memory to take 1000s of imaged and a few video clips.

Golden Eagle

This is the number one luxury long-distance train that services central Asia, which includes the famed Trans-Siberian Railway, which takes passengers from Moscow to Vladivostok, with a section that travels through the Steppes of Mongolia, stopping at Ulan Bataar before carrying on eastwards to Beijing.

• Trans-Siberian Railway – This epic 16-day journey that covers an incredible 9,000+ km is the longest train journey on the planet. Travel from Moscow to Beijing, via Vladivostok and Ulan Bataar. China and Mongolia are optional and most travellers add both to their schedule, which is not surprising; if this is on your bucket list, you can cross it off in 2023 by making a booking with the UK’s leading luxury train tour agency. They help you with visas and offer good advice about clothing and what to pack.
• South Caucasus Explorer – Spend 9 days and 8 nights enjoying the breath-taking scenery; the route starts at Yeravan, with stop offs at Lake Sevan, Dilijan, Tblisi, Telavi, Gori, Uplistsikhe, Misheka and finally arriving in Baku. You will travel along the west coast of the Caspian Sea, namely Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia; admire the fine arts of the region, which is steeped in history.

Of course, there are quite a few other luxury trains and if you search with Google, you will find a leading London-based luxury train tour agency and you can start browsing the many exciting destinations, covering 5 continents.