9 of the best rail and cruise combinations
1. The Rocky Mountaineer and Alaska
A bucket-list Alaska cruise can only be enhanced by a magical trip across the Rockies, and with Vancouver such a popular embarkation and disembarkation point, why not extend your voyage with a Rocky Mountaineer journey through the glorious scenery of the Canadian Rockies? Travel from Banff to Vancouver (or vice versa), with an overnight hotel stop in Kamloops; take the GoldLeaf option for the perfect panoramic experience in a bi-level glass-dome coach, with gourmet meals and accommodation at the best luxury hotels.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises have an excellent pre-cruise six-day Rocky Mountaineer itinerary which can be easily added on to select cruises. Departing between May and August 2025, Regent's packages begin in Calgary where guests board the Rocky Mountaineer. Enjoy two days of GoldLeaf service as you take in British Colombia and Alberta's lakeside views, mountain passes and historic tunnels alongside stays in luxury hotels, before you embark the ship in Vancouver for a luxury Alaska voyage to Seward. Oceania also combines a five- escorted pre-cruise GoldLeaf Rocky Mountaineer journey with a nine-day Alaska voyage on board Riviera departing in June 2025.
2. Eastern & Oriental Express and South East Asia
Returning to the vibrant cities and rural villages of South East Asia is Belmond's Eastern and Oriental Express, offering weekly three-night departure options in Malaysia to explore national parks, tea plantations and white-sand beaches with traditional village visits, Peranakan cooking classes, walking tours and more. Return to the vintage-style cabins as you're served delicious Malaysian cuisine, from spicy curries to noodle soups, complemented by punchy cocktails, and relax at the onboard Dior Spa offering Asian-inspired beauty treatments.
The journey fits perfectly with Silversea - departing on 1 March 2025 on the Eastern and Oriental Express' 'Wild Malaysia' itinerary on a Singapore round trip including stops at Taman Negara National Park, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor - before you sail to Tokyo on a two-week cruise on board Silversea's lovely Silver Muse, exploring Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, Seoul, Hong Kong, Kagoshima and more.
3. Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and the Mediterranean
Perhaps the most iconic train of all, this perfectly refurbished piece of history transports you straight to the 1920s, with its polished wood, sumptuous upholstery and antique fixtures. The Orient Express offers the ever-popular airport-free option of hopping on or returning to London (travelling via the Eurostar), as well as itineraries of varying lengths between Europe's most iconic cities including Paris, Rome and, of course, Venice, to name a few. You're then perfectly placed to embark any number of cruise options, with many of our favourite oceangoing cruise lines departing from ports in central Venice or from ports close by.
And, for the first time, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express will head to the Ligurian coast from Paris to Portofino. Details of the 2025 journey are yet to be revealed, but we expect it to be very similar to this year, with a night on the train and two nights included at the Belmond Splendido Hotel Portofino. Expect fine dining with Michelin-star chef Jean Imbert who'll host a seasonal table d'hôte menu on board the iconic blue-and-gold carriages as well as a gala dinner at Splendido's La Terrazza restaurant.
4. Belmond Andean Explorer and the Galapagos
Why not combine the bucket-list destination of the Galapagos with exploring Peru? Journey through the dramatic Andes for breathtaking scenery, Inca ruins and the elaborate colonial cities of Cusco and Arequipa on the beautiful Andean Explorer.
Flights operate several times a day between Arequipa or Cusco and Ecuador's Quito, giving you time to explore the city before or after you head to Galapagos. We like Silversea's all-inclusive journeys on the luxurious Silver Origin and their five-day Machu Picchu programme, a perfect prelude to the train from Cusco for the ultimate bucket-list journey.
5. La Dolce Vita Orient Express & Italy
Orient Express's new La Dolce Vita (translating to the sweet life in Italian) - not to be confused with Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient-Express - in partnership with AccorHotels and luxury hospitality group Arsenale S.P.A., will begin service in April 2025.
Sumptuous décor and luxurious cabins, alongside an eclectic dining room offering gourmet Italian cuisine, will be the base for journeys showcasing much-loved Italian destinations, including Venice, Portofino, Tuscany, Rome, Sicily, UNESCO-listed Matera and the foodie haven of Piedmont. Two- and three-night tours, with eight itineraries departing monthly, combine perfectly with a Crystal cruise, embarking Crystal Symphony or Serenity where the train journey ends in Rome and voyaging to Barcelona or Marseille.
6. Uniworld & the Maharajas' Express
Uniworld's fantastic river cruise and train combinations include a journey on board the 56-guest Ganges Voyager II - stopping at beautiful monuments and authentic villages - with the Maharajas' Express, including calls in at Agra for the Taj Mahal, the Pink City of Jaipur, frenetic New Delhi, Mumbai and more.
Other options include a relaxing European river cruise paired with trips on the Golden Eagle Danube Express between Istanbul, Venice and Paris as well as a luxurious train journey from Budapest to Vienna where you can explore the Austrian Alps and Lake Como before a Venice voyage.
7. Anantara's The Vietage and AmaWaterways' Mekong Cruise
Luxury hotel brand Anantara has added a second carriage to its sleek 12-guest train The Vietage in Vietnam with daily journeys between beautiful Anantara resorts in the historic town of Hoi An and Quy Nhon where 25 villas overlook a private cove. Daily journeys offer options to visit historic Hoi An, lush rice paddies, mountain towns and lovely coastal cities, and to extend your stays in Anantara resorts.
On board, each carriage offers sit-up bars, private booths and gourmet dining experiences - think Bai Dai lobster and Da Lat caviar. For the ultimate adventure combine the journey with an AmaWaterways Mekong River cruise from Ho Chi Minh City to Cambodia's Siem Reap, the gateway to the iconic World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat.
8. Rovos Rail and Africa
Cruising out of Cape Town to explore West Africa or the exotic Indian Ocean is wonderful, but better still when combined with the Victorian charm of a Rovos Rail journey to Pretoria, or further still, to Victoria Falls. This is one of the most luxurious trains in the world, travelling across the barren Great Karoo through grasslands, mountains, and scenic winelands.
Cape Town is then a popular embarkation port for many of our favourite cruise lines including Regent, Silversea and Seabourn, while some lines such as AmaWaterways' Zambezi Queen river ship offer journeys that end at Victoria Falls, a start or end destination of one of the Rovos Rail routes that also includes a safari game drive.
9. Belmond Royal Scotsman and Hebridean Princess
The Belmond Royal Scotsman is the most luxurious way to tour the Scottish Highlands, taking you from Edinburgh to the west coast and back again. On board you can enjoy exquisite cuisine in the mahogany-panelled dining car and sublime treatments at the Bamford Haybarn Spa, while travelling through some of Scotland's most spectacular landscapes.
Then board the inimitable and intimate Hebridean Princess - with transfers included by the cruise line - for a voyage around the beautiful Western Isles, visiting remote castles, glassy lochs and whisky distilleries.
This is just a taster of the rail and sail combinations we can offer - if there's a journey you've always dreamed of making then give us a call, and we will help you put together that trip of a lifetime.
