Rail Holidays to Celebrate a Special Occasion
Celebrate life’s biggest moments with unforgettable rail holidays offering luxury, scenery, and meaningful experiences perfect for any milestone.
Some moments in life deserve more than a dinner booking or a quick weekend away. Big anniversaries, milestone birthdays, honeymoons, retirements, graduations, once-in-a-lifetime accomplishments, these deserve something extraordinary. And nothing feels more special or effortless than celebrating with a rail holiday that blends scenery, culture, comfort, and curated experiences. Here are some rail journeys that turn meaningful moments into unforgettable memories
1. Few trips say “celebration ” like the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
Lavish vintage carriages, multi-course dining, glamour at every turn, this is romance and luxury at their absolute peak. Whether you are marking a major anniversary or a once-in-a-decade birthday, this experience becomes part of your life story.
2. The Glacier Express Through Switzerland
The Glacier Express is one of the world’s most beautiful rail journeys. Snowy peaks, mountain villages, sparkling lakes, and high alpine passes create a dreamscape the entire way. For anyone celebrating retirement or a bucket-list milestone, this journey feels like the reward it is meant to be.
3. The Canadian Rockies by Rail
The Canadian Rockies deliver epic landscapes and family-friendly adventure: Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, gondolas, glaciers, wildlife, and unbelievable scenery. It is the perfect backdrop for a milestone birthday or a multi-generational celebration where everyone gets something unforgettable.
4. Italy’s Great Cities by Train
Italy is pure romance: Venice’s canals, Florence’s art, Rome’s history, the Cinque Terre’s sunsets. A rail holiday through Italy makes every moment feel cinematic. It is the ideal way to celebrate love, whether you are newly engaged, honeymooning, or honouring a special anniversary.
5. The Best of Spain by Rail
Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, Seville, Málaga, Spain is vibrant, colourful, and full of energy. If you are celebrating a graduation or a big achievement with friends or family, this journey delivers culture, nightlife, incredible food, sunshine, and coastal charm.
6. Alaska Adventure with Alaska Railroad
If you are celebrating a milestone that calls for something bold and unforgettable, Alaska is it. Glacier cruises, Denali National Park, fjords, wildlife, mountains, this itinerary offers big moments at every turn. It is perfect for marking retirement, a major birthday, or a long-awaited family adventure.
7. Norway in a nutshell
This is one of Europe’s most iconic scenic journeys and a true bucket-list rail experience. A trip combines dramatic train rides with fjord cruises and mountain scenery, offering non-stop wow moments from start to finish.
8. Southern Africa with Rovos Rail
With world-class service, restored vintage train cars, exciting off-train excursions, and top cuisine paired with South Africa’s finest wines, Rovos Rail harks back to a simpler, more elegant era of the high romance and timeless grace of African exploration. Discover the expansive beauty of South Africa from the train’s dining cars, luxurious suites, and the observation car with an open-air balcony.
9. The Ghan
Travel on a luxurious adventure through the heart of Australia on The Ghan, regarded as one of the world's greatest train journeys. Enjoy sumptuous cuisine, elegant private cabins, and off-board excursions within Australia’s outback.
10. Maharaja's Express
India is a country full of unique history and memorable experiences that are ripe for discovery. Maximum comfort, top-level service and this unique destination combine to make any journey onboard the Maharajas' Express both the trip of a lifetime and the perfect way to explore this beguiling, bucket-list destination.
