Railway vacations travel guide


Our Railway Vacations
Scotland by railway vacation
Experience authentic Scotland independently and car-free
Trans Mongolian railway vacation
Ride the Iconic Trans-Mongolian Railway in all it's glory.
Scotland guided rail tour, Skye & Glencoe
Visit Scottish castles and beautiful gardens by train
Ireland vacation by train
Discover contrasts of Dublin, Galway and Belfast, car-free.
West Highland Line railway vacation in Scotland
Take the "The World's Best Rail Journey" to the Isle of Skye
Southern Europe rail tour, 16 days
Tour through the best of Southern Europe in 3 weeks!
England tour by train
Explore England's diversity and fascinating history by train
Railway tour of Morocco
Rediscover Morocco's two greatest Imperial Cities by rail.
West Highlands guided rail tour in Scotland
Discover Scotland's Highlands & distinctive islands by train
Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way Guided Rail Tour
A fully guided tour around Ireland's famous touring route
Bulgaria vacation by train
Self-guided trip by slow-ride train through best of Bulgaria
Eastern europe by train, the Iron Curtain tour
Whizz around Europe's lesser-visited cities by rail!
Central Europe rail tour, 15 days
An exciting trip around the continent's fairytale cities
Scotland island hopping vacation, car free
Explore three contrasting Scottish islands car-free
Japan small group vacation by bullet train
Japan's must-see cities and beautiful, rural countryside
Reunification Express vacation, Vietnam
Most wonderful way to travel from north to south of Vietnam
Trans Mongolian vacation, tailor made
Ride the Iconic Trans-Mongolian Railway in all it's glory.
Balkans rail vacation
Travel through seven countries in the Balkans.
London to Cairo over land & sea tour
Travel flight free to Africa! Adventure from London to Cairo
Scandinavia by rail vacation, London to Tromso
Unique no-fly adventure through the Arctic and Scandinavia
Spain and Portugal 11 day tour
All the paella and port you could want on this 11 day tour!
London to Uzbekistan by rail vacation
An epic overland adventure from London to Uzbekistan
Bejing to Lhasa tour, by train
Beijing to Lhasa on the famous sky train
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly vacation
Admire England's south-western corner car-free
Flight free England to Iceland vacation
Amazing opportunity to travel flight free to Iceland
Tokyo to St Petersburg rail tour
Japan to Russia overland on the Trans-Siberian Railway
Christmas on the Trans Mongolian express
Christmas in Siberian Russia & celebrate New Year in Moscow
Trans Siberian rail tour for 18-35
Want to hit the highlights without breaking the bank?
Naadam Festival vacations in Mongolia
Become a Nomad and celebrate Naadam Festival with the locals
What we rate & what we don't
Scotland railway journeys
Spain to Morocco
Ireland
Southern India
Trans-Mongolian Express
Reunification Express
Machu Picchu
Japan
Train booking websites
Train at the end of the world
Connectivity
Food
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Screens & scribes
Michael Portillo's Great Continental Railway Journeys, available on DVD, has helped re-establish rail as a strong tourism option in many countries.
The Trans-Siberian Handbook by Bryn Thomas is the definitive guide, with maps, photos, commentary, the works. And you’ll have plenty of time for reading on this one, so you might want to immerse yourself In Siberia by Colin Thubron as well – a brilliant description of months spent traveling across Siberia not only by train, but also by bus, hitchhiking and a battered car. Makes for grim reading in parts, but will make you happy you opted for the Trans-Mongolian leg of the famous train journey.
The Man in Seat 61, Mark Smith’s books of rail travel in Europe and worldwide are Bibles for train lovers. He has been everywhere, seen everything, knows every gauge, connection and quirky detail. And loves the seat number 61, when possible.
Iron Road to the Isles: A Travelers and Tourist Guide to the West Highland Lines by Michael Pearson – Published in collaboration with Scottish railway companies to celebrate the centenary of Mallaig Extension, it’s like having the most informed, and amusing travel companion sitting beside you along the way.
The Great Railway Bazaar: By Train Through Asia, published in 1973, is Paul Theroux’ famous travelogue about a four month train journey through Europe, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, and his return via the Trans-Siberian Railway. Even better, he retraced his journey in 2006 in Ghost Train to the Eastern Star.
The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit, the timeless classic, published in 1906, with the all time favourite film released in 1970.
Our top Railway Vacation
Scotland by railway vacation
Experience authentic Scotland independently and car-free
This trip can be tailor made from April to the end of October.
Railway vacation packing essentials
"Don't forget that on almost all Trans-Siberian trains, unlimited boiling water is available free of charge from the samovar at the end of each coach, so remember to bring a mug, spoon, coffee and a selection of cuppa soups. You can save money on restaurant car meals by bringing dried pasta or noodles, for example. My personal favourite is water-based drinking chocolate for a relaxing night-time drink each evening."