Rail vacations FAQ’s
Will I have enough time in each place?
Railway vacations are as much about the vacation as the rail. They are designed for people who relish rail travel but also want to get off the train and explore more than on your average coach tour, for example. So, in general, railway vacation suppliers are proponents of slow travel, giving you a couple of days in favourite spots along the way. Transits are organised when necessary from the train station and back again, and unless it is a very independent style railway vacation, you will often be met by a local guide at the railway station.
Our Railway Vacations
Scotland by railway vacation
Experience authentic Scotland independently and car-free
From
£1025 to £1125
8 days
ex flights
Trans Mongolian railway vacation
Ride the Iconic Trans-Mongolian Railway in all it's glory.
From
£2710 to £2780
16 days
ex flights
Ireland vacation by train
Discover contrasts of Dublin, Galway and Belfast, car-free.
From
£820 to £1000
8 days
ex flights
West Highland Line railway vacation in Scotland
Take the "The World's Best Rail Journey" to the Isle of Skye
From
£685 to £735
4 days
ex flights
Railway tour of Morocco
Rediscover Morocco's two greatest Imperial Cities by rail.
From
£595 to £650
8 days
ex flights
Trans Siberian railway tour
Watch this epic land glide by through the window of a comfortable train
From
US $3145 to US $3849
17 days
ex flights
Thailand by rail vacation
Get a real taste of Thailand by traveling the local way
From
£1145
13 days
ex flights
Southern India and Karnataka rail tour
Take the train from Goa to Kochi via Karnataka and see the breathtaking ruins of Hampi
From
US $787 to US $1099
10 days
ex flights
Trans Mongolian express rail tour, Beijing to St Petersburg
ride the rails on this once-in-a-lifetime trip
From
US $3485 to US $4299
19 days
ex flights
India by Rail, Northeast & Darjeeling
Get off the beaten path and see India in a very untypical way – by train
From
US $1040 to US $1499
13 days
ex flights
Bulgaria vacation by train
Self-guided trip by slow-ride train through best of Bulgaria
From
€485 to €585
12 days
ex flights
Trans Mongolian vacation, tailor made
Ride the Iconic Trans-Mongolian Railway in all it's glory.
From
£2430
16 days
ex flights
Edinburgh & Hadrian’s Wall tour by train
Explore Edinburgh and Hadrian’s Wall
From
£665 to £895
4 days
ex flights
Balkans rail vacation
Travel through seven countries in the Balkans.
From
US $2470
16 days
ex flights
Scotland island hopping vacation, car free
Explore three contrasting Scottish islands car-free
From
£1025 to £1150
8 days
ex flights
North india rail tour
Take the train right to the heart of India’s colourful cultural northern region
From
US $765 to US $1099
9 days
ex flights
Complete India by rail, 6 weeks
A 6 week trip that circles India by train
From
US $4649 to US $5249
46 days
ex flights
Reunification Express vacation, Vietnam
Most wonderful way to travel from north to south of Vietnam
From
US $1543 to US $1905
15 days
ex flights
Kolkata to Kochi rail tour, India
Travel northeast to southeast India spotting innumerable beautiful sights along the way
From
US $3299 to US $3849
33 days
ex flights
Japan small group vacation by bullet train
Japan's must-see cities and beautiful, rural countryside
From
£3595 to £3995
14 days
ex flights
Central Europe rail tour, 15 days
An exciting trip around the continent's fairytale cities
From
£1259 to £1589
15 days
ex flights
Lake District of Finland and Helsinki family vacation by train
Active vacation for naturelovers in lake district of Finland
From
€3560 to €5409
11 days
ex flights
Northern India culture and wildlife vacation
Northern India cultural and wildlife highlights by rail
From
US $1680 to US $2370
16 days
ex flights
St Petersburg to Beijing winter tour, 18-35
An epic winter adventure that's not for the faint hearted!
From
£1950 to £2195
19 days
ex flights
Vietnam tour, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh
Adventure getting to know Vietnamese food, culture & people
From
US $783 to US $945
11 days
ex flights
Complete India by rail vacation
India’s highlights with plenty of time to disembark and get to know your surroundings
From
US $5649 to US $6299
54 days
ex flights
Mongolia and Beyond (shell)
Overland rail venturing into the rolling steppe of Mongolia
From
£3020 to £3260
19 days
ex flights
Grand Trans Siberian rail tour
From the Pacific to the Baltic on the Trans-Siberian Railway
From
£5915 to £6120
24 days
ex flights
Trans Mongolian vcation with the Naadam Festival
Celebrate Mongolia’s most colourful festival by rail
From
£4650
24 days
ex flights
Grand Trans Siberian Railway, tailor made
Japan to Russia overland on the Trans-Siberian Railway
From
£6265
30 days
ex flights
Will I be traveling with a group?
Quite a few of our rail vacations are tailor made to suit your timing, but some, like the Reunification Express in Vietnam, Trans-Mongolian Express and the Moorish Spain to Marrakech by rail vacations are in small groups with maximum group size of 16 travelers. However, this doesn’t mean that you will feel ‘chaperoned’ – it is your vacation after all, but it means that a group leader will be on hand to assist with anything you need during your time in the places you visit along the way. And it means you can totally chill when it comes to connections and reservations.Will I be in a first class carriage?
Again this depends on the trip. It’s first class all the way on the super luxurious “El Transcantabrico” train that shimmies its way rather sleekly across Northern Spain. Or the Maharajas’ Express, which takes you to all points on India’s Golden Triangle in award winning luxury. As part of the Scotland Luxury Rail Vacation, you travel first class on the Jacobite steam train from Fort William to Mallaig, over the equally first class Glenfinnan viaduct and top notch highland scenery, as well as a first class Scotrail service back down through the Highlands to Pitlochry.Do we always sleep on trains?
On most of our rail vacations, you get off the train at night and stay at locally owned accommodation. There are sleepover parties to be had, however, especially on the long distance journeys such as the Tran-Mongolian Express or the Reunification Express in Vietnam. Traveling by night means that you often have the whole day free for sightseeing as well, such as on the Maharajas’ Express.
How will the food be?
In general, it is always good to stock up on snacks before you board a train. There are exceptions, of course, but food and trains do not usually a happy marriage make. You will have an adventure, however, on board the likes of the Trans-Mongolian Express, where the buffet cars change according to the country you are in: Russia, Mongolia and China. So, lunch is chicken or meat borsht in Russia, with vodka flowing freely, rice and mutton in Mongolia, and a proverbial Chinese cacophony once you cross that border.Our top Railway Vacation
Scotland by railway vacation
Experience authentic Scotland independently and car-free
From
£1025 to £1125
8 days
ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made from April to the end of October.
This trip can be tailor made from April to the end of October.
Helpdesk
Hello. If you'd like to chat about Railway or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help. Rosy & team.
Are there luggage restrictions?
The joy of not flying is that you don’t have the luggage restrictions. However, you really don’t want to be hauling big, cumbersome suitcases on and off trains, especially if they are crowded and there isn’t much time at one spot. Try and pack lightly, and have all your immediate requirements in a daypack that is kept by your feet, or overhead.
More about Railway
The journey is often more exciting than the destination - and never is that more apparent than on a railway vacation.
Take a look at our interactive map, below, to see our railway vacation highlights around the world.
There are opportunities for you to dip in and out of this style of travel depending on how hardcore you want to go.
There are some destinations that make you think of classic train journeys - the most famous being Siberia and India, where spending several days rattling along the rails is as quintessential an experience as you can imagine.
One of the world’s most splendid railway journeys, The West Highland Line takes you through mountains, moors and marine marvels, between Glasgow and Mallaig on the west coast.
Trans Siberian Railway tours are one of the most authentic ways to explore all of Russia.
Although nicknamed 'bullet', which is kind of apt due to the shape and speed, Japan's Shinkansen trains provide peace, safety and comfort for passengers traveling north, south and west in Japan.
Take a ride on a train that you won’t want to get off although it would be a shame to miss out on Agra’s Taj Mahal and Jaipur’s Amber Fort, as you’re passing.
The Kyle Line is otherwise known as the Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness Line and takes you coast to coast between the Kyle on the west coast and Inverness on the northeast.
Our railway gurus have shared their top rail vacation tips with us - from what to pack (not too much!) and what to eat, to meeting your fellow passengers and getting a good night's sleep.
Responsible train vacations are pretty much a given: you're embracing slow travel, stepping outside of the multinational resorts and in some cases, cutting down on domestic flights.
Find all of our rail vacations guides in one place, for rail travel in particular places such as India and Scotland.
Why book with Responsible Travel
Photo credits: [Page banner: Belur Ashok] [Will I have enough time?: Dave Sizer]
[Do we always sleep on trains: plusgood]
[Are there luggage restrictions?: Ian Keefe]
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