There’s a buzz here at JFC HQ, as many of us on the team are setting off on Lupine Travel’s Trans-European Race from 5th–12th August. We’ve got our Interrail tickets at the ready, and a list of possible routes we could end up taking to reach Istanbul. The rest is yet to be revealed!

Knowing that we’ll likely be following in the tracks of the original Orient Express is certainly fuelling our nostalgia and romanticism this week. We’ve been dreaming about the world’s great railway journeys, planning which one we’ll tackle next, and how best to do it—the fancy way, or the DIY way?

With that, here’s the low-down on some seriously unforgettable train trips around the world…

The Orient Express

Launched in 1883 and operating until its final demise in 2009, the very words “Orient Express” conjure up images of luxury and decadence (okay, and a little bit of murder). Picture lounging in the comfort of art deco furnishings, champagne in your hand, snacking on oysters and a buffet of desserts as you roll through the European countryside.

Today, nostalgia is well on the side of the opulent train travel—in no small part thanks to Kenneth Branagh’s 2017 remake of Murder on the Orient Express, in addition to a general desire to make greener transport choices.

The Venice Simplon Orient Express is currently the only option for anyone looking to splash out on an unforgettable ride. Once a year, it embarks on a 5-day cocktail-fuelled journey from Paris to Istanbul, stopping off in Budapest, Transylvania, Bucharest and Varna en route.

With a price point of around £19k/$24k, you might want to consider one of their shorter trips instead, including routes south into Italy. They offer connections starting from London as well, in case you want the luxury to begin before you even step on the Eurostar.

They’ll have some competition from 2025, though, as The Orient Express returns. Seventeen original carriages dating back to the 1920s and ‘30s are being done up to transport us back in time and all the way to Istanbul. We imagine there will be a hefty price tag to go with it, so better get saving now.

Of course, if you’re in it for the sights and not the luxury, there’s no need to spend thousands. The Man in Seat 61 has done a more thorough job than we ever could of listing all the different ways you can travel there, so really it’s just down to choosing which European gems you want to visit.

There’s the classic route via Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest, or alternatives passing through Munich or Zurich and Belgrade. But if you like the idea of delving deeper into the crystal-blue seas and recent political history of the Balkans, things can get a little sticky when you limit yourself to trains. The good news is, buses and cheap taxis join the dots nicely, so there’s always a way to get back on track—just know that it could involve a night crammed aboard a sweaty coach.

Indian Pacific

A country as big as Australia is just screaming out for long train journeys, reading a good book and staring out the window as the outback rolls by. And it delivers! Coast-to-coast over 2,700 miles, the Indian Pacific takes you from Perth to Sydney in four days, travelling part of the way along the Trans-Australian Railway.

You’re not stuck on the train the whole way with no escape. In fact, for your money (we’ll get to that bit), you get a package of off-train tours thrown in.

Eastbound, your first stop is Kalgoorlie, known for its gold mining “super pit” so large you can see it from space. From here, you can also pick up a tour to see the largest sheep station in the Southern Hemisphere (60,000 sheep, to be exact-ish) and the ghost town of Cook.

Next up is Adelaide, famous for opals and being the “ City of Churches”. Perhaps the best way to spend a day there is meandering through the Central Market, sampling some of the city’s best eats (and buying extras for your onward journey, obviously). Or, if you’d rather stretch your legs, ditch the organised tour and hit one of Mount Lofty’s hiking trails.

Before arriving in Sydney, there’s one final stop in the Blue Mountains. Prepare for spectacular views over soaring sandstone ridges and the Katoomba Falls from the Scenic Skyway cable car (if you can stomach the glass floor).

Stops are slightly different on the east–west route, with Broken Hill being your first call after departing Sydney. The country’s oldest mining town sits on the edge of the outback, and is the perhaps best known these days as the filming location of Mad Max 2. And yes, there is an appropriately ramshackle-looking museum nearby.

The whole journey—meals, trips and all—starts from £1,140 per person, which is definitely a little harder on the wallet than your average domestic flight at £230 return. And the bad news here is… there’s no alternative. Australia’s basic passenger trains are fairly functional between cities on the East Coast, but nothing travels cross-country.

Greyhound buses will take you north to south, in effect offering an alternative to The Ghan railway from Darwin to Adelaide. Brave young backpackers with good stamina might enjoy the vibes of a backpacker bus, like The Magic Bus, though all their scheduled trips are travelling between Perth and Broome for now.

Honestly, your best bet with a vast expanse like the Australian outback is to hire a car and drive yourself, or join the ShareBus and make some friends along the way?

Maharaja’s Express

India has so many choices when it comes to phenomenal rail journeys, but we decided to go for a classic that really brings out the big guns—Delhi to Mumbai on the Maharaja’s Express.

It has it all, from the imposing religious architecture of the capital city, to a stop in Agra for the Taj Mahal and a chance to spot tigers in Ranthambore. Then it's onwards to the Pink City, camel safaris in Bikaner, a new wave of colour in Jodhpur, and one final stop in the Venice of the East before you reach Mumbai.

Travelling onboard the Maharaja’s Express is more than just staying in a luxury hotel on wheels, rather, it’s a whole experience. The welcome at Delhi station includes a flurry of music and gifts, and a red carpet scattered with flower petals. Enough to make anyone a blush a little!

If the top-class Indian dining and champagne breakfasts weren’t enough, you’re treated to VIP tours at every stop. But a tour so grand does come at a price—£6,100/$7,750 to be exact. Shorter routes, like their Treasures of India tour from Delhi to Agra and Jaipur, come in lower but only last 4 days instead of 7.

Planning out your own less luxurious train adventures is completely possible, and will of course save cash, but it can be overwhelming. India’s rail network is extensive, and knowing which ticket to book takes some serious studying (there are eleven travel classes on India’s trains!). But if you like a project, you can easily work this one out on a budget.

As a happy medium, however, railbookers offers various pre-designed tours of India by rail, with airport transfers, train connections, some tours and accommodation all sorted. That means if anything goes wrong, there’s an expert on hand to help you out. Sounds exactly like the relaxing holiday vibes you’ll need to balance out that big city buzz!

Trans-Siberian Railway

Admittedly, few of us are likely to be taking this trip any time soon, as travel to Russia remains restricted due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. However, the route is truly iconic among train-travel fans, and always worth keeping in the back pocket for the future.

Spanning 5,772 miles and eight time zones, the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Vladivostok railway is the longest line in the world. It kicks off in the Russian capital, passing landmarks like the Volga River, the Ural Mountains and Lake Baikal, before ending by the Sea of Japan.

The route also has two variations—the Trans-Manchurian line and the Trans-Mongolian line. Both take you to Beijing, the former heading southeast into China from the town of Chita, and the latter cutting down through Mongolia just east of Lake Baikal.

We’ve previously seen companies running luxury trains on the routes, with a single trip costing into the tens of thousands. DIYing to Vladivostok with the locals would come in at under £300, however, and means you have the flexibility to hop off for a few days hiking in Pribalsky National Park or recovering from those train bunks in a Mongolian Ger.

No doubt you’ll hear more about the JFC team’s own great train journeys over the next few weeks, but if you’d like to see updates along the way, you can follow Jack’s Flight Club and Lupine Racing on Instagram.

Wish us luck!

The leg to Louisiana’s boot, Arkansas is nestled against the mighty Mississippi River. With the Ozarks to the north and three national forests, it’s no surprise that it’s earned the nickname “The Natural State.”

Perhaps the most famous outdoor spot in Arkansas is Crater of Diamonds State Park, where you can dig for gems to take home. This is one trip that might pay for itself – the largest diamond ever unearthed on US soil was found here! It sold for $1.13 million in today’s money.

Next is Hot Springs, AR. This one-stop-shop resort town is packed with museums, fun parks, and oddities, but in the spirit of Arkansas’ nickname, the true attractions are all natural. And true to its name, there are—you guessed it—hot springs. You can take a dip at one of the historic bathhouses, drink from the fountains, or check out a steaming waterfall.

Way up at the top of the state there’s another spring, one of the largest in the entire world. Appropriately named Mammoth Springs, this massive part-lake-part-river includes remnants of old mills and hydroelectric plants, and even a hatchery of rare bass.

For a little more arts and culture on top, make a bee-line for Fayetteville, sometimes self-styled as the “Athens of the Ozarks”. They’ve also got another badge of honour: It’s the first and only city in the United States to become a certified Bike City by the Union Cycliste Internationale. The town has over 100 miles of bike trails and hosts several cycling competitions every year.

If you’re visiting from spring 2024 onwards, the newly renovated Walmart Museum will be a must-see. Located at the original Walton’s dime store that started it all, the 20th century Americana vibes are topped off with a 1950s-style diner featuring local Arkansas ice cream in Walmart’s signature blue and yellow.

Not an ice cream lover? Grab yourself a slice of Arkansas possum pie instead. We promise no marsupials were harmed in the process!

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.

• If you’ve ever wondered whether you could handle the longest flight in the world, CN Traveler have shared the inside info on all 19 hours of the flight from New York to Singapore.
• Here’s a feast for the eyes in the form of phenomenal snaps of the most recent supermoon as seen around the world.
• UNESCO has said that Venice is at risk of becoming an endangered world heritage site. This is apparently the result of years of overtoursim, over development and rising sea levels.
• And finally, we can now combine fjords and fine dining in the most extreme way aboard the new floating restaurant, Iris. Serving up an 18-course menu inside an art installation that looks like a spaceship, the whole thing is sure to be an unforgettable experience.

  Anyone who’s seen The Menu, however, might want to sit this one out and grab a burger instead…