Luxury train travel is having its moment. We're here to give you six of the best luxury train sleepers and yachts for a trip that oozes 1930s glamour.
Flying is not what it used to be. Somewhere along the way, the romance of the journey began to fade away; in place of experience, modern air travel began to promise efficiency above all else. Pair that with a growing consciousness of our environmental footprint, and a shift feels inevitable. Switching from a domestic flight to rail can cut carbon emissions by as much as 86 per cent, according to analysis by Our World in Data on travel’s carbon footprint, and since the term was coined in 2018, “flight shame” has slowly evolved from niche Scandinavian slogan to widespread cultural sentiment.
Slow is the operative word. It is slower travel, by rail and increasingly by sea, that is rising in its place. Specialist operators such as Railbookers, who curate independent rail holidays across Europe and North America, report a noticeable surge in travellers choosing panoramic windows over departure gates, trading the so-called efficiency of a middle seat for a journey that feels like part of the holiday. And while ships are hardly without environmental scrutiny, their impact on oceans and emissions is the subject of growing debate, a new generation of smaller-scale, design-led vessels is positioning the voyage itself as something more considered and intentional.
It harkens to a time gone by. In the 1930s, the world marvelled at the Blue Train and the Orient Express, at ocean liners where a crossing could unfold as both social theatre and cinematic spectacle. Nostalgia for that “golden age” has never completely vanished; what’s new in 2026 is the reasoning behind its revival. A recent trend report by design studio JPA Design calls it “The Golden Age Reimagined”, a return to rail, sea and slow travel driven not only by retro glamour, but by a desire for immersion, narrative and more mindful movement. This shift is already visible in how travel is being captured online. On social media, the appetite for slower, more intentional journeys has become unmistakable: content tagged #slowtravel on TikTok grew nearly 330 per cent in 2025, while #wellnesstravel surged 150 per cent.
The message is clear: a second golden age of travel is taking shape, and the industry is designing for it. Hotel groups, rail operators and luxury hospitality brands are expanding beyond static destinations, investing in long-form journeys shaped around narrative, craftsmanship and immersion. From Saudi Arabia’s Dream of the Desert to Italy’s cinematic La Dolce Vita, from the Britannic Explorer to a new wave of hotel-branded yachts, the following projects are redefining the art of the journey.
Saudi Arabia’s Dream of the Desert is more than the region’s first luxury sleeper train. Running from Riyadh through 1,300 kilometres of shifting terrain, the 14-carriage experience carries just 66 guests at a time, making it intimate in scale as well as in design. The project, developed by Italy’s Arsenale Group in partnership with Saudi Arabia Railways and designed by Aline Asmar d’Amman, layers Saudi craft traditions onto refurbished Italian carriages. Carved wood panels, woven textiles and brass detailing nod to regional heritage without slipping into pastiche, while a palette drawn from sand, sage and burnt terracotta feels instinctively grounded.
Light filters through geometric screens; lounges echo the convivial rhythm of a majlis. It’s plush but composed, perhaps even a touch less ostentatious than expected, which somehow makes it all the more powerful. The interiors are luxurious, but more so is the quality of time: the unhurried hours spent watching desert light shift from amber to indigo. It arrives at a moment when the Kingdom is shifting toward experiential tourism.
La Dolce Vita Orient Express is unapologetically cinematic. Developed by Orient Express, now under the Accor umbrella, in collaboration with Italy’s Arsenale Group, a revival of rail glamour unfolds across refurbished mid-century carriages, comprising suits, lounges and a restaurant car that leans heavily into theatrical flair. In an era of algorithm-driven travel itineraries, there’s something subversive about committing to a route that prioritises mood over mileage.
Eight itineraries traverse 14 regions, but the real seduction happens onboard. Dimorestudio’s interiors channel 1960s and ’70s Italian design with lacquered surfaces, smoked glass, polished brass and velvet in saturated shades. There is gloss, there is drama, there is just the right amount of swagger. In some suites, red velvet walls meet mirrored steel tables; in the bar, patterned upholstery and curved banquettes invite aperitivo to stretch into something more decadent. It’s less about restraint and more about pleasure, and that’s exactly the point.
Operated by the LVMH-owned hospitality group and designed by London studio Albion Nord, Belmond’s Britannic Explorer is England and Wales’ first modern luxury sleeper. With just 18 cabins, it hosts three-night itineraries that wind through Cornwall, the Lake District and Wales. But the emphasis isn’t on ticking off landmarks, it’s on leaving restored. There’s a dedicated wellness carriage offering botanical-led treatments, and off-board excursions lean toward hiking, sailing and sea air rather than gala theatrics.
It feels refreshingly grounded and very English. The design language mirrors this shift. Illustrated textiles line the walls; moss-green seating converts neatly into beds; bathrooms, though compact, gleam with brass fixtures and considered detailing. It’s layered, tactile and distinctly British (playful but not whimsical). The atmosphere encourages conversation over cocktails rather than costume changes for dinner.
At sea, the reinvention continues. Guests who trust a hotel’s aesthetic on land are increasingly willing to follow it offshore, provided the design integrity holds. In this case, it does. Ilma, which is part of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, reimagines the cruise ship as something closer to a floating boutique hotel. The scale is deliberate: large enough for amenities, small enough to avoid anonymity. Suites favour neutral palettes punctuated by marine blues and warm woods, with floor-to-ceiling glazing that blurs interior and horizon. Terraces extend living spaces outward; dining venues feel residential rather than cavernous. The atmosphere is curated calm, and the sort of place where linen trousers seem essential.
If a hotel group is going to convince you to sail the sea it’s Aman. The hospitality brand’s forthcoming yacht, Amangati, currently under construction in Italy and slated to launch in spring 2027, has been developed by Aman Group and designed by Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design. It boasts just 47 suites aboard a 600-foot vessel, privacy is not an afterthought but a structural principle. The aesthetic draws on ryokan-inspired minimalism, clean lines, restrained palettes, a quiet confidence that doesn’t need to announce itself. Floor-to-ceiling windows open suites to uninterrupted sea views; expansive balconies encourage stillness rather than spectacle.
Onboard spaces include multiple restaurants, a jazz club, an Aman Spa and a beach club with direct access to the water, but even these amenities are conceived with restraint. In many ways, this is the logical conclusion of slow travel at sea: a vessel designed not to entertain relentlessly, but to allow guests to recalibrate. The horizon is the ultimate design feature, although a gorgeous suite and a spa to accompany that sunset certainly helps.
The Orient Express Corinthian, slated to launch in summer 2026, brings the conversation full circle. It’s rail nostalgia transposed onto water. Propelled by towering sails and engineered with an eye toward reduced environmental impact, it merges heritage with innovation in distinctly theatrical fashion. Under the direction of architect and artistic director Maxime d’Angeac, the interiors reinterpret the golden age of travel through marble flooring, gold accents and meticulous French craftsmanship.
Suites range dramatically in scale, some with generous terraces; public spaces include multiple restaurants, a cabaret and salons designed for lingering well past dinner. The reference points are the great ocean liners of the 1930s as much as the original Orient Express. Here, romance is deliberate, even staged, which, in a time when travel often feels transactional, suggests that a little theatre might be exactly what people are craving. Well, you’re not going to find it in seat 32A on a commercial red-eye.
