The Most Exciting Train Routes Launching in 2025
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Patrick Locqueneux/La Dolce Vita Orient Express
With the launch of new train routes, high-speed rail projects, and ultra-luxury journeys, 2025 promises to be yet another exciting year for rail travel enthusiasts.
In the US, travelers can expect to finally see long-awaited Amtrak updates, including the return of its New Orleans-bound route from Mobile, Alabama for the first time in 20 years, plus the rollout of the new high-speed Acela fleet on the Northeast Corridor. Further away, the so-called rail renaissance will also pick up speed, with plenty of new options for tourists to plan train-centric adventures in Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.
The most captivating routes debuting next year will whisk passengers through a variety of cultural sites and landscapes, from the verdant English countryside to the snow-capped Alps. Below, see four of the most notable new train journeys scheduled to launch in 2025 that are worth planning a trip around.
Belmond's Britannic Explorer
The launch of a new Belmond train is truly an event in the world of rail travel. And next year, luxury train enthusiasts will be treated to the debut of the Britannic Explorer, a brand new Belmond line traversing the UK countryside. Beginning in July 2025, the Explorer will begin trips out of London to Cornwall, Wales, and the Lake District. Additional stops and activities along the three different routes include a private party in a “quintessential” Cotswolds pub, a black-tie gala at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxfordshire, and an exclusive Cornish wine tasting overlooking St Michael’s Mount. Time spent on board the new train will be just as memorable, with a beautifully understated dining car designed to evoke an English garden, a wellness spa, and a combination lounge-observation car, where guests can grab a cocktail inspired by Victorian apothecaries and watch the striking landscapes roll by.
Saudi Arabia's Dream of the Desert line
The opportunity to explore Saudi Arabia’s stunning desert by luxury train will be a reality by the end of 2025. A new 41-cabin train, called the Dream of the Desert, is slated to run over nearly 800 miles of track, stretching through the kingdom’s interior from the capital city of Riyadh to Al Qurayyat, near the Jordanian border. On the one or two-night journeys, travelers will pass otherworldly landscapes, rugged peaks, and notable sites such as the King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve. Saudi Arabia Railways is collaborating on the project with Arsenale Group, an Italian company that has built luxury trains like the Orient Express La Dolce Vita. Details of the train’s interior have yet to be released, but we know there’ll be upscale dining and lounge cars—and that once the train is completed, the cars’ design will reflect “Saudi style and tradition,” according to the companies.
Orient Express La Dolce Vita
The much-anticipated Orient Express La Dolce Vita seems poised to finally roar to life across the Italian countryside in 2025. Itineraries feature coastal jaunts to Venice and Portofino, ambles through Tuscan wine country, and journeys to the jewels of Sicily, including Palermo and Taormina. The first journeys are scheduled to depart in April 2025. On board, guests can choose from 12 deluxe cabins and 18 suites, all of which feature intricate design elements like wood paneled ceilings, geometric textiles, and brass sconces. Come evening, the “Grand Transformation” takes place across the train, with the crew shifting the decor and atmosphere to a festive and formal nighttime vibe. Enjoy aperitivo hour with cocktails and antipasti in the sleek Lounge Bar before heading to the Dining Carriage for a menu of Italian cuisine designed by a three-Michelin-starred chef. In the morning, the dining car offers an authentic Italian breakfast featuring “a selection of freshly squeezed fruit juices, Sicilian brioche, artisanal jams, and aromatic Italian coffee,” to fuel you for a day of sightseeing and excursions.
European Sleeper's Brussels to Venice route
Not all train routes debuting next year will come with a hefty price tag. European Sleeper’s newest overnight route from Brussels to Venice will delight travelers at a more affordable price point. On its way to the Floating City, the train will make stops in Antwerp, Belgium; Rotterdam and Utrecht, The Netherlands; Munich and Cologne, Germany; Innsbruck, Austria; and two additional destinations in Italy, Verona and Bolzano, known as a gateway to the Dolomites. The full 20-hour route will cross other breathtaking landscapes, such the Austrian Alps. The train offers three seating options: sleepers, couchettes, and regular upright coach seats. It also has a restaurant car on board, where guests can enjoy dinner service, followed by drinks in the train’s lounge bar. The seasonal route is scheduled to operate twice a week in February and March 2025—perfect for spring break travelers, or those on their way to ski trips or Venice’s iconic carnival, which stretches from February 22 to March 4. Booking is now open for the first train journey, which is scheduled to depart on February 5, 2025.
Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler
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