The Best Trains for Cruisers

I’m of the belief that you can never get enough of a good thing. So, when a fantastic 7-day cruise just isn’t enough to fill those precious holiday days, continue your luxurious indulgence with a classic train journey. Choosing a “choo choo” as a post-cruise holiday extension offers a continuation of the all-inclusive concept of cruising.

Getting off a cruise in Venice or London? Tour operator Belmond offers the granddaddy of them all, the Orient Express, traveling between Venice, Paris and London with some itineraries including the cruise port cities of Istanbul, Budapest and Vienna. It’s not only a journey across Europe, it’s a trip back in time.   If your cruise holiday takes you South America, the company offers the romance of timeless train travel on their elegant Belmond Andean Explorer out of Cusco, Peru, carving its way through the Andes and the breathtaking Colca Canyon on the way to Lake Titicaca

If the Galapagos is on your cruise horizon, Tren Ecuador offers a 4-day coast-to-the-cloud-forest journey on their Tren Crucero. (Pick up the May/June 2018 issue of Porthole Cruise Magazine to read more about my journey aboard Ecuador’s Tren Crucero.)

National Geographic Expeditions goes all out for escorted train travel with journeys in India, Norway and Europe. If you are the ultimate adventure type, they offer an epic 16-day Trans Siberian Rail Expedition.

Traveling through the majestic Canadian Rockies provides the option of staying closer to home but viewing a world removed from the norm. Many cruise lines offer pre- or post-cruise extensions that coincide nicely with Alaska cruise itineraries.

Cruising Rivers and Riding The Rails

Cruise operator AmaWaterways serves up an enticing package in South Africa: three nights in Cape Town, four days aboard Zambezi Queen on the Chobi River, a tour to Victoria Falls and all capped off by a unique safari adventure for three days and nights on Rovos Rail.

Traveling Sea to See…

After you’ve experienced the ports and seascapes offered by your cruise journey, savor the memories of a lifetime and rekindle the romantic spirit of timeless train travel with deluxe dining and superb accommodations as you glide through dramatic mountains, canyons and villages.

— Steve Leland

^{Photo: Belmond}