Despite the fact that the summer season has arrived, the railroads are still enjoying a lot of spotlight.Even though it’s summer, it’s the railroads that are getting a lot of attention.
The purpose of travel throughout the decades has been straightforward: from point A to point B with the fastest possible speed. There was no longer any time for a scenic voyage by sea, and the gorgeous landscapes were compressed to the horizon out of a small window at 30,000 feet. However, a large cultural revolution is taking place. There’s a revolt under way among travelers—and it’s aimed at all those cramped middle seats, the jumbled lines to the airport’s security checkpoints and delays in the terminal itself.
Rather, they are taking the time to prove that “The Rail Revival” is a possibility.
Train travel in 2026 isn’t just a convenient way to get from place to place, it’s the primary way to experience your vacation in 2026. It is one of the foundational concepts of the “slow travel” movement and is one where the process is as important as the destination. Epic trips, from luxury sleeper trains going over mountains to vintage regional trains through coastal valleys, are seeing a huge boom in bookings.
We have explained why switching your boarding pass to a train ticket is the ideal method to explore the world at the moment, and the best scenic routes to put on your list.
The Romantic Appeal of the Rails
The tracks provide a whole new experience for a trip and have a number of advantages over regular air travel:
Trains traverse landscapes that no roads, no flight paths traverse, pristine vistas, low altitude. From panoramic observation cars you’ll enjoy a front-row seat to deep river canyons, isolated mountain villages, and dramatic coastlines.
No baggage weight restrictions, no heavy security screening 2 hours before a flight, no turbulent flights.No weight restrictions on bags, no painful security screening two hours prior to flights, no turbulence. You just step on the platform, sit wherever you like and go on watching the world go by.
For the eco-friendly traveller, taking the train is a much more environmentally friendly option than a short-haul flight, and has a huge impact on your personal carbon footprint.
Three Iconic Rail Journeys to Book
When you are prepared to see the world up close, these legendary routes are the perfect combination of nature and luxury:
1. The Glacier Express (Switzerland)
The iconic red and white train is the “slowest express train in the world” that runs between Zermatt and St. Moritz in the Swiss Alps over a span of 8 hours. There are big, glass windows along the side of the train that open into the ceiling, allowing you to see 291 different bridges, deep gorges and snow-covered peaks as you travel through pristine Alpine territory.
2. The Rocky Mountaineer (Canada & USA)
This luxury rail service operates entirely during the day, and thus will not disappoint you for missing anything you want to see, as it traverses the rocky landscape of western Canada and the American Southwest. The glass ceilinged coaches provide fantastic views of rushing rivers, breathtaking desert canyons and wild mountain passes otherwise beyond easy driving range.
3. The Italian train service Bernina Express runs from Italy to Switzerland.
The pathway is an amazing trip from Tirano (Italy), to Chur (Switzerland), passing through the Alps and the tracks were recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Site. It climbs with amazing ease without the support of rack-and-pinion systems as it skirts through loop tunnels and steep mountain grades and displays huge glaciers and deep blue alpine lakes.
The Takeaway: The rail revival is a reminder that travel is not just about checking off a list of places. Getting on a train means you regain your time, reduce your stress and return to the romantic and simple joy in watching a landscape roll by miles at a time.
To discover more about the industry’s future trends this year, watch this video featuring the Top Travel Trends of 2026, which outlines some of the new travel trends, such as micro-vacations and hyper-intentional travel resets.
