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The New Golden Age of Rail Travel: All Aboard with Golden Eagle Luxury Trains
Written by Emily Jacobs
Lavish dining cars, meticulously curated cultural experiences and flawless service with a personal touch: savour rail travel’s renaissance with Golden Eagle Luxury Trains.
Offering luxurious hotels-on-wheels that cater to your every need, this is all-inclusive travel at its finest, with five-star service, immersive adventures and decadent gastronomy, all while adventuring between some of the greatest places on earth.
If you’re not sure what to expect with luxury train travel, find out more about how Golden Eagle Luxury Trains are pioneering the new Golden Age of rail travel.
Who is Golden Eagle Luxury Trains?
Golden Eagle Luxury Trains strives to redefine the train travel experience, providing exclusive long-distance rail tours across Central Asia, Europe and India. Presenting discerning and adventurous travellers a unique opportunity to travel to bucket-list destinations in comfort and style, the luxury rail company offers plush cabins, fine dining and lively entertainment, as well as an exclusive off-train touring program.
Founded by Tim Littler in 1989 under the name of GW Travel Limited, Golden Eagle Luxury Trains is a combination of Tim’s love of locomotive vehicles and his experience as the owner of one of the world’s oldest purveyors of fine wine. Initial routes covered Eastern Europe and Russia, before expanding to operate the very first private Trans-Siberian Express steam train tour.
China, Canada and India were next on the list – Golden Eagle Luxury Trains were the first to travel via luxury train from Vancouver to Montreal, and Mumbai to Kolkata.
What is life like onboard Golden Eagle Luxury Trains?
No stone has been left unturned with Golden Eagle Luxury Trains. Cabins with private ensuites come standard for a hotel-like atmosphere as you cut through the Austrian Alps or travel along the Silk Road in Uzbekistan.
The service standard is akin to a five-star hotel too. Teams both on and off the trains deliver a voyage of a lifetime and nothing is too much trouble – a personal cabin attendant is on hand 24/7 to deliver a morning cup of coffee or convert your cabin from daytime viewing gallery to a sleep-ready set-up, ready for a great night’s rest.
Tim’s background in fine wines and dining means the culinary element of a Golden Eagle journey has equal billing with how you travel. Each morning, an expansive buffet breakfast is served in the restaurant car, with a grazing selection of fresh fruit, cereals and cold plates. Those partial to a little more substantial can opt for breakfast cooked to order by the onboard chef. Return to the richly decorated beautifully appointed car at lunch and dinner for a multi-course culinary experience inspired by the countries you are visiting, accompanied by a live pianist. All meals and drinks are included in your ticket for a truly all-inclusive adventure.
Some tours even have guest speakers that lecture on local history, customs and experiences.
Where can you go with Golden Eagle Luxury Trains?
Golden Eagle Luxury Trains have itineraries stretching across Central Asia, Europe and India. Embark the Golden Eagle to travel along the Silk Road, with journeys from Almaty to Tashkent; Yerevan to Almaty and Ashgabat to Almaty. Opt for the Golden Eagle Danube Express to criss-cross Europe, travelling from Istanbul to Paris, Budapest to Vienna or Venice to Istanbul.
The Deccan Odyssey uncovers the splendours of the Indian sub-continent, with journeys from Mumbai to Kolkata; Shimla to Amritsar and Hyderabad to Mumbai, via Chennai.
What can I do off-train with Golden Eagle Luxury Trains?
A Golden Eagle Luxury Train experience is about more than travelling from A and B. While the train may form part of the destination, the unique off-train touring program is designed to provide an authentic immersion into new cultures, traditions and landscapes. Participate in once-in-a-lifetime activities such as a private concert from Vienna Supreme Orchestra, a viewing of the soon-to-be-extinguished Darvaza Gas Crater, a weaving demonstration in Margilan and a tasting of the ‘Wine of Kings’ in Hungary.
This article is produced in partnership with Golden Eagle Luxury Trains. Find out more about their 2025 tours.
Looking for more travel inspiration? Explore 8 of the Most Ultra-Luxurious Tours of Europe.
