WHAT ABOUT GOING (MOSTLY) AROUND THE WORLD ON TRAINS? COST?

I've had about a dozen around the world trips, all by air going west.  The first was around 40 years ago on Pan Am 1.  Since then, perhaps a dozen or so with Star Alliance.

I thought I'd do one more, so this spring I'll be heading west again on plane and ship.  Three cruises will be part of my global adventure.  

The way the itinerary settled, with United and Star Alliance now a shadow of what they once were, I selected flights from whatever airline had the best time in business class, for in going west, it's best to leave in the late afternoon, so you can get to your destination before it gets dark.  You can't do this in an eastward direction.

Plus, Emirates Air could take me from Bangkok to Dubai, with a nice three hour rest in their lounge, then on to Munich, all in First Class, at a fabulously low cost.  6773 miles for $3675.  In comparison, a one-stop Lufthansa flight from Munich to San Francisco, a distance of 5862 miles, costs $8000 in first class.  But more than that, the service on Emirates is far superior.   And they offer unlimited caviar.  Plus, they pick you up in a limousine from your departure hotel, then drop you off at your destination hotel.  Watch this video.  And another one.  Best on an A380 Super-jumbo-jet.  Read about our experience in Emirates First Class from Bangkok to Dubai in 2022.

Afar shows how you ride the rails to see 15 countries and 5 national parks across 4 continents in 57 days.  But, of course, it is impossible to travel by train around the world.  In all of the following, considerable air legs are necessary.

• 
  Planned by Railbookers.
• Begins in Chicago on August 24, 2024, aboard Amtrack's Lake Shore Limited to New York, the first of 11 overnight train rides.
• But you need to then fly to London.  

• 
  Take the Eurostar from St. Pancras to Paris.
• Crisscross the continent to Geneva, Rome, Venice, Vienna, Prague, Hamburg, Copenhagen and Stockholm.
• Doesn't say how, but you somehow find your way from Stockholm to St. Petersburg, then Mosow, where you take a long train ride across Mongolia, stopping in Terelj National Park.
• They were not clear as to what railways are taken as the journey progresses to Beijing, Xi'an and Hong Kong.

• 
  Another flight to Perth, where you board the Indian Pacific train for a three-night journey to Sydney.
• Then a really long flight to the USA.  Where?  Does not say.
• Ride Amtrak's Southwest Chief and Grand Canyon Railway to the Grand Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and Capitol Reef National Park.

• 
  Then Amtrak's California Zephyr back to Chicago.
• All the above occurred before the pandemic.
• Cost?  $19,070/person, which included 43 nights in hotels, 11 overnight train rides, one overnight ferry between Stockholm and Helsinki, sightseeing, and 52 meals.
• BUT, flights between continents at your cost.

Is the above still available?  I linked to Railbookers for their Around the World by Luxury Train.  

Departing August 28, 2024

Vancouver → Kamloops → Jasper → Lake Louise → Banff → Edinburgh → London → Paris → Venice → Florence → Rome → Delhi → Mumbai → Istanbul → Cappadocia→ Istanbul → Veliko Tarnovo → Sinaia → Budapest → Johannesburg → Kruger National Park → Pretoria → Cape Town → Singapore

• 

  80 days, 13 countries, 20+ iconic cities.
• Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Kamloops, Jasper Lake Louise.
• Night in the Fairmont Chateau Lake, then two nights in the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.
• On to Calgary and overnight flight to Edinburgh to stay at the Waldorf Astoria.
• 
  Next, on The Royal Scotsman for seven nights, where you will experience Loch Lomond, Inverlochy Castle, Kimarnock, Aberdeen, KeithInverness, Isle of Skye, Loch Ness, Ballindalloch Castle, Boat of Garten, Rothiemurchus Estate, Cairngorms National Park, Glamis Castle, etc.
• Day #17 and #18 in Edinburgh.
• Train continues on to London for four nights,
• Day #23:  Eurostar to Paris.  Three nights in Paris.
• Day #26:  The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express to Venice.
• Day #30 on a private boat to Santa Lucia Station, then high-speed train to Florence.
• Day #33 on a high-speed train to Rome.
• Day #37 on a flight to Delhi to stay at The Imperial Hotel.
• 
  Day #40 on The Maharajas' Express to Agra for the Taj Mahal.
• Day #41 on this train to Ranthambore, then Jaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Udaipur and, finally, Mumbai.
• This train ride costs around $1000/day.

• 
  Day #49 on flight to Istanbul, to stay at the Pera Palace hotel.
• Day #51 on a flight to Cappadocia.
• Day #52 back to Istanbul.

• 
  Day #55 on The Golden Eagle Danube Express to Bulgaria, home of Dracula and Budapest.
• Day #60 on a flight to Johannesburg to stay at the Gautrain.
• Day #62 for a flight to the Kruger National Park.
• Day #65 to Pretoria by flight.

• 
  Day #66 on the Rovos Rail to Cape Town.
• Day #69 in Cape Town at the Queen Victoria Hotel for four nights.
• Day #73 on a flight to Singapore.

• 
  Day #76 on the Eastern and Oriental Express for ride to Malaysia, Penang and back to Singapore.
• Day #80:  Your Luxurious Journey Ends in Singapore, so not a global adventure.

Flights NOT included:  Calgary to Edinburgh, Rome to Delhi, Mumbai to Istanbul, Budapest to Johannesburg and Cape Town to Singapore.

Cost?  From $113,599/person.  Only for the wealthy, for this is the minimum cost that does not include a lot of long flights.

That journey is not for me, not only the price, but I detest some of the stops along the way.  Here is Condé Nast's Best Train Trips in the World.  Some of these do appeal to me.

• 
  #20 Inca Rail, South America.  Takes you to Machu Picchu.
• #18  Glacier Express, Switzerland:  slowest express in the world---8 hours for 180-mile journey.

• 
  #17 VIA Rail, Canada:  I've done this.
• #14  Eastern & Oriental Express:  I've done this too.

• 
  #12  The Maharajas' Express, India:  is used in that 80-day trip just above.
• #11  Royal Scotsman:  also utilized in the 80-day trip.
• #10  Belmond Hiram Bingham:  also takes you to Machu Picchu.

• 
  #8  Golden Eagle Danube Express:  also utilized in the 80-day trip.
• #7  Rocky Mountaineer, mostly Canada.
• #6  Rovos Rail, Africa:  also used in the 80-day trip.

• 
  #3  Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, Europe:  also used in the 80-day trip.
• #2  Palace on Wheels, India.
• #1  Seven Stars in Kyushu, Japan. Hard to get reservations.  Very, very expensive.  Four-day trip starts at $5400/person.

Finally, get excited about global train journeys by reading a few books.  Here is a compilation of the better ones.  A top ten list of train books.

Paul Theroux, who has lived on the North Shore of Oahu for three decades is particularly noteworthy.  I've long wanted to read his 1975 The Great Railway Bazaar, released nearly a half century ago, which took him from London to Tokyo.  I have read his Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, a grimy train tour of Asia, with a particular focus on Russia.  There was a time when I actually considered the Trans-Siberian/Mongolian line from Moscow to Vladivostok.  Not any more, of course.  Not only the non-luxury nature of this railway trip, but the danger today.

-