Some people can think of nothing better than spending every moment of their vacation time on a cruise. Others dream only of train trips.
There are also people who love both modes of travel so much that they have a tough time deciding which to choose for a getaway.
If you want the best of both worlds — a “train cruise,” if you will — we have some good news: You don’t have to choose between the two types of trips. You can arrange vacations that combine the best of cruising with the best of train travel.
Most commonly called cruise-and-rail trips, many aren’t even official pairings. That is, you’ll have to book the cruise portion and the train portion separately, as few companies sell them together as a package. (Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is one line that does. See below for details.)
But don’t worry about that too much. You’ll be able to find a travel agent to work out the logistics for you.
The more significant issue you’ll face is deciding which stunning part of the world with train corridors and cruise ship-plied waters you should focus on for a cruise-and-rail adventure.
We can help. Here are our picks for nine of the most spectacular cruise-and-rail combination trips.
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An Alaska cruise with the Rocky Mountaineer
One of the great hubs for Alaska cruises, the port of Vancouver, British Columbia, is also the gateway for one of the most scenic train experiences in North America: a two-day ride through the Canadian Rockies on the Rocky Mountaineer. As a result, travelers can easily combine the two experiences into an extended cruise-rail vacation.
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Fans of trains and ships can board the Rocky Mountaineer in Banff or Jasper, Alberta, for a one- or two-day journey through the mountains to the Rocky Mountaineer Train Station in Vancouver, British Columbia. From there, it’s just a seven-minute cab ride to the Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal, where vessels operated by Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean International and several other lines depart on seven-night trips to Alaska.
Expect to see soaring mountains, forests and wildlife — and learn a little about Gold Rush-era history — during both parts of the trip. The Alaska cruise portion also will include stops in small port towns, such as Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.
Read more: The 6 coolest things to do on an Alaska cruise
An Alaska cruise with the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway
Are you looking for a shorter train experience to tie into an Alaska cruise? Consider signing up for a daytrip on the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway in Skagway as your shore excursion when visiting the small Alaska port town on a cruise.
A ride into the mountains on this narrow-gauge railroad is the “tour that everybody does” when visiting the Gold Rush town turned tourist hub — and for a good reason. It offers an easy way to venture deep into the great Alaskan outdoors.
Personally, I’m a fan of more active excursions in Skagway. But, for someone who isn’t going to hike, bike, horseback ride or raft their way through the wilderness around the town (there are tours for all of those things, too), a ride on the White Pass & Yukon Railway is one of the best ways to catch a glimpse of the area’s classic Alaskan scenery.
From the comfort of a vintage rail car, you’ll take in stunning views of mountains, gorges, glacial rivers and waterfalls as you climb nearly 3,000 feet to the summit of White Pass — the headwaters of the mighty Yukon River. Designated an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, the 20-mile route is a marvel in its own right; it has improbably steep grades at times and segments that pass over soaring wooden trestles and around tight, cliff-hanging curves.
A Mediterranean cruise with the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
You’ll want to pack a copy of Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express” for this combination trip. It pairs an overnight ride from Paris to Venice on the train that Christie made famous — the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express — with a Mediterranean cruise out of Venice (if you’re sailing a small ship cruise line like Windstar, Sea Cloud Cruises or Uniworld). If your cruise is aboard a larger vessel with lines like Seabourn Cruise Line, MSC Cruises and Oceania Cruises, you’ll likely sail out of other nearby ports, such as Ravenna or Marghera.
Read more: Big cruise ships may say goodbye to the classic Venice sail-away
Now owned by U.K. luxury hospitality company Belmond, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express features restored art deco carriages. You can view the heart of Europe as the train travels southward from Paris through the Alps to Italy before your cruise. Or, you can save the train portion of your trip for the end of your vacation and ride the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in reverse. You can also extend the trip with an add-on train ride between Paris and London.
From Venice, the cruise portion of the trip can take you to Adriatic ports such as Dubrovnik, Croatia; or it can bring you to the Greek islands or western Italy, France and Spain, depending on which vessel you pick. Several ships sail out of the region around Venice each year.
Read more: Orient-Express debuts new, dream-worthy European routes
An Asia cruise with the Eastern & Oriental Express
Like Europe’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the Southeast Asia-focused Eastern & Oriental Express is owned by U.K.-based hospitality company Belmond. It will take you on a multi-day rail journey through the region that can be paired with an Asia cruise for an epic cruise-rail adventure.
Routes of the scenic luxury train include a three-night round-trip journey from Singapore. When you return, you can hop on one of several dozen cruise vessels that call the city-state home at various times during the year.
Onboard the Eastern & Oriental Express — which features elegant green and gold carriages — you’ll find magnificent interiors adorned with cherry wood paneling, Thai silks and Malaysian embroidery. The train’s routes will take you past lush jungles, paddy fields, ancient temples and quaint villages.
Cruise lines departing from Singapore include Celebrity Cruises, Regent Seven Seas and Royal Caribbean. Itineraries often visit coastal destinations in Thailand and Vietnam; some venture farther afield to Indonesia or even as far as Australia.
A Norway cruise with the Bergen Railway
The Bergen Railway, known as the Bergensbanen to the locals, will take you across the mountainous “Roof of Norway” from Oslo to Bergen. From Bergen, you can catch a cruise along the scenic coast with such lines as Hurtigruten or Viking.
Expect stunning mountain scenery on both legs of the trip. The seven-hour railway portion of the adventure taking you across the snowy Hardangervidda mountain plateau. Stretching just more than 300 miles, the Bergen Railway route is the highest in all of Northern Europe and will bring you stunning views of mountains, forests, fjords, waterfalls and rivers. A marvel of engineering, it’ll take you through 180 tunnels and make stops at some of the highest train depots in Europe.
From Bergen, cruise vessels can deliver you up the Norwegian coast to fairytale lands like Alesund and the mountainous and glacier-carved Lofoten archipelago.
Read more: 9 mistakes travelers make on their first train trips
A Mekong River cruise with Vietnam Reunification Express
Vietnam’s North-South Railway Line is often referred to as Vietnam Reunification Express. Built by the French and completed in 1936, the rail system linked Hanoi with Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) until 1954, when the country was divided into north and south. The line was restored in 1975 when Vietnam gained independence, and it’s a testament to the country’s resilience and unification. Several trains run daily.
The journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City can take 32 to 37 hours. Along the way, the train rolls through rice fields, fishing villages, a dense jungle and bustling neighborhoods.
You can book a seat or sleeper, both “soft” or “hard” options. Soft accommodations are more comfortable, thanks to roomy cushioned beds and plush chairs. Hard seats and sleepers are smaller and lack cushions (though sleepers come with pillows and blankets). Passengers can visit the restaurant car or get a snack or freshly prepared meal from one of the food trolleys when it comes around.
A number of lines ply the Mekong, departing from Ho Chi Minh City. Among them are AmaWaterways, Uniworld, Abercrombie & Kent and Scenic. Itineraries might include visits to Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace and ancient temples like Angkor Wat and Wat Nokor in Cambodia.
A Caribbean cruise with Amtrak
Beginning in Chicago, Amtrak‘s Chicago-to-New Orleans route traverses 900 miles through Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee within roughly 19 hours. In Chicago, stroll along the Riverwalk or through Millennium Park, and visit the Art Institute of Chicago.
The journey ends at the Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans, just about a 10-minute cab or Uber ride from the Port of New Orleans. Before your cruise, enjoy an overnight stay in the Big Easy with time to explore the National World War II Museum, the French Quarter and Louis Armstrong Park.
Carnival Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean offer four- to 11-night round-trip sailings to the Caribbean. They might include port calls to the Bahamas, Belize, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Mexico, Aruba and the Dominican Republic.
A luxury Cruise & Rail itinerary with Uniworld
Unlike many lines that offer separate pre- or post-cruise rail tours you can add to your sailing, Uniworld’s Cruise & Rail itineraries include them automatically. The upscale line partners with luxury train companies Golden Eagle Luxury Trains and the Maharajas’ Express to create a seamless, high-end, river-to-rail travel experience.
With six itineraries to choose from, travelers can opt for 15-, 16- and 19-night trips that visit Venice, Italy; Milan; Istanbul; Nuremberg, Germany; Mumbai; and New Delhi.
For example, the 15-day Grand Alpine & Enchanting Danube itinerary takes travelers down the iconic Danube River on S.S. Maria Theresa. You’ll visit Vienna and Budapest before boarding the Golden Eagle Danube Express for a weeklong rail journey with stops in Zurich, Milan and Venice.
Travelers on the 16-day Sacred Ganges & The Maharajas’ Express begin their trip with seven nights on board Ganges Voyager II, traveling through the bucolic villages lining India’s Ganges River. The rail portion begins in Mumbai and includes stops in Jodhpur, Jaipur and New Delhi.
A train trip on a cruise ship … sort of
Passengers sailing on Utopia of the Seas can have a unique rail experience and upscale dining at sea. Royal Caribbean’s new and final Oasis Class ship will launch in July 2024. At the time of writing, the line has yet to release full details about the new Royal Railway – Utopia Station. However, what we know about this tech-forward, train-inspired restaurant is very exciting.
The “locomotive” will carry guests to “any place and time,” thanks to LED screens in the windows and onboard performers sharing the train-inspired storyline. After imbibing pre-dinner drinks on the station platform, passengers will hear a train whistle sound, signaling diners to board. Throughout the immersive experience, passengers enjoy a multicourse dinner.
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