As luxury consumers rediscover the romance of earthbound travel, tour and transit companies are stepping up their game to offer nostalgic journeys infused with contemporary design and amenities.
Two luxury trains are coming to Japan in 2017: Twilight Express Mizukaze, which will feature art deco design and food by Michelin-starred chef Yoshihiro Murata, and Train Suite Shiki-Shima, whose most expensive room will have a bath made of Japanese cypress.
Twilight Express Mizukaze has not yet taken its inaugural journey but ticket sales are already brisk. Would-be voyagers must first apply for the chance to buy a ticket, and only one in 5.5 applicants is expected to be successful during the train’s first three months, according to train operator JR West. The train’s most luxurious suite, a carriage-sized room for two, sold for $6,524 per person for the train’s inaugural voyage.
In August, Ireland welcomed the Belmond Grand Hibernian, which passed through Dublin, Cork, Killarney, Galway, Westport, Belfast and Waterford on an inaugural grand tour. It offers Irish cuisine made with local ingredients, well-appointed cabins and communal areas, and other luxury amenities.
