From high-speed to vintage sleeper trains: the best new railway routes starting in 2024

It's official: 2024 will be a banner year for rail travel, with exciting new routes running all over the world. Whether you're interested in a luxury train exploring the coastline of Vietnam or a glamorous sleeper train winding through Italy, there's a new rail service for every type of traveler this year.

"From high-speed options that will take passengers between cultural urban centers in record time to vintage cars that slowly wind through the countryside, these new routes illustrate all the best reasons to travel by rail: romance, scenery, and access to once-in-a-lifetime destinations," writes Condé Nast Traveler.

Here are seven of the best rail routes that will be launched around the world in 2024 and are worth planning your next trip.

Coastal Vietnam on Anantara's Vietage train

The Vietage train, operated by Anantara Resort Group, is known for its relaxing and luxurious journeys through central Vietnam. This year, Vietage is launching a second coach that will run an all-new route between Nha Trang and Quy Nhon, two of Vietnam's most popular beach cities. The five-hour route, which starts on May 15, will offer a luxurious afternoon tea, "featuring local caviar, Vietnamese artisanal cheeses, a selection of premium Vietnamese teas from Epicurean Sao, and a variety of cold cuts," Vietage reports. If that's not enough, guests can also enjoy wines and cocktails, as well as a 15-minute head and shoulder massage. The car has only six private cabins with two seats each. A one-way ticket costs $420 per person and can be booked directly on the Vietage website.

From Milan to Ljubljana, Slovenia, on Trenitalia

A new high-speed train route between northern Italy and Slovenia's largest city is set to launch later this year. The route will connect Milan with Ljubljana, the romantic capital located on the Ljubljanica River. According to Italian media reports, the agreement signed by the Italian company Trenitalia and Slovenian SŽ Passenger Transport stipulates that the new two-hour flight could start operating as early as April 2024. Along the way, passengers will stop in some of the most coveted cities in both countries, including Trieste, Venice, Padua, and Verona in Italy, and Divacce, Sežana, and Postojna - a pastoral town known for its network of stunning underground caves - in Slovenia. The route will start with one daily train, and later it is planned to increase the number of trains to two per day.

Japan's Fukui Prefecture on the Hokuriku Shinkansen train

Starting in March 2024, it will be easier than ever for tourists to explore more of Japan's Hokuriku region, located on the northwest coast of Honshu, the country's main island. A new extension of Japan's Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train, which currently runs from Tokyo to Ishikawa Prefecture in Hokuriku, will allow for faster access to the region's remote areas, including quiet villages, onsen (hot spring) resorts, and white sandy beaches along the Sea of Japan coast. The bullet train route will be extended by 78 miles from Kanazawa Station in Ishikawa Prefecture to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture. Thanks to the new route, passengers will be able to get from Tokyo to Tsuruga in just 2 hours and 51 minutes, the Japan Times reports. The extended route officially opens for passengers on March 16. Tickets can be booked on the Japan Rail West website.

Italian gem Orient Express La Dolce Vita

Italy will be getting a glamorous new sleeper train this year when the La Dolce Vita Orientale Express is launched in late 2024. The luxury train will operate six overnight routes across the country, including to Rome, Venice, Palermo, and Portofino, as well as smaller cities in between. (Accor, which operates the train, plans to add international routes starting in 2025.) The train cars themselves are designed to transport passengers to 1960s Italy, with private suites and cabins reminiscent of mid-century sophistication. In addition to the guest cabins, the train will have a dining car serving lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea. Guests can enjoy delicious Italian specialties such as sea urchin and truffle dishes. In the bar car, travelers will be able to start the evening with an aperitif and light snacks, and finish each evening with limoncello, cocktails, and Italian wines. Pre-booking is currently open by calling the train reservation service. Fares start from $2700 per person per night in a Deluxe cabin and from $4000 per person per night in a Suite.

From Singapore to Malaysia on Belmond's Eastern & Oriental Express train

After a multi-year pandemic hiatus, Belmond's Eastern & Oriental Express train is making a triumphant return this February. The decadent sleeper train will run from Singapore round-trip through Malaysia's lush green landscapes, stopping by bustling cities and coastal hideaways along the way. Stops include Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Langkawi, known for its beaches and marine park. The three-day itineraries also include excursions in each of the cities, as well as a variety of wellness treatments such as massage, tai chi, and meditation. On board, guests will enjoy live music by local performers in the piano bar, gourmet Malaysian cuisine in the dining cars, and elegantly appointed cabins. All tickets for February flights are sold out, but there are still seats available for March, April, and May this year at a price of $4,650 per passenger based on double occupancy.

Paris - Berlin on NightJets - plus a high-speed option

This year, the two European capitals will become more connected than ever with the launch of several notable rail routes. In mid-December 2023, NightJets launched a new overnight route between Paris and Berlin, which transports napping passengers between the two cities at night in about 11 hours. Later this year, a high-speed route will be launched between the two destinations. France and Germany have agreed to launch a new route using France's TGV high-speed magnetic cushion train, which will take travelers between Paris and Berlin via Strasbourg in seven hours. Although the exact date of launch of the high-speed service has not yet been determined, it is expected that the direct route will be operational by the end of 2024.

Paris - Portofino on the Belmond Orientale Express Venice - Simplon

This June, tourists will be able to travel to the Italian Riviera in style. The Belmond Venice-Simplon Orient Express train is launching a new route from Paris to Portofino, which will offer some of the best coastal views in Europe. The first-ever route will pass through the French regions of Burgundy and Provence, then travel along the Côte d'Azur, past Cannes, Nice, and Monte Carlo, before entering Italy and admiring its charming hillside towns on the way to Portofino. Three-course meals in the majestic dining car and parties with live music in the bar car round out the onboard entertainment. The trip also includes a two-night stay at Belmond's Splendido Hotel in Portofino, a legendary hotel known for being home to Humphrey Bogart and Elizabeth Taylor. The special route will run from June 20 to 23, 2024, and is available for booking on the Belmond website. Fares start at £7,920 (approximately $8,525.09) based on double occupancy.