Eastern elegance TÜRKIYE TO HUNGARY • SEVEN DAYS Aptly dubbed a ‘hotel on wheels’, the Golden Eagle Danube Express takes travelers through eastern Europe, covering impressive destinations in style. The Castles of Transylvania itinerary whisks guests from Istanbul to Budapest. The seven-day itinerary starts out in Türkiye’s largest and most historically rich city, where mosques, bazaars and bustling scenes will ignite the senses before the luxury locomotive runs through Bulgaria and the Carparthian Mountains of Romania before culminating in the Hungarian capital, straddling the banks of the Danube. Stop-offs include tours of Bulgaria’s ancient mountaintop former capital Veliko Tarnovo and dinner inside the walls of Bran Castle, the towering 14th-century fortress in Transylvania that’s become linked with the tale of Dracula. On board, en suite cabins and luxury decor elevate this extraordinary experience to one of Europe’s most luxurious, as guests snake through the storied landscapes.
Golden age travel VENICE TO PARIS • ONE NIGHT Guests who board the Venice Simplon-Orient- Express take a step back in time. The golden age of luxury rail travel was relaunched in the 1980s, with the help of beautifully restored sleeping cars from the 1920s. The route from the ever-alluring city of Venice to elegant Paris takes visitors through some European highlights — the evocative spikes of the Dolomites and the lofty highs of the Arlberg route through the Tyrol region — but the main attraction is the train itself and the experience on board. Sumptuous interiors featuring marquetry and rich fabrics provide a luxurious backdrop to the entire experience. Travelers — dressed in black tie — mill between meals in the dining car and the Bar Car ‘3674’ where drinks are accompanied by tunes on the baby grand piano that is played into the night. And if the entertainment keeps guests up late, a luxurious midnight brunch is served for those not wanting to retire to their cabins.