The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the Royal Scotsman, the Andean Explorer – travellers have dreamt of climbing aboard the world’s best sleeper trains for well over a century. Sleeper trains have long been hailed as the epitome of glamorous travel – so when word that the first luxury sleeper train through England and Wales will launch in 2025 reached our editors, it quickly rose to the top of our list of exciting travel news for next year.
Belmond, the name behind some of the world’s top train journeys (including those wistfully namechecked above), has announced today that it will launch The Britannic Explorer in July 2025. Travellers will select their itinerary from four epic routes: via Cornwall, The Lake District, Northumberland or Wales. Each journey will span three nights, allowing ample time to soak up the wild beauty out the windows while enjoying the luxurious offerings inside – think old-school glamour with distinctly British flair.
In the UK, after all, the allure of sleeper trains is deeply entwined with the romance and charm of travel’s Golden Age. Two legendary sleeper trains, the Caledonian Sleeper and the Royal Scotsman, take travellers between England and Scotland, past rugged Munros, twinkling lochs and vast expanses of the British countryside. One-day excursions are equally sought-after, with travellers eager to climb aboard the British Pullman or the Snowdon Mountain Railway to watch England’s bucolic scenes float by.
Further afield, we collectively romanticise the idea of zooming across the Italian countryside on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, weaving through the sprawling cities of Japan on the Seven Stars Kyushu or zipping by dramatic Peruvian landscapes on the Andean Explorer, all the while feasting on world-class food and kicking back in the most luxurious cabins.
On the Brittanic Explorer, which will depart from London, guests can choose cultural or gastronomic experiences on each of the routes – think a private tour and supper at Hauser & Wirth in Somerset, guided hikes through the Welsh hinterlands, wild swimming tours in the Lake District or a stop-off at two Michelin-starred restaurants and hotel, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. After a day exploring, guests hop back on board to relax in the Observation car, a botanic-themed bar inspired by Britain’s flora and fauna, or book in for a treatment in the wellness suite.
