Railbookers records stronger demand for train holidays: travelers increasingly choose slower, longer, and more meaningful journeys
Railbookers, a specialist operator of independent rail holidays, has emphasized that demand for train travel continues to grow ahead of the 2026 season. According to data the company has published through its market announcements and promotional activities, interest is no longer limited only to classic European city routes, but is expanding to longer, multi-destination programs, luxury trains, combinations of rail and cruising, and journeys that are booked much earlier than before. The company states that more and more travelers see the train not only as a means of transport, but as part of the holiday itself, especially on routes where the landscape, the pace of travel, and stays in several cities form the main value of the package.
This trend fits into a broader change in tourist habits. After years in which speed, low-cost flights, and short city breaks often dominated the tourism market, some travelers are now looking for trips with fewer airport connections, more room for customization, and a stronger sense of connection with the destinations they pass through. According to Railbookers Group announcements, the growth in interest is also accompanied by a need for simpler planning of complex routes, because itineraries often include multiple countries, different rail operators, hotel accommodation, sightseeing, transfers, and additional excursions.
Growth is visible in longer itineraries and earlier bookings
According to data published by Recommend, citing Railbookers' booking data for 2026, the company is recording year-on-year growth in a portfolio covering six continents. The same report states that travelers are increasingly choosing longer trips and booking them in advance, with the average Railbookers journey for 2026 estimated at 11 days. The company also emphasizes booking flexibility, from very short-notice departures to travel planning up to 24 months in advance, although most 2026 bookings, according to those data, are coming about 11 months before departure.
The strongest growth by destination, according to the same source, was recorded in the United Kingdom, with a 186 percent increase in passenger numbers. Germany and France were also listed among markets with triple-digit growth, while Italy and Switzerland remain among the best-selling destinations. Italy, according to Railbookers data reported in travel media, recorded a 98 percent increase in bookings for 2026. Hungary, Croatia, and Czechia are also mentioned as fast-growing destinations, showing that interest in rail travel is not limited only to the best-known Alpine and Western European routes.
Frank Marini, president and chief executive officer of Railbookers, said in a statement reported by Recommend that the previous year had been exceptionally successful for rail travel and that 2026 is ready to surpass that result if the current growth in demand continues. In his assessment, travelers are embracing rail as a fully customizable and immersive way to experience the world, and not merely as a logistical link between two cities. Such wording is important because it describes a change in market perception: in the tourism sector, rail is increasingly sold as an experience, not only as transport.
Train travel is increasingly sold as an experience, not just as a route
Railbookers Group declared May 2026 a rail month, with special promotional activities by Railbookers and the Amtrak Vacations brand. The company statement says this is a celebration of train travel and the growing demand for more relaxed, immersive ways of exploring the world. Jim Marini, senior vice president for strategic partnerships at Railbookers Group, said that rail travel is growing strongly and that more and more travelers recognize that the journey itself can be just as valuable as the destination.
In practice, this means that a travel package is no longer built only around an overnight stay in a city and transport to it. With rail holidays, the sequence of experiences is important: panoramic sections through the Alps, night trains, connections between historic centers, shorter excursions from main routes, private transfers, and the possibility of combining different cultural areas in a single journey. Railbookers states that it offers travelers and travel agents assistance in connecting these elements, including trains, hotels, sightseeing, transfers, and support during the journey.
Travel Weekly reported as early as July 2025 that Railbookers was recording 35 percent more bookings for 2025 compared with the previous year and 51 percent more bookings for 2026 compared with the same period of the previous year. The same outlet stated that growth is not being recorded only by Railbookers, but also by other tour operators developing rail programs. Intrepid Travel, for example, added new rail itineraries after increased interest in this form of travel, while G Adventures launched a special collection of trips in which more than half of the movement takes place by train.
Luxury trains and multi-destination journeys lead the visibility of the trend
The most visible part of the growth relates to luxury and multi-destination journeys. Condé Nast Traveler, in its overview of trends for 2026, states that luxury train travel is entering a new phase of popularity, with travelers increasingly choosing not just one famous route, but linking multiple trains into multi-day or multi-week itineraries. In this context, Railbookers' Around the World by Luxury Train program is also mentioned, returning again in 2026 as a journey through nine countries lasting 60 days, with a starting price of about 130,000 US dollars per passenger, according to that outlet.
For 2026, Railbookers has also announced shorter, but still very extensive luxury programs connecting well-known trains in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Among the routes highlighted by travel media are journeys lasting from 29 to 48 days, including combinations such as Singapore and Venice, Vietnam and Scotland, London and Istanbul, and Venice and Victoria Falls. Such programs target travelers seeking a high level of organization, attractive trains, higher-standard hotels, and content beyond the train itself, from cultural sightseeing to safari experiences.
The luxury segment does not explain the entire growth of rail tourism, but it makes it the most visible in the media. New and refurbished trains, the return of brands associated with the history of rail travel, and the popularity of panoramic routes create a strong promotional effect. According to Travel Weekly, tourism industry sources cite a slower rhythm, social media, nostalgia, new products, and travelers' desire for a deeper connection with the space through which they travel as reasons for the growth. It is particularly emphasized that in rail travel, an important part of the experience is created between destinations, not only upon arrival.
Families, couples, and travelers seeking greater comfort are among the important groups
Railbookers' data also point to growth in multigenerational travel. According to the Recommend report, groups comprising three generations are increasingly choosing trains because of accessibility and comfort. This form of travel can be attractive to families because it reduces the need for frequent boarding, security checks, and repacking luggage, while at the same time making it possible to visit several cities or regions in one itinerary. Compared with a classic circular coach tour, the train often offers more space, a calmer rhythm, and the possibility of moving around during the ride.
Honeymoon trips, or honeymoons, are also highlighted as a growing segment. According to Railbookers data reported by Recommend, couples are increasingly choosing customized independent rail journeys through several European countries, while Italy and Switzerland are singled out as the most popular individual destinations for such packages. This fits into a broader trend in which romantic trips rely less and less on a single destination, and increasingly on a combination of landscapes, gastronomy, culture, and stays in cities of different character.
Practicality is also an important motive. Rail itineraries can be complex if travelers assemble them themselves, especially when they include multiple countries, different service classes, night trains, panoramic lines, local transfers, and additional sightseeing. Railbookers builds its role precisely on simplifying such planning, offering travelers and agents ready-made or customized combinations. The company states that its packages can include accommodation, sightseeing, transfers, and support, which is important for travelers who want a more independent form of holiday, but do not want to resolve every logistical detail themselves.
European data confirm broader growth in rail travel
The growth of commercial interest in rail holidays is taking place at a time when official European statistics also show a strengthening of train travel. According to Eurostat data, 443 billion passenger-kilometres were achieved by rail in the European Union in 2024, compared with 419 billion in 2023, representing growth of 5.8 percent. Eurostat states that this is the highest level since these data have been collected for main rail operators from 2004 onward. Although tourist packages cannot be directly equated with total passenger traffic, this figure shows that rail has recovered and strengthened as a form of mobility in Europe.
The European Commission, in its Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy, highlights the goal of strengthening rail, including doubling high-speed rail traffic and strengthening more sustainable forms of intercity transport. According to the European Environment Agency, transport remains the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union, and estimates for 2024 show a slight increase in transport emissions compared with 2023. In such an environment, rail travel gains additional importance, especially on routes where the train can replace some shorter flights or offer an alternative to car travel.
Still, the expansion of rail tourism does not depend only on travelers' wishes. Ticket prices, capacity, punctuality, the connectivity of night trains, the simplicity of international bookings, and investment in infrastructure remain key challenges. In many European countries, train travel can be highly competitive, while on some international routes it is still more expensive or logistically more complex than flying. That is precisely why operators such as Railbookers are trying to commercially use the space between independent ticket purchases and fully guided tours, offering travelers a sense of independence with a professionally assembled itinerary.
For travel agents, rail is becoming an increasingly important product
Railbookers is increasingly directing its messages toward travel agents as well. The company emphasizes that rail journeys can be adapted to different traveler profiles, from those who want classic European cities to those seeking luxury trains, cruises with a land extension, or long-distance journeys across several continents. According to a Railbookers Group announcement, one of the advantages of this model is the possibility of receiving quick quotes for trains, hotels, sightseeing, and transfers, as well as the possibility of planning travel up to two years in advance.
For agents, this segment is particularly interesting because many travelers want an experience that looks individual, but do not want to handle complex bookings themselves. A journey through several countries by train can include different ticket conditions, timetable changes, service classes, seat reservations, hotel check-ins, transfers, and local activities. When it comes to more expensive or longer journeys, the need for expert mediation grows further. This fits into the broader trend of the return of the value of travel consulting for complex and more expensive holidays.
Railbookers' model relies especially on flexibility: travelers can choose existing itineraries or adapt them according to their interests, pace, and travel date. Such an approach reflects changing expectations in tourism, where more and more guests want a structured journey without the feeling that they are participating in a strictly guided group tour. The train, meanwhile, presents itself as a means that naturally connects multiple cities, enables a more predictable arrival in destination centers, and creates the impression that time spent on the road is part of the holiday, not only necessary waiting between two points.
The trend is strong, but it will depend on infrastructure and price
Although Railbookers and other operators are recording growth, the long-term development of rail holidays will depend on how quickly international connectivity, ticket availability, and service quality improve. The European Commission has for years emphasized the importance of rail in climate and transport policy, but travelers make decisions based on a combination of price, time, comfort, and reliability. If international tickets remain difficult to compare or too expensive compared with flights, part of the potential demand could remain limited to the higher price segment and travelers who are willing to pay more for the experience.
On the other hand, growing demand for longer and more carefully designed trips shows that part of the market is no longer looking exclusively for the fastest transport. Railbookers' figures on earlier booking and longer itineraries indicate that travelers who choose this kind of holiday often plan in advance, accept more complex routes, and want a higher level of personalization. In this sense, the rail holiday becomes a product that combines transport, accommodation, sightseeing, and a story about travel through multiple places.
For the tourism industry, this means that the train is once again gaining a role it partly lost in mass tourism. It does not always compete directly with the plane in speed, but in experience, comfort, the possibility of connecting multiple destinations, and the feeling that the journey is less fragmented. Railbookers is using a moment in which traveler interests, sustainability, the luxury segment, and the need for expert planning overlap more than in previous years. If the current trend continues, rail holidays could in 2026 become one of the more recognizable forms of travel for those who want to combine mobility, comfort, and a more meaningful holiday rhythm.
Sources:
- Railbookers Group – announcement on rail month 2026, Rail Week, and the growth in demand for more relaxed rail journeys (link)
- Recommend – report on Railbookers' 2026 booking data, longer itineraries, and growth by destination (link)
- Travel Weekly – report on the growth of rail travel bookings at Railbookers and other tour operators (link)
- Condé Nast Traveler – overview of tourism trends for 2026 and the growth of luxury multi-destination train journeys (link)
- Eurostat – data on the growth of passenger rail traffic in the European Union in 2024 (link)
- European Commission – Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and goals for strengthening rail traffic (link)
- European Environment Agency – indicators of greenhouse gas emissions from transport in Europe (link)