An original honeymoon: take the train!
Wednesday 28 June 2023 | Luxury train travel | Offer a train journey
Original, romantic, ecological, glamorous or adventurous: the train has everything to please lovers! Find out why honeymoons by train are becoming increasingly popular.
Looking for an original honeymoon idea? Do you dream of treating yourself to a memorable trip, one that you'll be happy to experience and remember? A particularly memorable and romantic honeymoon? Let yourself be tempted by a honeymoon train journey!
Cups of tea on the train
A romantic honeymoon on a luxury train
Rail travel is particularly romantic. Is it a legacy of the legendary train journeys of the Belle Epoque? Is there a faint whiff of the Orient-Express wafting through every compartment in the world? It's clear that luxury train travel, whether it's the legendary Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express or other lesser-known but equally glamorous journeys, such as the luxury Al Andalus train in Spain or the Royal Scotsman in Scotland, offers an inherently romantic refinement.
On board the Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express luxury train
On board a Belle Epoque train, all the men are gentlemen and all the women are princesses. On most of these trains, passengers are explicitly asked to make an effort in terms of dress: suits are compulsory for gentlemen, elegant dresses for ladies. When you feel like James Bond or a rich heiress on the go, it's natural enough to agree that the situation is romantic.
It's true that luxury rail travel isn't for everyone. But that's precisely why more and more couples are choosing to treat themselves to this type of honeymoon. A honeymoon on a luxury train: isn't that the most perfect of wedding gifts (especially for couples who are already settled in and well equipped, so don't dream of a king-size bed or a tumble dryer?)
An exciting honeymoon on the night train
However, prestige trains are not the only ones to benefit from the romantic aura of rail travel. So once again the question arises: why is rail travel so romantic? Is it the special atmosphere of station platforms, where all expectations and therefore all desires come together? Or is it the journey itself, the feeling of moving through the landscape as you move through life, of watching the landscape go by as you watch the highlights and small events of life go by?
It's often said that travel makes couples. Because they confront travellers with new situations that they have to face together, and to do so they have to discover each other, tame each other, adjust to each other...
Travelling by train is no exception to this rule, but it adds a long-lasting closeness. Sitting opposite or next to your loved one, feeling the closeness of his or her gaze and body as the miles go by... All the more so as the regular rhythm of the train encourages you to daydream and let go... The writer Alphonse Allais went even further: in his collection "Rose et vert pomme", he declared that "the exciting trepidation of trains slips desires into the marrow of our loins".
The romantic train "North By Northwest" with Cary Grant
Inevitably, we come to the magic of the night train! What could be more romantic (and exciting) than a honeymoon that includes a stop on the night train? You sleep in a "hotel on wheels" and your room moves through space and time. Train journeys in Italy, for example: the regular Paris-Venice night train (a romantic destination par excellence) unfortunately no longer exists. But many other itineraries are possible, including the Rome-Palermo night train, which takes you by boat to Sicily!
The same goes for train journeys to Austria: "Go to sleep in Paris, wake up in Vienna", as the OBB train whispers to you, linking the French and Austrian capitals at the Gare de l'Est. For a honeymoon train journey, it goes without saying that intimate sleeping cars will be more convincing than shared couchette carriages. But a little distance at night can also sharpen the pleasure of meeting up in a nice hotel room the next day.
An eco-friendly honeymoon by train
Another reason why this idea of a rail honeymoon makes sense is that trains are the least polluting means of transport available. If you're a couple who are sensitive to ecological issues and the sustainable dimension of travel, this argument could influence your choice. It's no coincidence that Discovery Trains was awarded the César for Responsible Travel in 2023. Trains will appeal to lovers who care about the planet.
If you are already in Europe, more and more train tours can be done without flying at all. This is the case, for example, of our trip The Golden Loop of Central Europe, or our tour of Austria by train... It's also the case of almost all our train trips in Switzerland.
Switzerland: destination for a honeymoon
An adventurous honeymoon on a regular train
And then there's the adventure of the train! Admittedly, it's a fairly controlled adventure, since we'll have selected the best trains, the best stops, the most suitable hotels and even the most appropriate visits for your honeymoon. But a train journey is always a bit of an unknown. The landscapes, the passengers, the stations: everything can surprise you, and bring you closer together.
For example, if you embark on a long journey across Europe, following our Paris-Istanbul itinerary. Over the course of this 14-day tour, which includes two overnight train stops and crosses 10 countries, you'll inevitably have moments of surprise, the kind that make the most intense, happy and lasting memories.
What's more, if you're dreaming of an original and even more unexpected honeymoon: opt for a rail pass like InterRail and live your journey and your love day by day!
An exotic honeymoon
If, on the other hand, you'd prefer a change of scenery but no surprises, so that you can devote your time to each other while covering the country, opt for an organised trip or a trip on a luxury train. And if you're dreaming of the exotic, for that special and exceptional occasion, treat yourself or someone else to a trip to far-off lands: go to India on board the Maharaja Express, or South Africa on board the African Explorer train, and why not Canada, for a panoramic train trip in the Rockies or a train tour of Quebec.
Original honeymoon in the Canadian Rockies Aboard the Rocky Mountaineer
Original, romantic, exotic, ecological, glamorous: there's no shortage of arguments to encourage you to choose the train for your honeymoon. Whichever you choose, the idea of a honeymoon by train will be memorable, unique and totally unusual.
