“I could never have imagined such expanses of unspoilt, natural country without actually seeing it myself, it was like a glimpse into another age, another world, and it made a very strong impression on me. It was strange to be sitting in a train, which is the product of technology — the invention of mankind, and travelling through land so untouched and unspoilt by man and his inventions.”

Ask anyone for their idea of an iconic train, and the answer will always be the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. This famous train has seen many iterations in its history, but currently it runs as the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, run by Belmond, and still retaining its Golden Age charm that has enthralled passengers for many years.

Sometimes, it is absolutely incredible to think about civilisations that no longer exist today - and even more incredible to think that relics from those times actually exist and are able to be seen and visited. Here are some of our favourite examples of ancient civilisations around the world.

There are some destinations across the world which are so iconic, so magnificent and so well-known that they truly earned the often-overused title of once-in-a-lifetime destinations.

It’s 10.32 in the morning and I’m sat beneath the leafy boughs of a Portuguese arbour, sipping on delicate green wine made with grapes harvested from the very vineyard I’m looking out over. This is how life is in the Douro Valley, and with so many quintas to choose from you might as well start early and visit as many as possible.

Cruising is one of the most popular ways to see the world, and why not? With the joy of comfortable travel, views available from your window, and delightful ports of call along the way, it's the next-best thing to rail travel!

We firmly believe that there’s no better way to explore the world than by rail, watching the world roll by the windows of your comfortable carriage. Yet trains come in many shapes and sizes, with differing standards across the globe, with the very height of train accommodations falling into the enviable category of luxury rail travel. With prices to reflect their world-class standards, embarking on a luxury journey is an exclusive experience that makes many an intrepid traveller wonder what all the fuss is about. To help explore this sophisticated realm of iconic travel, we’ve put together our Top 10 reasons to consider taking a luxury journey yourself.

Welcome to the land of the midnight sun – where it really never does get dark in mid-summer. If you wait up late enough you can watch the sun graze the horizon, a blazing ball of orange, before it immediately starts to rise again.

The sun shifted, and out of the blue-green waters of the Mediterranean you could see the outstretched arms of Christ 20 feet below, protecting the entrance to the harbour at San Fruttuoso. Sent down to the briny depths in 1954 to commemorate inventor Dario Gonzatti, the pioneer of scuba diving, today it is a magnate for divers, tourists and locals alike, including Great Rail Journeys customers as they travel through the Italian Riviera.

70 years ago, on the 15th of August 1947 India became the country that we know and love today. Following the departure of the British after nearly 200 years of what is known as the ‘British Raj’ (or ‘British Rule’), India suffered a period of turmoil, with Pakistan off from India, but it has since risen to become one of the main superpowers of the modern world.

Italy is a traveller's paradise, a haven for art, culture and cuisine; with its many facets, it's unsurprising Italy consistently ranks as one of the most popular destinations worldwide, let alone in Europe. Yet, with so many top-notch attractions and broad coverage in travel publications, it can feel a little over-done. If you're looking for a destination off the beaten track, Italy can still be a great choice, providing the advantages of its delightful Mediterranean climate, yet allowing for a sense of adventure. Here are our Top 10 choices for undiscovered Italian locations that should make your travel bucket list.

What can be said about Scotland? For one, the scenery (providing it’s not so misty you can’t see the hand in front of your face) in this wild corner of the world can never just be ‘nice’ or ‘pretty’, it can only ever be breathtakingly dramatic, awe-inspiring, and slightly ominous, and you can see all of it in its disconcerting glory through its vast selection of rail journeys.