Fully private rail trips built around the world’s great train routes, from the Glacier Express to the Shinkansen. No driving, no airports between cities, and a driver waiting at every station.
A Juniper rail trip links cities by first-class train, with a private driver meeting you at each station and hotels chosen for walking distance. There is no driving, no parking and no airport security between cities, and on lines like the Glacier Express and Bernina the journey is the highlight.
Rail is one of our four travel styles, and it is often paired with another: a private driver for the Amalfi Coast, or a short self-drive through the Norwegian fjords. Every itinerary is built from scratch by a named specialist and quoted to your route; most Juniper itineraries land between $5,000 and $15,000 per person.
“She booked all of our train tickets, private transfers/drivers, hotels, restaurant reservations, tour guides…”
Kaylan S. · Italy · Two Weeks
The trains are the easy part. What makes a rail trip work is everything around them: the seat, the transfer, the hotel and the plan for the days the rails don’t reach.
We book every leg in first class (Green Car on the Shinkansen, Preferente on the AVE) with seat reservations, and put the tickets in your Juniper Travel App.
A driver meets you on arrival at each station and takes you to the hotel, then back again on departure day. You never drag bags across a city.
City hotels within walking distance of the old town and an easy hop to the station, so rail days start relaxed and city days start on foot.
Trains reach cities; the vineyards, villages and coast roads in between often need wheels. We add a private driver or a short self-drive leg for those days.
Every route below is a starting point. Your specialist changes the pace, the hotels and the trains to fit your group.
The country's four great panoramic lines in one loop: Glacier Express, Bernina, Gotthard Panorama and GoldenPass, first class through every alpine canton.
Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Osaka by Shinkansen and scenic limited express, Green Car throughout, with a stop at Himeji Castle.
Zermatt, Lucerne, Interlaken and the Bernese Oberland, linked by the Glacier Express and GoldenPass with alpine hikes and lake towns between.
Venice, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast. Frecciarossa high-speed rail between cities, a private driver for the coast.
Porto, Lisbon, Seville, Granada, Barcelona and Madrid, with AVE first-class high-speed rail across Spain.
The Bergen Railway across the Hardangervidda plateau, the Flåm Railway down to the fjord, and a Nærøyfjord cruise, all arranged around you.
Scenic lines you ride for the view, and high-speed lines that make a multi-city trip simple.
| Train | Route | Why we book it |
|---|---|---|
| Glacier ExpressSwitzerland | Zermatt – St. Moritz | The slowest express in the world, in panoramic first class across the Oberalp Pass and the Landwasser Viaduct. |
| Bernina ExpressSwitzerland – Italy | St. Moritz – Tirano | UNESCO-listed line over the Bernina Pass, glaciers to palm trees in an afternoon. |
| GoldenPassSwitzerland | Lucerne – Interlaken – Montreux | Lakes, the Bernese Oberland, then a descent through the Lavaux vineyards to Lake Geneva. |
| Gotthard PanoramaSwitzerland | Lucerne – Lugano | Lake steamer one way, the historic Gotthard line the other, into Italian-speaking Ticino. |
| ShinkansenJapan | Tokyo – Kanazawa – Kyoto – Hiroshima | Japan’s bullet trains, booked in the Green Car with reserved seats on every leg. |
| FrecciarossaItaly | Venice – Florence – Rome – Naples | About two hours Venice to Florence and 90 minutes Florence to Rome, center to center. |
| AVESpain | Madrid – Seville – Barcelona | High-speed rail that makes Madrid, Andalusia and Barcelona one easy trip. |
| Bergen & Flåm RailwaysNorway | Oslo – Myrdal – Flåm – Bergen | Across the mountain plateau, then down past waterfalls to the Aurlandsfjord. |
This is the same guidance our specialists give on your first call.
| Destination | Rail | Specialist’s note |
|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | Excellent | Rail is the right answer: Glacier Express, Bernina and the Swiss Travel Pass, with private guides. |
| Japan | Excellent | Shinkansen between cities, private driver within them, guide for Kyoto. |
| Italy | Excellent | Never drive in Rome, Florence or Amalfi. Frecciarossa between cities, car or driver only in the countryside. |
| Spain | Excellent | AVE high-speed rail links Madrid, Barcelona and Seville in under three hours. |
| France | Excellent | TGV from Paris to Provence and the Loire; a driver for the wine country days. |
| Norway | Bergen Line & Flåm | Combine the Oslo–Bergen rail leg with the coastal ferry and a self-drive through the fjords. |
| Portugal | Lisbon–Porto only | Take the train between the two cities; the Douro and Alentejo need a car or driver. |
| Scotland | Edinburgh–Highlands only | Rail to Inverness and the Jacobite steam train; Skye and the west coast need a driver. |
| Peru | Machu Picchu leg | The train to Machu Picchu is the highlight; the rest of Peru is a driver-and-guide trip. |
| Ireland | Not recommended | Rail misses the coast. Choose self-drive or a private driver-guide. |
| Iceland | No rail | Iceland has no passenger railway; the Ring Road is a self-drive or driver trip. |
| Greece | No rail | Islands run on ferries and private boats, not trains. |
Ratings reflect how Juniper specialists plan each destination today, reviewed quarterly. Last reviewed October 2026.
Our specialists don’t sell up. If a car or driver suits your route better, they’ll tell you.
Rail is built for city-to-city trips. Villages, vineyards and coast roads need a driver for those days.
Switzerland and Japan are rail countries; Ireland and Iceland are not. See the table above.
Our transfers carry bags to and from the platform, but packing light still makes rail days easier.
Panoramic trains are the trip itself; high-speed lines just get you there. Most routes mix both.
Tell your specialist where you want to go, when, and how much of the trip you want on the rails.
Every train, transfer, hotel and guide laid out with a price. Refine it until it’s right.
Rail reservations, transfers and hotels confirmed; tickets and itinerary delivered in the app; specialist on call while you travel.
25 years planning travel · 85+ visits to Ireland · Certified Master Specialist, Celtic Countries
“Lexi booked all of our train tickets to help us get city to city. We had private drivers pick us up to and from the train stations to our hotels as well as all our excursions.”
“The one time we thought we might miss a train, because of unexpected traffic, our driver was on the phone with the 24/7 service desk working to book new tickets for us.”
“Our hotel locations, staff, private drivers, train connections, activities, our special requests, and added flight to Sicily! ALL perfectly handled.”
A 30-minute call is enough for your specialist to sketch the route, recommend the trains and send a complete day-by-day proposal.
Free · No obligation · (877) 774-3256
