Air travel can be luxurious; sailing is exhilarating. But there’s nothing as enchanting as watching the world’s most beautiful panoramas unfold before your eyes while perched beside a picture window.

In other circumstances, it might be trite to say so, but in the case of luxury rail travel, the journey truly is the destination (even if your boarding card says otherwise).

Once limited to a few routes in Europe and the US, luxury rail journeys are available on five continents and across dozens of countries. From Switzerland to Siberia, Machu Picchu to Morocco, there’s a luxury rail car waiting to whisk you away. Here are a few of our favorites:

The Orient Express

You can’t talk about luxury rail travel without mentioning the Venice-Simplon Orient Express. The original luxury rail experience (dating back to 1883), this trip is also about intrigue, romance, history, and scenery second to none. Start your journey in the City of Love – Paris – and continue through Europe’s most regal cities, such as Venice, Dresden, Budapest, and Bucharest, and a week later disembark in Istanbul.

From $10,010 to $19,270 per person.

Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express

Book one of the two Imperial Suites coupled aboard every train that makes this trip from Vladivostok to Moscow and you’ll enjoy luxuries even the czars didn’t have. This two-week Russian rail journey (launched in 2007 by a British tour operator) is the height of opulence with each suite including a fixed king-sized bed, a dedicated sitting area with dressing table, large en-suite shower, under-floor heating, individual air-conditioning, wardrobe, DVD/CD player, and two large picture windows.

From $15,495 to $29,995 per person – Butler included.