In the Val d'Orcia region of Italy, Massimo Ferragamo is restoring a 4,500 acre property called Castiglion del Bosco, known also as how my mind spent its summer vacation. The 800-year-old estate boasts two 14th century chapels, Gothic ruins, fields of deep red poppies, a macchia forest and vineyards where some of the best Brunello first grows. It's where parts of The English Patient were filmed. And soon enough, you can stay there, too.

Part of Ferragamo's restoration is to create an unparalleled travel experience, as he oversees the creation of 20 villas on the property and 26 additional hotel-like suites. A Tom Weiskopf-designed golf course, restaurants, infinity pool, cooking school, 12,000 square foot spa and library are either underway or in the plans, as well.

16 of the 26 suites are complete, but you can't simply book a night or two at the estate. Instead, you'll pay a fee to be part of a membership club that bestows visiting privileges. The 120 memberships have been estimated at close to $4 million each and are by invitation only. See the gallery for the breathtaking views, an original Lorenzetti fresco inside the Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo and images to induce every kind of wishful thinking.

The Danube Express (above), billed as the "first five-star hotel on wheels to be launched in central Europe for almost 30 years," just completed its maiden voyage from Budapest to Berlin. The Express' classic train cars were retrofitted with hand-built wood-paneled sleeping compartments with en suite baths at a cost of $200,000 apiece, the London Times reports. There's also a VIP compartment with velvet and copper accents that was formerly the private quarters of Hungary's last Communist president, which costs $5,000 for the journey. Other destinations including Prague, Vienna and Istanbul will be added soon.

Starting next month, you can hire the private train carriage built for the Prince of Wales in 1919 on an unparalleled journey through the heart of Australia. The carriage will be available on The Ghan's journey from Adelaide on the continent's southern coast to the port of Darwin at its top, one of the world's great railway excursions. The historic carriage was built for Edward, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII and then the Duke of Windsor), for his royal visit in 1919. Accommodating up to ten guests in its ornate wood-paneled lounge and suites, the beautifully-restored carriage costs about $15,000 for a one-way, two-night trip.

[via UrbanDaddy]

Back in May we quoted Adam Katz, founder of on-demand luxury private jet charter and management service Talon Air, to the effect that despite the sluggish economy the luxury travel sector would continue to grow. That seems to be holding true in Katz's case, anyway; the company just added a $4 million Sikorsky S-76B helicopter to its fleet. The S-76 is a twin-engine craft designed to provide premium comfort and privacy for up to six passengers and two pilots in a "jet-like environment." The interior features first-class leather seats, wood paneling and a 4.5-foot tall cabin with more headroom than a typical helicoptert. In October, Katz plans to branch out even further - to sea, with the launch of a 135-foot, 6-bedroom, 5-bath, Serqué yacht.

We've seen the rise of "voluntourism" and eco-tourism of the luxe variety (think private bugalow in Figi, not hippie yurt). But giving back and luxury travel have rarely been an oft-cited pair. Until, that is, CharityFolks.com came on the scene, crafting unique travel plans including exclusive meet-and-greets like an evening with the cast of The Sopranos, then sending along the proceeds to charity. Each trip functions as an auction, so you'll need to get your virtual paddle up if you want to claim jaunts like a weekend at the Newport Jazz Festival, or luxe accommodations at Vail. The site hosts more traditional charity auctions as well, which have been written about here in the past, but if you planned to stay at the Four Seasons whilst touring Provence anyway, why not do it through an organization that will then donate on your behalf to UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center?

In November, the Cunard line's famed QE2 will make its final voyage to a new home at the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai World, which paid $100 million to acquire the ship for a floating hotel, retail and entertainment annex. Carol Thatcher has compiled a beautiful book about the legendary oceanliner's colorful history, QE2: Forty Years Famous.

The QE2 was launched by (and named for) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in September 1967, and since then she has undertaken 25 world cruises, crossed the Atlantic more than 800 times and carried more than 2.5 million passengers, establishing a reputation as the world's greatest and most luxurious liner - a grande dame pre-dating and outclassing the modern cruise ship era. See the gallery for more.

As some business jet services like MAXJet and Eos are folding, while fuel costs and other annoyances plague private plane owners, a company called Talon Air apparently sees nothing but clear skies ahead. The on-demand luxury private jet charter and management service just added the ultra-luxe Legacy 600 (pictured here) to its fleet in order to meet increasing demand. We asked Adam Katz, Talon's owner and founder (and full-rotation pilot) to explain his apparently incongruous bullish outlook.

"The luxury travel sector will continue to improve," Katz tells Luxist. "The absence of those jets in the market just increases the demand for ultra high-end services like ours. Operators providing safe, luxury travel with all the amenities that are associated with these services will continue to prosper." As for onerous tariffs, "The government's inclination to impose further taxes on the general aviation and corporate or luxury travel operators will not change the broad demand for high end services," he insists. "People will always be willing to pay a fair price for exquisite, safe and convenient travel."

The twin-engine Legacy 600 (see the gallery below) can accommodate up to 13-passengers in its plush, Wi-Fi equipped 6-ft. tall cabin. It cruises at a speed of up to Mach 0.80 and has a range of 3,250 nautical miles, enough to fly nonstop from New York to London, from London (or Geneva) to Dubai, and from Singapore to Beijing. And judging from the glowing testimonial on Talon Air's website, tennis ace Pete Sampras is a big fan.