There are some very expensive, but luxurious train trips in the world, most of which wind through rustic mountains or speed across pristine landscapes while pampering their customers. The most expensive train trip in the world, however, does not offer such an experience. It is a Tube trip from Covent Garden and Leicester Square on the Piccadilly line, a trip that covers only .26 km (.16 mi.) in 43 seconds. It costs £4 ($7.75), making it more than twice as expensive as a trip on the Tokyo metro and four times as much as a ride on the NYC subway. And if you took that pricing scheme and extended it to other types of travel, a trip from Los Angeles to New York (2462 miles) would end up costing $119,253.13.

At the recent World Travel Awards, where travel agents from around the world pick some of their top travel choices in various categories, the Royal Canadian Pacific Trains were found to offer the best luxury train experiences. The company was founded in 2000 and maintains a fleet of fully restored, 1920s-era railcars." They offer luxury tours and private bookings. The other nominees for the luxury train service award included the Blue Train (South Africa), the Eastern and Oriental Express (Asia), Pride of Africa-Rovos Rail (Africa), Palace on Wheels (India) and the Venice Simplon Orient Express (Europe).

The Canadian trains also did well in other categories. The Vancouver-Banff GoldLeaf Service provided by Rocky Mountaineer Vacations was declared to be the "world's leading travel experience by train."