Rail · 2-DAY EXPERIENCES
Good two-day rail trips fill up weeks ahead and the famous ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Use Granada’s open carriage city train to circle the historic center and reach the Alhambra route. Hop on and off at stops such as Plaza Nueva, the Cathedral, Mirador de San Cristóbal, and Carmen de Los Mártires. A 12-language audio guide explains the sights, but bring your own headphones.
“Good way to see the city, downside was can be quite busy and have to wait for a seat”
This two-day TreXperience tour combines a challenging 16-kilometer Inca Trail hike with Chachabamba, Wiñaywayna, the Sun Gate, and guided Machu Picchu visits. English or Spanish-speaking guides such as Gilbert, Abelardo, Jason, and Alejandro lead groups of up to 16. You get trail meals, a hotel night, buses, and a Vistadome train home.
“Abelardo was the best guide! Me and Dimitris had a great time! Also the food was great, as of quality, diversity and taste, more than expected!”
Travel from Hanoi to Sapa by shared four-berth overnight train, then trek through Sin Chai, Y Linh Ho, Lao Chai, and Ta Van with an English-speaking local guide. You get one hotel night, meals, village walks, and a daytime return to Hanoi. Guides may include Ai, Sung, or Zua. Bring warm layers and shoes with firm grip.
“Easily the best activity that we have done in Vietnam. Our guide Ai was the sweetest Hmong guide. She communicated clearly and was funny. She took us to our trekking tours and helped us cross rice fields. The trekking is not east so you need good shoes or gum boots. Locals accompany you along the way. We read various comments but the ladies along the road are necessary. If they help you be a nice traveller and buy something from them. This was the highlight and definitely recommend it. Good value for money. The train experience was great and our hotel very clean and spacious. Thank you to Ai for…”
Ride an air-conditioned sleeper train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, then trek through Cat Cat, Lao Chai, Ta Van, and Giang Ta Chai. You’ll meet H’Mong, Black H’Mong, Red Dzao, Dzay, and Tay communities with a local English-speaking guide. Choose a shared four-bed cabin, private cabin, hotel, or homestay option.
“Great two-days trip through fantastic landscape and villages surrounding SaPa. Our guide - Chi talked really good English and had a lot to tell about the landscape, plants and the way of living in the remote villages in the area. We did this trekking with the best pace on tour with small group. Great food at the village in the middle of nowhere! Highly recommended!”
Travel from Dublin Heuston Station by reserved train and coach to Blarney Castle, Cork, Cobh, and the Ring of Kerry. You will kiss the Blarney Stone, visit the Queenstown Story, stay overnight in Killarney, and follow the coast and mountains with guides such as Norman, John, Peter, or Jonathan.
“Had an excellant tour with very nice and knowledgeable guides and couteous staff that went to all lengths to take care of all our needs. Thank you”
Travel from Athens to Kalambaka by train, stay overnight in a three-star hotel, and explore Meteora with small-group local guides such as Panos, Antonios, and Christos. You will see the six monasteries from dramatic viewpoints, visit the Byzantine church, enjoy a sunset tour, and return to Athens by train.
“Meteora is just amazing and feels out of the real world. Well planned trip. Specially the evening trip to monasteries with our fantastic guide Antonios were amazing. He explained with great patience all the history and helped us to understand the beauty of Meteora. Thanks a lot.”
Travel from Dublin to western Ireland by reserved train and guided coach, with Bunratty Castle, the Cliffs of Moher, Galway Bay, Killary Harbour, Spiddal and Kylemore Abbey. You stay one night in central Galway with breakfast. Guides such as Seamus and Bob have led departures, but routes can change.
“The cliffs are worth the effort, we knew what to expect yet arriving it was breathtaking. We didn't know what to expect of Connemara, and found this to be the highlight of our vacation! What an unexpected surprise if beauty.”
Travel by rail from Dublin to Belfast, spend a free day with hop-on hop-off bus access and Titanic Belfast admission, then join a guided Game of Thrones tour to Cushendun, Dark Hedges, Ballintoy, and Giant’s Causeway. Guides such as Derek and Philip bring the filming sites and Northern Irish stories to life.
“The tour guide was very knowledgeable. The night in Belfast was at an amazing hotel. I really enjoyed the diversity this tour allowed for.”
Travel from Dublin to Belfast by rail, sleep near Great Victoria Street, then tour the Antrim Coast by coach with a local guide. You’ll see Dunluce Castle, walk around Giant’s Causeway, and cross Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge when open. Guides such as Patrick, Sean, and John add local stories, though Belfast sightseeing time is short.
“The guys who accompanied us on the train were so nice. We were the only ones in our group so we got a lot of insights on Ireland and it's cultural norms. Belfast was great loved the hotel! and the drive along the coast was stunning. The hanging bridge and Giant's Causeway were just incredible.... so glad we made that trip to Northern Ireland - we saw a LOT in a short time.”
Travel from Dublin to Galway by train, explore Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, enjoy a four-course medieval banquet, and see the Cliffs of Moher and Burren coast. Expect several guide handoffs, free time in Galway and Doolin, one night in Bunratty, and a return train to Dublin.
“Perfect combination of free time and structure. We saw a lot over the course of just two days, and it felt relaxing at the same time. Friendly escorts and guides. The hotel was clean and comfortable. The bus drivers maneuvered narrow roads with finesse. So glad and grateful that I did this tour.”
Travel from Dublin Heuston Station to Killarney by rail, stay one night, then circle the Ring of Kerry by coach. Local hosts guide the journey, with stops at Kerry Bog Village, Moll’s Gap, Sneem, Ladies View, and views of MacGillycuddy’s Reeks and Carrantuohill. Expect a group of up to 53 people.
“Overall very good, well organized, Kilarney International was great and Morris our tour driver / guide was excellent.”
Spend two days in Sri Lanka’s hill country with a private or small group tour covering Kandy, Peradeniya Garden, Nuwara Eliya, and a three-hour blue train ride. You’ll visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, a tea factory, spice garden, and Kandyan cultural show, with hotel, meals, and train tickets depending on the package you choose.
“I got a completely different experience than almost every other review here. My guide wasn’t really a guide at all but more like a private driver. He didn’t really say a word the entire 2 days to me as he didn’t speak english well. But he was a great driver, always on time, and dropped me off and picked me up everywhere like clockwork. I accepted that I basically paid for a private chauffeur for two days which is fine. Still had a good time seeing all the sights, and as promised, they took care of all train tickets, hotel, etc.”
You travel from Thessaloniki to Kalabaka for two guided Meteora outings: a sunset tour on day one and a panoramic tour or hike on day two. A local guide, minibus transfers, hotel stay, and monastery visits are included. Confirm the current transport arrangement before booking, as recent departures have used buses instead of trains.
“Everything was absolutely great ! The organisation, accomodation, guides , drivers and of course the amazing scenery and monasteries. It was spectacular and I loved everything about this tour. It was certainly a highlight of my holiday in Greece. Communication with the organisers was also excellent. They were quick to respond to emails especially when I wasn’t sure if where to get off the bus. They do need to change the title - it is a bus tour from Thessaloniki not a train tour anymore so that is misleading. Having said that the buses are great and it was a very comfortable and easy trip to kalabaka from Thessaloniki.”
Travel from Hanoi to Sa Pa by night train, then trek for two days through mountain villages and rice terraces with a local guide such as Tú. You will stay one night with a Hmong family, share meals, and visit four hamlets and two ethnic communities. The group is limited to eight people.
Travel from Dublin Heuston to Limerick by InterCity train, then tour Bunratty Castle, the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, and Galway Bay. Sleep in a three-star Galway hotel, then spend day two in Connemara, visiting Clifden, Kylemore Abbey, Leenane, Killary Harbour, or Roundstone before returning to Dublin by train.
By the kind of train, or by the country the track runs through.
