Romance of the Rails

Luxury train travel conjures up images of a bygone era, when travelers brought their butlers on board. Long-distance travel by rail is hardly the necessity it was back then, but the romance remains. Trains can carve through wilderness that's hard or impossible to access otherwise, say Eleanor and Owen Hardy of the Society of International Railway Travelers, and passengers get to take it all in without sacrificing (most) creature comforts. There's also novelty value: How many of your friends can say they took a shower on a train going 85 miles an hour? Here are some luxurious trips you'll never forget.