Orient-Express

The train visits Istanbul, Bucharest, Budapest and Venice and provides views of the Sea of Marmara and the Danube and a visit to Peles Castle in the mountain town of Sinaia, near Bucharest. (This stop was visited by the very first Orient Express guests in 1883.) You'll be expected to dress in black tie for dinner to match the train's opulence -- one of the three dining cars contains glass panels by Rene Lalique. A less welcome feature carried over from train travel's glory days: As in the 1920s, there are no showers. Each cabin has a washbasin with hot and cold water; shared toilets are at the end of the hall. Fortunately, two of the five nights are spent in hotels. Cabins are small, yet comfortable. Some passengers say screeching train brakes makes it hard to sleep. One remedy: The bar car's always open.

$10,340 - $19,900 per person, double occupancy for a double or suite cabin -- www.orient-express.com