Excursions by Rail When Money Is No Object

When money is no object, there is train travel luxurious enough for royalty. The equivalent of five-star hotels on rails, these trains are appointed with crystal, china, silver, inlaid wood, vintage wines, fresh flowers, tapestries and caviar by the bowlful. Among the world of options:

For those who have always dreamed of taking the Trans-Siberian across Russia into Siberia, but who don’t want to eat brown bread for eight days, Abercrombie & Kent has a carefully appointed private rail car that hooks to regularly scheduled trains crossing the Soviet Union. A private staff assists the traveler on a personalized tour that moves from Moscow to Khabarovsk, on Siberia’s Pacific coast, stopping in more than a dozen places between. All food, including caviar and champagne, is included in the price. Cost: about $14,200 per person for a party of four. For more information, call (800) 323-7308.

A bargain, by comparison, is Spain’s Andalusian Express, a restored 1920s luxury train. Tours journey through historic Moor-spiced Andalusia in the south, and cross-country from Barcelona on the northeast coast to Santiago de Compostela in the west.

A six-night tour from Barcelona to Santiago travels through beautiful mountains, with sightseeing visits along the way. Cost: about $2,150 per person, based on double occupancy. Call (800) 992-3976.

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express between Istanbul and London offers a variety of itineraries. One 10-night trip begins with a flight from the United States to Istanbul, two nights in Istanbul, a four-night cruise on a ship from Istanbul to Venice, a ride on the luxurious Venice Simplon-Orient-Express from Venice to London, two nights in London and return flight to the United States. Cost: about $3,990 to $4,825 per person, double occupancy; (800) 289-7245.

One of the most luxurious trains in the world, the Royal Scotsman takes a number of journeys through Scotland and England, including a six-day tour of Scotland that makes a loop through the Lowlands and the Highlands past waterfalls, streams and castles and through heather moors, serving passengers lots of smoked salmon all the way. The trip begins and ends in Edinburgh, but rumbles through Taynuilt, Boat of Garten, Kyle of Lochalsh and Keith, among other places. Cost: about $5,445 per person; (800) 323-7308.