When we say “travel,” we generally think of the entirety of any trip or vacation altogether. Though this is the way we tend to think, the actual act of traveling from one place to another – from your location to a connecting location or from your terminal destination, moving around to see the sites or take day trips – is often so uncomfortable that we don’t end up counting it as a part of our vacation experience. We’re talking about 18-hour flights with a stranger squished into a seat next to you, long-haul bus trips with even less space, drives that could have been flights, and train trips with beautiful scenery but no option for a private car. Actual travel (to go from one place to another, typically over a distance of some length) forms a big part of how we remember and perceive our vacations, so we should make the best of all that time and enjoy it as much as possible, right?

Long-Haul Luxury Travel

This is where luxury long-haul travel enters the chat. The only way to make sure that the travel portion of your vacation is as comfortable and enjoyable as the rest of it is to opt for one of the top choices for luxury long-haul travel. Treat yourself to traversing great distances as quickly as possible while still enjoying the kind of luxury that you would allow yourself in one of the world’s best hotels. One of these methods of travel is how you do that.

Private Jet Flights

At the very top of our list is luxury private charters: in this case, private jets. Flying is universally acknowledged as the fastest and most efficient way to get from place to place, particularly over very long distances. Of all the choices available to travelers who choose to fly, one stands out above the crowd: chartering your own private jet for the most luxurious flight experience available anywhere in the world.

Any commercial flight, even the highest level of first class on the best commercial airline in the world, puts the traveler in a situation where they must share a communal space and the attention of the cabin crew with strangers. It also leaves the traveler at the mercy of the airline in question in terms of planning their schedule. A private jet flight allows for a level of comfort and personalization that no other form of air travel does. To begin with, you can choose the size of your jet and the amenities that it contains to suit your party. There are light options that have a cabin area with comfortable seating for “shorter” journeys, and there are heavier, larger models that offer bedrooms, bathrooms, and a galley. The largest class is essentially the same size as a commercial aircraft, and can even offer meeting rooms.

The cabin crew on a private flight is top-notch, often with years of experience, and they are there to ensure you’re comfortable, safe, and cared for at all times. The design of the cabin is geared towards a relaxing and enjoyable trip, and the meal and beverage offering is far more extensive and high-quality than on any other kind of flight. Essentially, you are moving from place to place in a flying hotel that allows you every creature comfort and convenience possible.

Private Yacht Charters

A private yacht charter works out for the traveler much the same way that a private jet charter does. With an incredible array of charter yachts to choose from, travelers can elect one proportioned to give their party as much space as needed. Charter yachts do operate differently from charter jets in that most yachts will remain in one general location, such as the Maldives, the Caribbean, or Australia, for the charter season, meaning you’ll need to select one that makes sense for your destination. Some charter companies may offer more in the way of “touring”, but this varies from company to company.

There are usually more rooms and more of a hotel-like feel on a yacht than a jet and fewer restrictions on luggage. Guests are able to have an actual vacation on the yacht, enjoying things like water sports and toys, stopping off at different culturally significant locations for day trips and outings, luxury services like massages and hot tubs, and five-star dining at each meal. Yacht charters are generally only available during “high season,” which is spring and summer months in whichever destination you’ve chosen.

Luxury Trains

Train travel was once the pinnacle of luxury travel experiences all over the world. We’re not talking hopping on the subway here, we’re talking trans-continental travel across some of the most harsh and beautiful landscapes that the world has to offer, enjoyed from the confines of exquisitely designed, opulently crafted private cars and shared spaces. While the golden age of train travel has long since passed us by, there are a few railway services (some that have existed in one form or another for hundreds of years) that still offer the kind of grand luxury you see in films about trains like the Orient Express.

Luxury train travel is an excellent example of the journey becoming an essential and enriching part of the trip as a whole. While some long train trips do get you from place to place safely and comfortably, others are an experience all on their own. Some of the best train trips in the world are considered to be:

• Jungfrau Railway, Switzerland: Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfraujoch.
• Rovos Rail’s Pride of Africa: Pretoria – Cape Town.
• Venice – Simpleton Orient Express: London, Paris, Venice, Verona, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Istanbul, Rome, and Florence.
• Belmond Royal Scotsman: Extensive Scottish and Great Britain options.
• Golden Eagle Silk Road Express: Beijing, China, and Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
• Kyushu Seven Stars: Circular routes around Kyushu.

Enjoy the privacy of a personal compartment, the luxury of communal five-star dining and relaxation areas, and the honor of passing through some of the most beautiful sights in the world, all while getting to another destination.

Long-Haul Travel, But Make It Luxury

Getting from one place to another can be as much fun as the vacation  itself if you know what options are available. These luxurious long-haul travel options provide both a safe mode of transportation and unsurpassable comfort: who could ask for more?