Rail travel is experiencing a big surge, with some at Railbookers Group’s (RBG) Global Summit even calling it “the new river cruising.”
At the conference, held at Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa and emceed by Emmy-winning television host Samantha Brown, travel industry executives, rail partners and travel advisors convened to discuss what many described as a “renaissance in rail travel.”
Frank Marini, president and CEO of Railbookers Group, opened the event by showcasing the company’s successful year: RGB created $1.4 billion in quotes, achieved record revenue growth and saw a 27% increase in performance in 2025.
“People are looking for different ways to travel and different experiences,” Marini said. “Rail has always been there, but now travelers are discovering how great it actually is.”
Across panels, data reveals and new product announcements, the message was clear: rail is having a moment.
Here’s what we learned at the event.
Small-Group and Solo Travel is Rising
Andrew Channell, senior vice president of product and operations of RBG, shared data on today’s rail customer. Small-group travel is surged in 2024, and bookings for groups of six or more accounted for about 10% of RBG’s business. In 2025, that number doubled to 20%.
Solo travel is also rising, along with fully packaged vacations.
“Bookings are 18% more inclusive of sightseeing and activities,” Channell explained, adding that private transfers grew more than 400% this year.
With 986 global destinations, 3,673 hotel options and 4,635 sightseeing experiences already in the system, RBG’s portfolio is expanding fast to meet demand.
“Our average age is now 57, down from 59 just a year and a half ago,” Marini said. “And one of our fastest-growing segments is honeymooners between 25 and 45.”
People are Craving More Personalization and Flexibility
Another key point highlighted during the summit? Personalization and flexibility as rail’s defining appeal.
The conference held a trade show that allowed suppliers to showcase their products and itineraries.
Credit: 2025 Railbookers Group“Instead of a set itinerary, people want to customize it,” Marini said. “They want different things,” noting that many younger couples want a customizable, multi-stop itinerary rather than a traditional resort or cruise.
“We actually want a trip where we can go all around,” Marini recalled one couple saying to him. “That’s exactly what rail lets them do.”
Travelers also appreciate that rail brings them straight into major city centers, and many don’t know how much you can see from rail that you just simply can’t see from a cruise ship or plane.
“You’re sitting right in downtown Rome or downtown London,” Marini said. “That’s a game-changer.”
Luxury Rail is Booming
As we know, luxury travel is booming, and luxury rail was one of the main discussion points at the summit.
Railbookers reports a 39% increase in luxury rail growth this year, with even higher growth expected in 2026.
He also mentioned that A-list celebrities have been celebrating milestones onboard luxury trains. Social media and influencer content have reinforced that luxury rail is in style now.
“[These guests are] people who did well,” Marini said. “They want to spend [their money]. This is a bucket-list [item].”
Increasingly, younger travelers are embracing what Marini called “little luxury,” pairing a one-night bucket-list train journey with more moderately priced hotels throughout the rest of the trip.
The Track Ahead
Product announcements were another focal point, signaling rapid expansion in the year ahead. Railbookers is developing 12 new product lines for 2026 and will launch 37 additional packages in December 2025.
Railbookers strengthened their partnership with Trenitalia with new itinerary collections.
Credit: 2025 Railbookers GroupOne new product line is the Stars & Stripes Collection, a portfolio of U.S. itineraries designed in honor of America’s 250th birthday. The 23 trips stretch from the East Coast’s colonial capitals to the Rockies and the Pacific shoreline, featuring iconic routes like the California Zephyr and Empire Builder.
“Every part of America has a story worth celebrating,” Marini said. “This collection shines a light on the best of the U.S.”
Another key launch is the company’s partnership with Trenitalia, adding two new collections: The Executive Collection and Italy Uncovered, set to debut in January.
"Italy is one of our most in-demand destinations, and this partnership lets us grow even more,” Marini said.
The company also introduced FasTrax, an internal AU-LLM knowledge-based system that utilizes large language models to process and generate human-like insights to staff.
Whatever the future has in store for RBG, Marini knows one thing for sure: “The sky is the limit,” he said. “We’re just scratching the surface.”
