Strap yourself in: 12 of the world’s most thrilling new ways to travel

Nightjets, Austria/Germany

So what’s new? Austrian railways (OBB) is a leader in the eco-driven European revival of overnight train travel and in December, 2023, it launched a fleet of 33 Nightjets with considerable improvements on their predecessors.

The stats Nightjet trains have seven carriages (five sleeping cars) with a 254-seat capacity. Maximum speed is 230/kmh.

Take a ride OBB has Europe’s biggest night-service fleet, and these carriages are next generation in comfort and service. Choose from seats, four-berth couchettes (one wheelchair accessible) or sleepers. Two-berth sleeping compartments have an ensuite including a shower, and fixed, rather than folding, beds. Couchettes have a novel, clever arrangement of pod-like single berths for privacy that might remind you of Japanese capsule hotels. Breakfast is included.

Get on board New Nightjets run Vienna-Hamburg and Innsbruck-Hamburg but have been approved to operate in the Netherlands, Italy and Switzerland. The Vienna train departs daily at 8.10pm and takes 12 hours 37 minutes. From €79 ($130) in a couchette. See nightjet.com

Ganga Vilas river ship, India

So what’s new? This Antara river-cruise ship was inaugurated early last year. While new river-cruise ships mightn’t be startling, this one operates ambitious itineraries: one ran a record 51 days along 27 rivers.

The stats Three decks, 62 metres in length, with 18 suites and a capacity of 36 passengers.

Take a ride Currently the longest cruise on offer takes 41 days between Varanasi and Dibrugarh via Patna, Kolkata and various Bangladeshi ports. The ship’s retro, mid-century decor blends teak furniture, Himalayan textiles, handmade tiles and contemporary art to create a tranquil retreat from the heat and tumult of India on shore. The palette is rich in public areas – dark blues, purples, burgundy – with a lighter, more romantic touch in suites. Best spot: a top-deck rattan sofa, as India scrolls by beyond the railings.

Get on board Cruises from a manageable seven nights from $US3575 ($5509) a person. See antaracruises.com

Seabourn Pursuit expedition ship, worldwide

So what’s new? Seabourn’s second expedition ship made its first voyage last August and arrives in Australia in June, 2024, for a maiden Kimberley season.

The stats Seabourn Pursuit is 170 metres long, weighs 23,000 gross tonnes, and has eight decks. The ship carries 264 passengers.

Take a ride This polar-class expedition ship echoes the line’s luxury ocean ships in its graceful interior, attentive service and fine dining. You may be in remote parts, but you won’t forego lobster with quail egg, or Roquefort-encrusted beef tenderloin. An exuberant art collection provides colour against a decor of wood, metal and leather. Expedition hardware includes two six-person submarines, kayaks and Zodiacs. Excursions are conducted by an expedition team of 26 expert naturalists, environmentalists and historians.

Get on board Seabourn Pursuit spends 2024 in the Pacific islands and Kimberley before heading to South America and Antarctica. A 20-day cruise between Guam and Papeete departing September 8, 2024, from $18,524 a person. See seabourn.com

Brightline Train, Florida, US

So what’s new? This high-speed train began in 2018 but in September 2023 launched its inaugural service to the newly opened Orlando International Airport station. The line continues to expand; this year sees the opening of Treasure Coast Station.

The stats 378 kilometres between Miami and Orlando in three hours 25 minutes. Top operating speed is 200/kmh.

Take a ride Though its speed is unimpressive internationally, America’s second high-speed train is sleek and efficient, and a cut above most US rail journeys; stations and train are even spritzed with a signature jasmine scent. With intermediate stops at Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, getting between Florida’s tourist hotspots has become much easier. An efficient security check, a cocktail at Mary Mary Bar, and you’re off. Leather seats are spacious, Wi-Fi good, and big windows let you gaze over rivers and swampland.

Get on board Trains run 32 times daily. Tickets from $US79 ($120). See gobrightline.com

La Dolce Vita Train, Italy

So what’s new? This luxury train launches this year and will operate six itineraries of one or two nights across Italy. Another luxe train, Orient Express, will run on wider European routes from 2025.

The stats The train navigates 16,000 kilometres of railway line and has 12 cabins, 19 suites and a restaurant across 11 carriages.

Take a ride Routes link tourist cities such as Venice-Rome-Portofino or Palermo-Agrigento-Taormina in Sicily. Rather than reference Orient Express’ earlier history, La Dolce Vita celebrates 1960s Italian glamour in its architecture and design by Milan firm Dimorestudio, much in demand from hoteliers and fashion stores. Service is fastidious: crew line up on the platform, a concierge attends to off-train arrangements, breakfast is served in your cabin, and a sommelier recommends wine pairings over Italian fine-dining meals.

Get on board Pre-booking registration is open. Prices from an astonishing €2500 a person ($4130) a night twin share, including dining and excursions. See orient-express.com

Africa by luxury cruise liner

So what’s new? Regular cruise ships don’t often sail off the beaten wave, but Oceania Cruises has three new itineraries in 2024 that explore Africa, including an adventurous “West African Rhythms” itinerary.

The stats Oceania’s cruise ship Riviera is 239 metres long, weighs 66,084 gross tonnes, has 15 decks and sails at an average speed of 20 knots (37/kmh). The ship carries 1250 passengers and 800 crew.

Take a ride The 27-day sail allows for 14 ports of call in places you never imagined you could visit so easily, including Senegal, Gambia and Ghana. You’ll also encounter countries you seldom hear about, such as Cape Verde, Togo and Sao Tome. Riviera was refurbished in 2022. Expect casual elegance, excellent dining, a wellness centre, and comprehensive enrichment and entertainment programs on days at sea.

Get on board The cruise between Barcelona and Cape Town departs November 14, 2024. From $7989 a person. See oceaniacruises.com

Tren Maya, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

So what’s new? The whole shebang. The first four sections opened in December and the remaining three should be operational by the end of 2024.

The stats 1455 kilometres all up, with 34 stations across five states. The 304-kilometre journey from Merida to Cancun takes 3.5 hours. Maximum speed 160/kmh.

Take a ride The railway does a loop that takes in Campeche, Merida, Cancun and Chetumal, with a tail extending to Palenque, all major tourist destinations. It also makes remote Mayan sites more easily accessible. For now only standard trains are running, but two other train types (which will have dining cars and/or sleeping cabins) are expected. The blue and breezy interior design of standard carriages references Mayan motifs such as jaguars and step pyramids. Panoramic windows frame the mostly flat, scrubby landscape.

Get on board The fare Merida-Cancun costs from MXN 735 ($64) and Campeche-Cancun from MXN 1166. See trenmaya.gob.mx (in Spanish only).

Whoosh, Java, Indonesia

So what’s new? Everything: the line opened in October and is South-East Asia’s (and the Southern Hemisphere’s) first high-speed train. It hit its millionth passenger within two months of operation. Phase 2 aims to connect it onwards to Surabaya.

The stats 143 kilometres between East Jakarta and Bandung in 36 minutes. Top operating speed is 350/kmh, making this the world’s fastest commercially operated train service outside China.

Take a ride The branding of the more prosaically named Jakarta–Bandung High-Speed Railway is inspired. The journey does indeed whoosh you faster than you’ll ever travel in Indonesia short of in an aircraft and, with more than half the journey on elevated tracks, you’ll feel almost as if you’re flying. Vivid green farmland and sprawling urban areas flash by. Expect gleaming train stations, sleek red-and-white trains (the colours of the Indonesian flag), and comfortable, if narrow, seats.

Get on board Trains run from 6.40am to 8.30pm daily. Tickets from IDR 200,000 ($19). See kcic.co.id

Singapore Cable Car, Singapore

So what’s new? The cable car connecting Singapore and Sentosa islands opened in 1974, but this year sees seven NexGen cabins swing into action. The design, exclusive to Singapore, has just been unveiled.

The stats 1650 metres from Mount Faber to Sentosa Island via HarbourFront in 26-30 minutes. Apart from the seven new NexGen cabins, 67 classic cabins each carry eight people.

Take a ride The new Swiss-manufactured cabins are spherical, sleek and shiny in mirrored chrome. Transparent glass floors promise to make you feel as if you’re floating across the harbour in a bubble. Outward opening windows let in a breeze welcome in humid Singapore. The pods will take on an even more futuristic appearance at night, when they glow with LED lights. Each will carry six passengers.

Get on board Open daily from 8.45am to 10pm. Tickets SGD 26.40 ($30) if booked online but there may be a premium (not yet announced) on the new cabins. See mountfaberleisure.com

Laos-china Railway, Laos

So what’s new? Although the Laos section of track opened in 2021, international passenger trains started operating only last year. Plans are now afoot to connect the line into Thailand and eventually link Singapore.

The stats 1035 kilometres between Vientiane and Kunming in 8.5 hours. Top operating speed is 160/kmh in Laos and 200/kmh in China.

Take a ride Those familiar with tortuous South-East Asian bus rides will revel in this smooth, air-conditioned ride through fabulously rugged scenery of humped mountains and sluggish rivers. The 416-kilometre Laotian section runs through 75 tunnels and over 167 bridges to gorgeous tourist hotspots Vang Vieng and ancient capital Luang Prabang. Seats are comfortable, with good legroom. Cavernous new train stations, devoid of hawkers and food stalls, feel rather sterile.

Get on board Ticket purchase at stations is a tedious process, and available only two days in advance, so best use an online booking platform. From LAK 1,192,000 ($87). See tourismlaos.org

Taiwan Tourist Shuttle, Taiwan

So what’s new? Launched in 2010, this system aimed at independent tourists was hugely boosted in 2023. Eighteen new routes were added, including the scenic Sun Moon Lake-Alishan Line. Service frequency has been increased, signage improved, and some half-price e-ticket fares introduced.

The stats 69 routes across Taiwan with 1400 service trips monthly, operated by 35 bus companies using the same branding.

Take a ride The Taiwan Tourist Shuttle, jaunty in yellow-and-white livery, now operates one of the world’s most efficient and comprehensive tourist-transport services at public-bus rather than hop-on prices. Routes link every city and scenic spot a visitor would care to see, often starting from regular or high-speed railway stations. The shuttle’s website gives you real-time updates on bus arrivals and suggests day-long itineraries with timetables.

Get on board Buses run regularly in the daytime. Prices vary with distance. For example, the Sun Moon Lake route costs NTD 193 ($9) and Hualien East Coast Route NTD 680. See taiwantrip.com.tw

Five all-time classic thrill rides

Alpine trains

Scenic tourist trains in the European Alps never disappoint as they haul you to viewing platforms embedded in ice-encrusted peaks above blue lakes and green valleys. The newest, launched in late 2022, is the Golden Pass Express linking Montreux, Gstaad and Interlaken in Switzerland. It takes three hours 15 minutes and runs four times daily. From CHF 59 ($104). See gpx.swiss

Antarctic flights

Spend four hours above the Great White Continent in a Qantas 787 Dreamliner on a 12-hour, carbon-offset round flight. Antarctica begins with a splatter of icebergs soon followed by glaciers and rearing mountains. The next flights depart Melbourne on November 17 and December 31, and Sydney on November 24, 2024. From $1199. See antarcticaflights.com.au

Indian toy trains

Named for their diminutive size, huffing steam locomotives and narrow-gauge tracks, these diminutive trains run mostly in the Himalayan foothills or through the tea plantations of Tamil Nadu. The spectacular Kalka-Shimla Toy Train reduced stops from 18 to 10 in 2023, cutting travel time to under five hours. It runs for 95.6 kilometres over more than 800 bridges, with several daily departures. From INR 510 ($9). See shimlatourism.co.in

Cable cars

We associate cable cars with mountains, but cable-car public transport is being introduced from Paris to Mexico City, and mooted in cities such as Auckland. Urban cable cars are particularly common in South America. Mi Teleferico in La Paz in Bolivia has 10 lines with astonishing views of the urban sprawl and Andes. From BOB 3 ($0.66). See miteleferico.bo (in Spanish only).

Rollercoasters

If you must have one of these thrill rides of the amusement-park kind, which have been around since 1885, look out for the new rollercoasters continue to test passengers’ endurance for acceleration, speed and terror. In 2023, British theme park Chessington World of Adventures opened new rollercoaster Mandrill Mayhem which inverts, spirals and hurtles you backwards through Jumanji-themed jungle. Open 10am-7pm, although only certain days outside summer. Single day ticket £34 ($66). See chessington.com