A reactor design and configuration and a process for the catalytic dehydration of butanol to butylenes where the reactor train is comprised of a multi-stage single reactor vessel or multiple reactor vessels wherein each stage and/or vessel has different length, internal diameter, and volume than the other stages and/or vessels and in addition the stages and/or reactor vessels are connected in series or in parallel arrangement, preferably used with an improved means of introducing the butanol feedstock and a heat carrying inert gas to the improved reactor train.