In an era of budget airlines, train travel becomes overlooked and rare among travelers. While it definitely takes you longer to get to the destination, that’s the beauty of it. Better add these scenic trains to your next trip as they cross entire continents and climb through mountain passes. Here are the ten train routes that offer some of the world’s best scenery that no plane ride can match.
10. Hiram Bingham’s Belmond Andean Explorer (Peru)
Enjoy a three-and-a-half-hour ride on one of the world’s most scenic railways from the colonial city of Cusco to Machu Picchu Pueblo. These scenic rail provides a luxury train travel along the Urubamba River valley and a view of remote ruins and brightly colored villages. It’s actually named after the American explorer who brought Machu Picchu to the world’s attention back in 1911. The train features 1920s-style Pullman carriages, gourmet dining, and an observation car with an outdoor deck.
9. Bernina Express (Switzerland to Italy)
Ever wonder if you can see glaciers and palm trees in one sitting? You can with the Bernina Express, which is a 4 1/2-hour train ride. It passes through 55 tunnels and nearly 200 bridges from Chur, Switzerland, to Tirano, which is a small town across the border of Italy. Don’t miss your chance to pass the Landwasser Viaduct, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This journey is a change of scenery as it descends from the Swiss Alps to the Mediterranean side of northern Italy.
8. TranzAlpine (New Zealand)
Here’s a one-day train ride you can enjoy as you get to complete your TranzAlpine experience. The journey marks its beginning in Christchurch as it speeds along the Canterbury Plains and climbs on snow-capped mountains. This nine-hour route has been popular since the train first set off its passenger line in 1987. Complete your experience as the train features a rare open-air car where you get to breathe the Alpine air as you listen to an audio tour about the history and context of what you’re seeing.
7. West Highland Line’s Jacobite Steam Train (Scotland)
For Harry Potter fans, here’s a route you’ll recognize. Board this steam train at Fort William and get breathtaking views of Ben Nevis. This 1960s carriage offers an old charm and a distinctive locomotive called Black 5s that features a first-class scenic ride. As you leave Glasgow, you go through the west coast wilderness where no roads are built. And of course, you get to see the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct, where the Hogwarts Express crossed in one of the films!
6. Flåm Railway (Norway)
For just an hour long in the Flåm Railway, you get to see one of the top attractions of Norway. The railway is at 863m (2,831ft) from its starting point in the village of Flåm in the Sognefjord. This steep rail route passes through deep ravines and waterfalls to the mountaintop station of Myrdal. It’s better to set your trips during its colder months to see the snow, turning the landscape into a beautiful winter wonderland.
5. California Zephyr (USA)
One of the best train journeys in the US has got to be Amtrak’s California Zephyr. It’s a three-day-long journey that takes passengers across prairies, deserts, the Rocky Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada. If you purchase an overnight room, then you get to sit down for a three-course meal and peek through the glass-domed decks to see the Colorado River.
4. The Ghan (Australia)
Australia’s The Ghan travels at 2,797km (1,846mi) from Darwin to Adelaide. The train ride takes passengers to the coast of the Northern Territory via the red rocks of the MacDonnell Ranges in the plains of South Australia. The trip also features off-train excursions, which include a boat tour of Nitmiluk Gorge and the desert town of Alice Springs.
3. Rocky Mountaineer (Canada)
Ride a train that covers the scenery of southern British Columbia between Vancouver and Banff. It’s the Rocky Mountaineer’s First Passage to the West, which is considered one of the most scenic train rides in Canada. It lives in the coastal city of Vancouver, where passengers are seated in luxurious carriages. Catch Hell’s Gate in Fraser Canyon and the steep tracks of the Thompson River. Passengers can relax in their first-class Gold Leaf service with glass-domed compartments. The journey will take two days with overnight stops in Kamloops before climbing the Canadian Rockies to Banff.
2. The Glacier Express (Switzerland)
Switzerland is known for the quality and punctuality of its trains, so you’d better catch a scenic train ride on their Glacier Express. It runs from Zermatt to St. Moritz as in passes through 91 tunnels and crossing 291 bridges, all in a seven-hour journey. It’s the slowest express train in the world, with the surprises of the Swiss Alps that connect two of Switzerland’s famous mountain resorts.
1. Trans-Siberian Railway (Russia)
The Trans-Siberian Railway is one of the longest rail routes in the world, running for 9,289km (5,772mi). Overall, it crosses 497 bridges and 15 tunnels that run along 16 major rivers. When you think about it, you get to travel in 87 major cities, 3 countries, and 2 continents! Catch the freshwater lake of Lake Baikal and check out the Ural Mountains and remote Siberian villages.
