Unearth The Voyage
Some journeys are simply a way to reach a destination. Others become the reason for traveling in the first place.
These legendary train routes cross soaring mountain ranges, vast deserts, remote wilderness, and historic landscapes, offering experiences so memorable that passengers often remember the ride as vividly as the places they visit. Buckle up, because these 14 routes will make you want to buy a ticket before you even finish reading.
Bernina Express — Switzerland and Italy
Clinging to cliffsides and gliding over ancient stone viaducts, the Bernina Express is basically a moving art gallery with wheels. This iconic route connects Chur, Switzerland, to Tirano, Italy, climbing through UNESCO World Heritage landscapes that look almost too dramatic to be real.
The panoramic windows mean there is nowhere to hide from the jaw-dropping views.
Glaciers creep down mountainsides while turquoise alpine lakes shimmer below. The train crosses the famous Landwasser Viaduct, a curved stone bridge that rises 65 meters above a gorge.
Passengers frequently press their faces against the glass, unable to look away for more than a few seconds at a time.
The highest point on the route sits at 2,253 meters above sea level, making it the loftiest railway crossing in the European Alps. No special mountain cog system is needed since the train climbs using standard rail technology, which is an engineering achievement in itself.
Running year-round through summer wildflowers and winter snowscapes, the Bernina Express offers a completely different experience depending on the season. Booking a window seat is strongly recommended, though honestly, every seat feels like a front-row ticket to the Alps.
Glacier Express — Switzerland
Proudly wearing the title of the world’s slowest express train, the Glacier Express takes roughly eight hours to complete a journey that a car could do in far less time. That is entirely the point.
Every unhurried minute between Zermatt and St. Moritz is packed with scenery so spectacular that passengers rarely complain about the pace.
The route crosses 291 bridges and passes through 91 tunnels, weaving through valleys and over mountain passes that most roads simply cannot reach. The Oberalp Pass, sitting at 2,033 meters, is the dramatic high point of the journey and regularly draws gasps from first-time riders.
Fresh snow in winter transforms the landscape into something straight from a classic holiday postcard.
Dining on board adds another layer of enjoyment. The restaurant car serves Swiss cuisine with locally inspired dishes, and yes, the wine glasses have tilted bases to stay level on steep gradients.
That tiny detail tells you everything about how seriously the Swiss take this experience. Families, couples, and solo travelers all find something to love here.
The Glacier Express is less a train ride and more a slow, delicious celebration of one of Europe’s most spectacular mountain ranges.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express — Europe
Few trains carry as much mythology as the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Since its revival in 1982, it has been rolling through Europe in restored 1920s and 1930s carriages that practically hum with old-world glamour.
Stepping aboard feels like walking onto a film set, except the champagne is real and so is the impeccable service.
The route connects London, Paris, Venice, Vienna, Budapest, and beyond, threading through some of Europe’s most storied cities. Travelers sleep in beautifully crafted cabins while the countryside shifts quietly outside their windows.
Morning light through lace curtains over the Swiss Alps or the French countryside is a genuinely unforgettable sight.
Dinner in the dining car is a full theatrical event. White-gloved staff serve multi-course meals using fine china and silver cutlery, while the train sways gently along the tracks.
The menu changes seasonally and features ingredients sourced from regions along the route. Agatha Christie famously set a murder mystery on this very train, which should tell you something about the level of intrigue it inspires.
Whether celebrating a milestone or simply craving the most cinematic way to cross Europe, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express delivers an experience that money can buy but time cannot easily replicate.
The Ghan — Australia
Named after the Afghan cameleers who once crossed this same unforgiving terrain, The Ghan covers roughly 2,979 kilometers between Adelaide and Darwin in South Australia’s vast interior. That name carries history, and so does every kilometer of track that cuts through one of the world’s most remote landscapes.
Red earth, spinifex grass, and endless sky become your companions for the journey.
The trip takes approximately 54 hours, offering plenty of time to appreciate how genuinely enormous Australia is. Off-train excursions are included at Alice Springs and Katherine, where passengers can explore gorges, Aboriginal cultural sites, and dramatic outback scenery up close.
These stops transform the journey from a passive experience into an active adventure.
Onboard comfort is surprisingly luxurious for such a wild setting. The Gold Service and Platinum Service cabins offer private en-suite bathrooms, restaurant dining, and lounge cars with panoramic windows.
Watching a sunset paint the Outback in shades of orange and crimson from the comfort of a train lounge is genuinely hard to beat. The Ghan runs between April and October to avoid the scorching summer heat of the Northern Territory.
Booking months in advance is standard practice since spaces fill quickly on this iconic Australian institution.
Rocky Mountaineer — Canada
Turquoise rivers rushing alongside the tracks, bald eagles circling overhead, and mountain peaks so tall they seem to scrape the clouds — the Rocky Mountaineer wastes no time making an impression. This Canadian classic runs exclusively in daylight hours so passengers never miss a single second of the scenery rolling past.
That decision alone says everything about the train’s priorities.
Routes operate between Vancouver, Banff, Jasper, and Calgary, passing through the heart of the Canadian Rockies. The signature GoldLeaf Service features bi-level glass-dome coaches where the entire roof is made of glass, giving unobstructed views in every direction.
Meals are served at your seat by attentive staff while the mountains do the entertaining.
Wildlife sightings are a genuine highlight and not at all rare. Bears, elk, deer, and osprey have all been spotted from the train on regular runs.
The route also passes through the famous Spiral Tunnels near Field, British Columbia, a feat of railway engineering where the train actually loops inside a mountain. Autumn brings golden larch trees that turn the valleys into a canvas of yellow and orange.
Whether you are a first-time visitor to Canada or a returning traveler, the Rocky Mountaineer consistently earns its reputation as one of North America’s most spectacular rail experiences.
Trans-Siberian Railway — Russia
Stretching nearly 9,289 kilometers from Moscow to Vladivostok, the Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest continuous rail route on Earth, crossing eight time zones and an almost incomprehensible range of landscapes. Completing the full journey takes around six to seven days, which sounds like a long time until you realize the sheer scale of what you are crossing.
Siberia does not do anything small.
Dense taiga forests give way to the shores of Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest freshwater lake, holding roughly 20 percent of all surface fresh water on the planet. Steppe grasslands, mountain ranges, and remote Siberian towns all appear and disappear outside the window.
Each stop offers a brief glimpse into communities that few Western travelers ever visit.
The journey is not a luxury cruise. It is an adventure that rewards patience, curiosity, and a willingness to share a cabin with strangers who may become unexpected friends.
Bring snacks, a good book, and an open mind. Local vendors at station stops sell smoked fish, bread, and hot tea that taste remarkably good after hours of watching the wilderness roll past.
The Trans-Siberian Railway is less a train ride and more a full-scale expedition across the world’s largest country, one slowly passing birch tree at a time.
West Highland Line — Scotland
There is something almost magical about watching a train emerge from morning mist on the Glenfinnan Viaduct, curving elegantly over a Scottish glen with mountains rising on every side. The West Highland Line runs between Glasgow and Mallaig, threading through some of Scotland’s most dramatic and untamed scenery.
Fans of the Harry Potter films will immediately recognize the Glenfinnan Viaduct as the route taken by the Hogwarts Express.
Beyond the famous viaduct, the line passes lonely moorlands, glittering sea lochs, ancient forests, and rugged mountain passes that feel genuinely remote. Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain, looms into view near Fort William, offering a scale check that puts everything else in perspective.
The route to Mallaig ends at a small fishing village on the Atlantic coast, where the views across to the Isle of Skye are breathtaking.
The Jacobite steam train, which operates seasonally on part of this route, is particularly popular with visitors seeking an extra layer of old-fashioned charm. Sitting in a vintage carriage with steam billowing past the window while Highland cattle graze in the fields below is a distinctly Scottish experience.
The West Highland Line is not just a train journey. It is a full immersion into the wild, windswept soul of Scotland, and it rarely disappoints.
Maharajas’ Express — India
Rolling through India in the Maharajas’ Express feels less like taking a train and more like being a guest at a traveling royal palace. Launched in 2010, this luxury train was quickly recognized as one of the world’s finest, winning multiple World Travel Awards for best luxury train.
The interiors draw inspiration from India’s princely era, featuring hand-painted murals, inlaid woodwork, and rich fabrics throughout.
Itineraries typically cover eight to nine days and include visits to Agra, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Varanasi, and Mumbai. Passengers step off the train for guided tours of the Taj Mahal, tiger reserves, and Mughal forts before returning to their private suites each evening.
The contrast between the ancient wonders outside and the contemporary comfort inside is part of what makes the experience so distinctive.
Dining aboard the Maharajas’ Express is a celebration of Indian cuisine, with menus featuring regional specialties from every destination along the route. The Mayur Mahal lounge car is a social hub where passengers gather for cocktails and conversation as the Indian landscape drifts past.
Cabins range from deluxe to the Presidential Suite, which spans an entire carriage. Prices reflect the exclusivity, but for travelers seeking India’s grandest rail experience, the Maharajas’ Express is genuinely in a class of its own.
Flåm Railway — Norway
At just 20 kilometers long, the Flåm Railway might seem like a quick detour, but it packs more scenery per kilometer than almost any other train ride on the planet. The descent from Myrdal to Flåm drops 863 meters in elevation, making it one of the steepest standard-gauge railway lines in the world.
Engineers had to design five separate braking systems just to keep the train under control on the way down.
The journey takes about an hour each way and passes waterfalls thundering down sheer rock faces, narrow gorges carved by ancient rivers, and small mountain farms clinging to impossibly steep hillsides. The train stops at Kjosfossen waterfall, where passengers can step outside to photograph the cascading water and, on summer days, watch a traditional Norwegian folk dancer perform on the rocks nearby.
It is as theatrical as it sounds.
At the bottom, the village of Flåm sits at the edge of the Aurlandsfjord, one of the most beautiful arms of the famous Sognefjord. The combination of fjord, mountain, and railway creates a setting that photographers absolutely adore.
The Flåm Railway operates year-round, with each season offering a completely different atmosphere. Winter brings snow and frozen waterfalls, while summer delivers lush green valleys that feel almost impossibly vivid.
Short in distance, enormous in impact.
Eastern and Oriental Express — Southeast Asia
Tropical heat, the scent of jungle vegetation drifting through open windows, and the rhythmic clatter of wheels on narrow-gauge track — the Eastern and Oriental Express offers a Southeast Asian experience unlike anything else on rails. Operating routes between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok, this luxury train travels through landscapes that shift from gleaming modern cities to ancient rice paddies and dense rainforest within hours.
The train’s design is a love letter to the golden age of colonial-era travel, with polished teak paneling, brass fittings, and open-air observation cars at the rear. Watching the jungle blur past from the outdoor platform while sipping a cold drink is a genuinely cinematic experience.
Passengers often say the observation car becomes the most popular spot on the train within minutes of departure.
Excursions are offered at stops including the River Kwai Bridge in Thailand and various Malaysian towns, adding cultural depth to the journey. Onboard dining features a blend of Southeast Asian and international cuisine, with fresh ingredients sourced locally along the route.
The dress code for dinner adds a touch of occasion that feels entirely appropriate given the surroundings. The Eastern and Oriental Express runs on select departures throughout the year, and cabins tend to book out well in advance.
Curious, adventurous, and unmistakably stylish, this is Southeast Asia at its most refined.
TranzAlpine — New Zealand
New Zealand’s South Island is one of the most scenically diverse places on Earth, and the TranzAlpine train crosses it in a single, glorious four-and-a-half-hour journey. Running between Christchurch on the east coast and Greymouth on the west, the route climbs through the Canterbury Plains, crosses the Southern Alps via Arthur’s Pass, and descends through the wild Otira Gorge to the Tasman Sea coast.
Barely any other train route on Earth packs so much variety into such a short time.
The open-air viewing carriage is one of the highlights, allowing passengers to step outside and feel the mountain air while photographing the scenery without a window in the way. The Waimakariri River gorge section is particularly dramatic, with the train threading through steep rocky walls above rushing glacier-fed waters.
Alpine beech forests line the track on both sides as the elevation increases.
Arthur’s Pass village, the midpoint of the journey, sits in the heart of the national park and is surrounded by hiking trails and kea parrots, which are bold alpine birds known for investigating anything left unattended. The TranzAlpine runs daily year-round, and the experience changes noticeably with the seasons.
Snow-dusted peaks in winter and wildflower-covered meadows in summer both offer their own rewards. For a country this beautiful, the TranzAlpine is the perfect introduction.
Blue Train — South Africa
South Africa’s Blue Train has been rolling in style since 1946, and it has lost none of its charm in the decades since. The 1,600-kilometer journey between Pretoria and Cape Town takes approximately 27 hours, passing through landscapes that include the Hex River Valley, the Karoo semi-desert, and the rolling winelands surrounding Cape Town.
Few train windows in the world frame such a wide variety of scenery in a single trip.
The carriages are designed to feel more like a five-star hotel than a mode of transportation. Private en-suite bathrooms, butler service, and fine dining in an elegant dining car set the tone immediately.
The menu features South African cuisine with a contemporary twist, including local wines that pair beautifully with the passing landscape.
Passengers are encouraged to dress for dinner, which adds a sense of occasion that many modern travel experiences have quietly abandoned. The lounge car provides a relaxed space for socializing, reading, or simply watching the Karoo’s vast emptiness drift past the windows as the sun drops toward the horizon.
The Blue Train operates a limited number of departures each year, and it attracts both South African travelers and international visitors who want to experience the country at a slower, more considered pace. Elegant, unhurried, and quietly magnificent.
California Zephyr — United States
Amtrak’s California Zephyr covers 3,924 kilometers between Chicago and Emeryville, California, and it does so with a confidence that comes from being widely considered the most scenic train route in the United States. The journey takes roughly 52 hours, crossing the Great Plains, climbing the Colorado Rockies, traversing Nevada’s high desert, and finishing with a dramatic crossing of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
That is a lot of America in two and a half days.
The stretch through Colorado’s Rocky Mountain canyons is the undisputed highlight for most passengers. The train follows the Colorado River through deep red-rock canyons near Glenwood Springs, where the track runs so close to the canyon walls that you could almost reach out and touch the rock.
The observation lounge car fills up fast during this section, and understandably so.
California’s Sierra Nevada mountains provide a stunning finale, with dense pine forests and snow-capped peaks appearing just before the descent into Sacramento. Sleeping car accommodations include private roomettes with fold-down beds, meals included in the dining car, and access to the full-length observation lounge.
Coach seating is a budget-friendly option that still provides full access to the views. The California Zephyr is not just a way to cross the country.
It is arguably the best way to actually see it.
Hiram Bingham Train — Peru
Named after Hiram Bingham III, the Yale professor who brought Machu Picchu to international attention in 1911, this Peruvian luxury train turns the journey to one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites into an event worth savoring. The route follows the Sacred Valley from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, winding alongside the Urubamba River through a landscape of terraced hillsides, cloud forest, and soaring Andean peaks.
Arriving at Machu Picchu via this train feels properly ceremonial.
The carriages are modeled on the 1920s Pullman style, featuring polished wood paneling, brass accents, and large windows that frame the valley scenery beautifully. Breakfast is served on the morning departure with white-linen tablecloths and fresh Peruvian produce, including excellent local coffee.
The return journey includes cocktails and live music, which makes the trip back from the ruins feel far less anticlimactic than it might otherwise.
Peru Rail operates the Hiram Bingham as its premium service, with prices reflecting the exclusivity of the experience. The guided tour of Machu Picchu itself is included in the package, led by knowledgeable local guides who bring the history vividly to life.
Altitude is worth preparing for since Cusco sits at over 3,400 meters above sea level. A day or two of acclimatization before boarding is genuinely good advice that most experienced travelers recommend without hesitation.
