When it comes to long-distance travel, there’s not much that can beat a journey on a luxury train. Throw in some spectacular, unforgettable scenery and the result will be one big tick on your bucket list. Here are four of the ultimate train journeys on offer today:
This epic journey across the largest country on earth is one of the most famous train trips of all. There are actually a few different routes, but for many people it’s the section between Moscow and Vladivostok that’s the ‘bucket-list’ trip. It covers 9,258 kilometres and takes seven days on a Russian Railways’ train, or 15 days on the Golden Eagle luxury train. Along the way, you’ll cross an extraordinary eight time zones.
The landscape is mesmerising as you weave through the country’s vast and mysterious interior, passing the Ural Mountains, endless steppe and Lake Baikal, the largest body of fresh water in the world. Fascinating stops, sights and experiences en route include the Buddhist monasteries of Ulan Ude, the UNESCO World Heritage-Listed Kazan Kremlin on the River Volga, and the site in Yekaterinburg – now a church – where Tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918, towards the end of the Russian Revolution.
It’s a brilliant introduction to this unimaginably enormous, most mysterious of countries and is, to many people who know about these things, the world’s greatest railway journey.
The word ‘iconic’ is bandied around far too much for our liking, but if there’s one time you can use it freely and without judgement, it’s to describe this odyssey into the heart of Australia.
From Adelaide, The Ghan makes its way to Darwin on the world’s longest north-south train journey, covering some 2,979 kilometres. Alice Springs and Katherine provide unforgettable outback stops along the way, but make no mistake: this trip is about the journey, not just the destination(s). The vastness of the blistering red Australian desert, the unique wildlife and epic landscapes make this one of the truly great train marathons of the world.
Read more: The A to Z of an epic train journey on The Ghan
If the extent of your knowledge of this legendary train comes from the Agatha Christie book or subsequent movies in which it was immortalised, then you’ll have pretty good idea of what to expect: glamour, elegance and a whole lot of old-world charm.
The grande dame of luxury trains first left Paris for Istanbul in 1883. These days, it also travels to Vienna, Verona and Budapest, plus it still visits the Turkish city once a year, but its principal route is from London Victoria to Venice.
And what a trip it is. The golden age of travel; the romance of the railway – all of the great cliches apply on the world’s most famous train, where Twenties art-deco carriages, exquisite alpine scenery and world-class service and cuisine are de rigeur and delightful.
The jaw-dropping, mind-bogglingly beautiful scenery of the Canadian Rockies. A train with unimpeded views thanks to glass-domed carriages. Need we say more? This spectacular combination is what makes a trip on this world-famous train a true bucket-list travel experience.
There are three main routes travelling in both directions to Vancouver from Banff, Lake Louise or Jasper: names that should immediately conjure images of magnificent mountains, glacier-fed lakes and waterfalls, carpets of lush forest and the most pristine wilderness you’ll ever see.
Read more: Your cheat sheet to the Canadian Rockies
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