Scenic train journeys around the world
Hear me out: trains. Truly the superior mode of transportation and I will die on this hill. You get to see the landscape, you arrive right in the city centre, you can actually get things done while you travel, you have space to stand up and walk when you need to. The journey becomes part of the trip and the adventure starts the moment you step on board, not when you arrive. There is genuinely no downside. Other than the price, usually. Sigh. Oh, and unless you are travel sick. If you are, I'm sorry, I see you, maybe scroll to the next article.
Now, I've been on this train of thought for years, mentally collecting dream scenic journeys. And recently I actually got to tick one off my list, which felt very much like a main character moment. So consider this my full steam ahead into the ultimate scenic train journey wishlist. I'm taking you along for the ride. Puns very much intended.
New Zealand: The TranzAlpine
Let me start with the one I actually got to experience recently, because honestly, it set the bar pretty high. I took it from Christchurch to Arthur's Pass and back and it was a fantastic experience.
The TranzAlpine runs from Christchurch to Greymouth, cutting straight through the Southern Alps of New Zealand's South Island. It is, without exaggeration, one of the most beautiful train journeys I've ever experienced. From snow-capped peaks to river gorges, passing through ancient forests — the landscape does not let up for a single minute.
What makes it extra special are the panoramic windows that stretch all the way to the ceiling, and the open-air carriages where you can step outside, feel the mountain air on your face and take it all in without a pane of glass in between.
Highly recommend. I mean, look at this!
Photo by Tom Macret on Unsplash
Scotland: The West Highland Line
A colleague mentioned this one to me, and I've been obsessed ever since. The West Highland Line runs from Glasgow through the Scottish Highlands, branching off to Fort William and Mallaig, and it is, by most accounts, the most scenic railway journey in the UK.
And for the fans out there: many of the Harry Potter filming locations can be seen from or are located near this train route, including Rannoch Moor, Loch Shiel and the Glenfinnan Viaduct. That iconic shot of the Hogwarts Express crossing a viaduct? That's the Glenfinnan Viaduct, right outside your window.
Ever since I found out about this train, I don't want to visit Scotland any other way. The Highlands through a train window, with a hot drink and nowhere to be. What. a. dream.
Europe: The Orient-Express
Now this one. This is absolutely at the top of my list.
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is less a mode of transport than a travelling world of its own, an immersive journey straight into the pages of an Agatha Christie novel. Minus the murder, hopefully. The carriages date from the 1920s to the 1940s, meticulously restored and maintained, and the train is the point long before you arrive anywhere.
Routes range from the 15-hour Paris to Venice overnight to the six-day grand journey all the way to Istanbul. Paris to Istanbul on a vintage train, crossing an entire continent through the night. I cannot think of a more romantic way to travel, and I use "romantic" in the fullest, broadest sense of the word.
My wallet is not ready. My bags, however, have been mentally packed for years.
Photo by Elimende Inagella on Unsplash
United States: The California Zephyr
There are two things I love about this one. First, the ides of crossing an entire continent by train. The journey travels through seven states — Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California — crossing the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada over the course of two nights.
Second: the Sightseer Lounge, the distinctive carriage with large panoramic windows that curve all the way up into the roof, with comfortable lounge seating where you can spend hours watching the landscape unfold. No forward-facing rows, just a car designed entirely around looking out. I can only imagine the slow revelation of a country changing in real time outside that window. A trip across the US has been on my mind for a while now, and I cannot think of a better way to do it.
South Africa: Rovos Rail
I actually stumbled onto this one while researching for this article. The Rovos Rail, nicknamed the Pride of Africa, runs from Cape Town through the Cape Winelands, across the vast, near-empty Karoo, past the Kimberley Diamond Mines and on to Pretoria. The restored carriages have private ensuite compartments, two dining cars and two lounges, and they look absolutely stunning.
Although I had never heard of this train before, it definitely feels like a very good discovery. One that I added immediately on my list.
The slow life extends beyond the tracks.
Discover everything else worth slowing down for.
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Which scenic train journeys should I add to my list?
Maybe one day my wallet will catch up with my wishlist. Until then, this list exists, it is growing, and I am adding to it enthusiastically. Have you been on any of these? Or is there a scenic train journey somewhere in the world that I absolutely need to add? Tell me everything in the comments.
