World's Most Scenic Train Trips
-
There’s an old Buddhist proverb that says, “It is better to travel well than to arrive.” It’s a sentiment that beautifully sums up the recent resurgence in luxury train travel, where the journey is just as important as the destination
Gems of India Tour, Maharajas’ Express
British tour operator Cox & Kings spared no expense when it joined forces with Indian Railways to create the most luxurious train in the world. Unveiled in 2010, and limited to 88 passengers on each trip, the train features lavish private suites with marble baths and panoramic windows. On the four-day, three-night Gems of India loop, which starts and ends in Dehli, passengers make stops to visit the resplendent Taj Mahal at Agra, take a tiger safari at Ranthambore National Park, and shop and watch an elephant-polo match in Jaipur. Along the way, passengers can marvel at the Hindu temples, village roads plied by camel carts and rivers lined with fishing boats.
Canadian Rockies Getaway, Rocky Mountaineer
One of the most scenic train trips in North America, this nine-day loop out of Vancouver brings you to the stunning snowcapped peaks, glaciers, cobalt-colored lakes and plentiful wildlife (bear, moose, elk, bald eagles) of the Canadian Rockies. Aboard the train, both the SilverLeaf and GoldLeaf services offer a glass-domed roof so you can take in the mountain splendor in style. Instead of sleeper cars, guests spend nights at resorts in the region (which may include premier Fairmont properties at Lake Louise and Banff Hot Springs). Also included is a drive on the legendary Icefields Parkway to the Athabasca Glacier, a helicopter tour from Kananaskis and a gondola ride in Banff.
Classic Whisky Journey, The Royal Scotsman
As well as offering passengers more than 30 single malt scotches to choose from on board, The Royal Scotsman (operated by Orient-Express) runs a five-day Classic Whisky Journey that explores every aspect of Scotland’s most famous spirit. After departing from Edinburg, the train makes stops at some of the country’s top scotch distilleries, including Glen Ord and Glenlivet; then, heading east along the coast, it passes through the seaside villages of Carnoustie, Arbroath and Aberdeen before arriving in the heart of the Speyside whisky region. The line then skirts Loch Luichart, the Torridon Mountains and the famous Eilean Donan Castle, where you can savor the magnificent views with (naturally) a glass in hand.
Alaska National Parks by Rail, Alaska Railroad
Many visitors to Alaska arrive via cruise ship along the Inside Passage, reaching only the southwestern end of the state. But this six-day train trip, which traverses both Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks, allows for true appreciation of Alaska’s natural beauty. The route takes in the jagged peaks, lonely forest and rugged coastline, including a stop at the base of 20,320-foot Mount McKinley, North America’s tallest mountain. Passengers stop to cruise among the glaciers and whales of Kenai Fjords, raft amid the icebergs at Spencer Glacier and hike in Denali. Though the train has comfortable seating and a luxe dining car, nights are spent at off-train lodging like the Grande Denali Lodge and Hotel Alyeska in Girdwood.
The Ghan, Australia’s Great Southern Rail
Stretching 1,846 miles from Adelade in South Australia to Darwin at the continent’s northeastern tip, the Ghan brings train travelers straight through the “red center” of the Australian outback. Among the landscapes plumbed on the three-day, two-night jaunt are vast desert plains, the sere red-rock Flinders Ranges and the dazzling waterfalls and river gorges of Nitmiluk National Park. Passengers make stopovers in Alice Springs (where they can take a camel trek or browse in Aboriginal art galleries), the opal-mining town of Coober Pedy (which served as the backdrop for the postapocalyptic Mad Max films) and the awe-inspiring Katherine Gorge. In the evenings, they retire to their cozy sleeping quarters after dining on locally raised beef and locally grown wine in the dining car.
Tales of Laos Tour, Eastern & Oriental Express
The sister train to Europe’s Venice Simplon Orient-Express, the Eastern offers the same level of service and comfort. Passengers can enjoy upscale cuisine in the stylish dining car, cocktails on the rattan lounges of the open-air observation car and posh wood-paneled, air-conditioned cabins with en suite showers. What’s completely different about the Eastern, of course, is the scenery that passengers can see through the train’s large windows. Among the exotic sights on the four-day, three-night Tales of Laos itinerary are bright-green terraced rice paddies and locals riding atop elephants. A day excursion is made in the city of Viatine, nestled on the shores of the Mekong River, where monks in orange robes walk the streets and gilded Hindu temples pierce the skies.
Zermatt to San Moritz Route, Glacier Express
Seeing some of the Swiss Alps’ most spectacular mountain scenery by rail doesn’t require an overnight trip: An eight-hour ride on the Glacier Express fits the bill beautifully. The train, which runs one-way between the famed ski resorts of Zermatt and St.Moritz (some 180 miles), passes through 91 tunnels and across 291 bridges on the way — all at an altitude higher than 6,500 feet. Sweetening the deal is the dining car, where passengers can enjoy fine Swiss cheeses, chocolates and wine along with the views.
Cuzco to Machu Picchu Route, Hiram Bingham
The blue- and gold-painted Hiram Bingham, an Orient-Express train operating in Peru, leads guests on a magical day trip from Cuzco to the ruins of Machu Picchu During the three-hour trip — which covers about 50 miles — the train winds through thick jungle, alongside the rapids of the Urubamba River and across two 13,000-foot-high mountain passes. Once it arrives at the singular 15th-century Incan city of Machu Picchu, passengers get a thorough orientation and a five-hour tour through the fascinating site before heading back to Cuzco (enjoying a fine Andean dinner along the way). -
What about monorail around Sentosa?
-
Originally posted by charlize:
What about monorail around Sentosa?
Ehh..monorail already stopped operating right? You brought it back on!?
-
o rly?
-
Originally posted by charlize:
o rly?
Chooo! Choooooo!!
-
Since when monorail go "Choo Choo" ?
Which era is that?
-
Welli jin high krass~~~
india where everyone sits on the train top, only a few peepur can sit in this high krass choo choo train...
Now where are our train fans...?
-
Classic Whisky Journey, The Royal Scotsman
Sounds like its gonna be a drunken experience.