5 Most Iconic Train Journeys to Add to Your Bucket List
The most iconic train journeys in the world deliver something planes never can: hours of cinematic landscapes, the gentle rhythm of the rails, and the kind of slow travel that turns the journey itself into the destination. Whether you dream of climbing into the Swiss Alps, tracing the spine of the Andes, or rolling across an entire continent, these are the rail trips that belong on every bucket list. Here are five legendary routes worth planning a whole trip around.
The Glacier Express, Switzerland
Billed as "the slowest express train in the world," the Glacier Express crawls between Zermatt and St. Moritz over eight hours, crossing 291 bridges and burrowing through 91 tunnels. The panoramic carriages frame the Matterhorn, the Rhine Gorge (Switzerland's "Grand Canyon"), and the dramatic Oberalp Pass at 2,033 metres. Order the famous tilted wine glass at lunch - a quirky nod to the Landwasser Viaduct's steep angle - and watch glaciers, alpine villages, and pine-clad valleys glide past your window. The best time to visit is late spring through early autumn, when wildflowers blanket the meadows; book the Excellence Class for a guaranteed window seat and a seven-course tasting menu.
The Rocky Mountaineer, Canada
The Rocky Mountaineer is the gold standard for what to do in Western Canada if you want the Rockies served up in maximum comfort. Running daylight-only between Vancouver and Banff, Lake Louise, or Jasper, this glass-domed train means you'll never miss a peak, a glacier, or a passing grizzly. Onboard chefs cook breakfast with Alberta beef and BC salmon, while route hosts narrate the stories behind landmarks like Pyramid Falls and the Spiral Tunnels. The two-day journey includes an overnight stop in Kamloops, so every minute of scenery happens in golden mountain light. Late spring through early October is peak season, and the GoldLeaf carriages with their two-storey domes are worth the splurge.
The Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia
No bucket list of iconic train journeys is complete without the Trans-Siberian - the longest continuous rail line on the planet at 9,289 kilometres. The classic Moscow-to-Vladivostok run takes seven days, crossing eight time zones, the Ural Mountains, and the vast Siberian taiga. The undisputed highlight is hugging the southern shore of Lake Baikal, the world's deepest freshwater lake, where the tracks skim its turquoise edge for nearly 200 kilometres. Most travellers break the trip with stopovers in Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, and the wooden-house city of Listvyanka. Pack instant noodles, vodka, and a deck of cards - dining-car meals improve dramatically when shared with new Russian friends.
The Belmond Hiram Bingham to Machu Picchu, Peru
Named after the explorer who brought Machu Picchu back to global attention in 1911, the Belmond Hiram Bingham is one of the most luxurious must-see rail experiences in South America. Departing Cusco's Poroy station, the train winds through the Sacred Valley along the Urubamba River, climbing past terraced Inca farmland to the cloud forest village of Aguas Calientes. The 1920s Pullman-style carriages serve a four-course Peruvian tasting menu, pisco sours flow freely, and live Andean music drifts through the bar car. Arrival at Machu Picchu by late morning means you'll explore the ruins after the day-trippers have left - a hidden gem of timing that transforms the entire visit. Aim for the dry season between May and September.
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, Europe
Step aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and you step into a 1920s spy novel. The restored vintage carriages - mahogany marquetry, crisp white linens, brass fittings polished daily - run between London, Paris, and Venice via the Swiss Alps and the Brenner Pass. Nights mean black-tie dinners in the Étoile du Nord dining car, with chefs plating French haute cuisine while the Italian Dolomites slip past in moonlight. The two-day London-to-Venice route is the classic; ambitious travellers can extend onward to Istanbul on the legendary annual run that retraces the original Orient Express. It's expensive, theatrical, and absolutely worth saving up for.
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