The World's Most Iconic Train Journeys

Arati Menon, Hannah Towey
·9 min read

Since the dawn of time, the romance of railways has seduced poets, spellbound novelists, and dealt directors the perfect hand for capturing fleeting friendships, illicit affairs, and all manner of crimes and capers. A ticket is not just a permit to ride, it’s permission to trespass on the intimacies of other people’s lives. Trains bring us up close and personal—both inside and outside the carriage. On board, passengers chat politics in Finnish dining cars, clamber into couchettes above strangers on the Trans-Siberian, and share samosas on India’s many raucous mail trains. Outside, the world flashes by, a slideshow of rivers growing into oceans, deserts rising into mountains and cities sprawling then receding into darkness as the train thunders on through the night.

As climate change takes hold and travelers look for slower, more conscious ways to move through the world, trains are returning with renewed vigor. Sleeper trains are seeing a resurgence and the golden oldies are busier than ever. From regular commuter rides to glamorous tourist trains, a number of services have garnered iconic status for the scenery, their role through history, or perhaps their place in popular culture. Türkiye’s Doğu Express, once a migration train carrying agricultural workers and the military, is now wildly popular with young Turks who traverse the 800-mile route in winter, decorating the compartments with fairy lights and spreading out picnic blankets covered with baklava, börek, and cold cuts. From the glass-dome cars of the Rocky Mountaineer, passengers watch as Canada’s teal-green lakes shimmer like mirrors, snow-capped peaks looming overhead. The Eastern & Oriental Express, a Belmond train, is back after a hiatus, winding through Malaysia’s tropical rainforests, while Japan’s Seven Stars Kyushu grants reservations via a lottery system, so sought-after is the opulent train. Think Americans don’t ride Amtrak? Think again, as the California Zephyr, the longest route in America crosses through seven states, carving up Colorado’s canyons, then passing into Utah where the sun ignites mesas into flaming towers of rock. Sit back and listen to the clack of the Darjeeling toy train as it chugs up the Himalayan foothills, or let the swaying carriage of the Rovos Rail lull you to deep sleep as it takes you deeper into places wild and distant… —Monisha Rajesh

Rocky Mountaineer

The Rocky Mountaineer departs from Vancouver and cuts through the meandering rivers and craggy peaks of the Canadian Rockies before ending in the resort town of Banff.
The Rocky Mountaineer departs from Vancouver and cuts through the meandering rivers and craggy peaks of the Canadian Rockies before ending in the resort town of Banff.

“If there’s one thing you’re assured on the Rocky Mountaineer, it’s an endless panorama of incredible scenery. Since its first voyage in 1990, the tourist train service has built its reputation on offering access to Western Canada’s wildest landscapes—framed from within luxury glass-domed cars.” Read the full story by Arati Menon here.

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Belmond's sleeper trains are known for their luxurious accommodations.
Belmond's sleeper trains are known for their luxurious accommodations.
The dining car is the social hub of many long-haul train rides.
The dining car is the social hub of many long-haul train rides.

“The five-star service aboard this sumptuous auberge on wheels, the novelty and literal ride of it, can make even the most worldly travelers feel giddy. It’s a very slick production, executed with aplomb by the train’s staff, 47 people strong and stylish in their azure blue livery. All the stewards I met were uniformly friendly, game for anything: Simone practiced his Filipino with me as I fumbled my Italian with him; Vanessa expertly directed me in an Instagram video before we departed Paris. ‘Lean outside the train,’ she said. 'We have to get the shot!.” Read the full story by Matt Ortile here.

The Doğu Express

Departing from Ankara, The Doğu Ekspresi (translation: Eastern Express) is Turkey's longest train route. Over 26 hours and 800 miles, this train trundles to the eastern city of Kars along the border with Armenia, unveiling the geographical marvels and dramatic vistas of Turkey's Anatolian provinces. A special Doğu Express catering to tourists during the winter high season has also seen a resurgence in recent years thanks to its dramatic snow-covered landscape. Read the full story by Kurt Johnson here.

Seven Stars Kyushu

Japan’s Seven Stars Kyushu represents the pinnacle of luxury rail travel in Asia.
Japan’s Seven Stars Kyushu represents the pinnacle of luxury rail travel in Asia.

"Inside, the magnificent interior, designed by Eiji Mitooka, looks like the stage of an Agatha Christie novel set in a fantasy of Meiji-era Japan: a different type of wood was used for the paneling of each car, and the corridors are decorated with intricately crafted kumiko woodwork lattices and gold fixtures. Craftsmen from the region’s most venerated ateliers have designed every detail, from the shoji paper window screens and Aritayaki porcelain lamps in the guest rooms, to the cutlery that punctuates the tables." Read the full story by Melinda Joe here.

A Luxury Train Ride Through Peru's Andes Mountains to Machu Picchu: "The observation car is the place to spend most of the trip, soaking in the unparalleled landscapes. The train weaves through tall mountains and lush green jungle—ferns, bromeliads and plenty of green foliage consume the right-hand side of the train. We watch clouds roll over the rocky mountains before pulling into Machu Picchu station."
Riding the Historic Rovos Rail Across Untrammeled Corners of Southern Africa: “With little to no passenger rail services remaining in sub-Saharan Africa, the countryside crossed by the Rovos is largely untouched by tourism. The hinterland one sees from the Rovos Rail, of Zambia and Botswana, of Namibia and Tanzania, is the true, largely untrammeled face of the region.”
Journeying through the Malaysian Rainforest Aboard the Eastern & Oriental Express: “Over three days the train would bear north on the eastern coast to Taman Negara, then backtrack and head up Malaysia’s more populated west coast to Penang, before looping back to Singapore. We’d pass forests, paddy fields, and townships while cosseted in the silken luxury that Belmond’s sleepers are renowned for.”
Aboard the Rocky Mountaineer Train, Canada's Greatest Landscapes Unfold Slowly: “On the observation deck I silently watched low-slung vapor-like mist cling to the mountains or squinted for signs of wildlife through thick curtains of Douglas fir and spruce. I rarely looked at the time, clocking the hours instead by the shifts in the colors of rivers from cloudy blue to bright turquoise and steel gray.”

Eastern & Oriental Express

The piano bar on the Eastern & Oriental Express is resplendent in gold Thai silks, with tiger orchids blooming across a green carpet.
The piano bar on the Eastern & Oriental Express is resplendent in gold Thai silks, with tiger orchids blooming across a green carpet.
In the train’s glamorous dining cars, passengers dine on local dishes like laksa bouillabaisse.
In the train’s glamorous dining cars, passengers dine on local dishes like laksa bouillabaisse.

“Daytime excursions are designed to spotlight less-explored sides of Malaysia. On the second morning we rode a ferry to George Town, a colonial port on the island of Penang, where we twisted through its by-lanes by Vespa, exploring street murals, shop houses and artist ateliers. Other adventures were less planned: a longer-than-usual pit stop at the historic tin-mining town of Ipoh turned into a heritage walk, with train manager Wolfgang Eipeldauer leading a small group past stately colonial buildings and hip cafés with peeling paint and bright stools.” Read the full story by Arati Menon here.

California Zephyr

“Running between Chicago and Emeryville, California, the Zephyr is the longest continuous train ride in the United States, in operation since 1949. The route covers just over 2,400 miles in about 52 hours, traversing the American West through the scenic Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevadas. There are a few ways to tackle the train's lengthy route. You can ride all 52 hours in one fell swoop and spend two nights on board (in either a sleeping car or a regular coach seat). Or you can break up the journey and stop in different cities like Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Reno.” Read the full story by Nayanika Guha here.

Hiram Bingham

The luxurious Hiram Bingham train is comprised of several ornate carriages.
The luxurious Hiram Bingham train is comprised of several ornate carriages.
In the two dining cars, good food, drink, and conversation flow freely.
In the two dining cars, good food, drink, and conversation flow freely.

"Hiram Bingham, A Belmond Train, is one of the most sought-after train journeys in South America. The route starts at Poroy station in Cusco, Peru and delivers you to Machu Picchu, one of the seven wonders of the world. The luxurious train is comprised of several ornate carriages, including two dining carts that hold up to 84 passengers, a bar cart where Pisco Sours flow, and an open-air viewing cart for soaking in the scenic views." Read the full story by Sophie Knight here.

Rovos Rail

Four luxury trains operate across eleven Rovos Rail routes throughout southern Africa.
Four luxury trains operate across eleven Rovos Rail routes throughout southern Africa.

"The Rovos line in all its splendor—a vision of green and white carriages that draws the eye across the yellow veld—owes its existence to the foresight of South African Rohan Vos, who, back in 1989, took the business from unlikely dream to realization. With an embargo on handheld devices, required formal attire at dinner, four-course gourmet meals, all-day open bar, curated wine list, ready and hardworking staff, and pre-booked off-train excursions (the list goes one)—nothing like it exists on the African continent, in terms of scale or luxury." Read the full story by J.R. Patterson here.

Arlecchino Gio Ponti

The Arlecchino, designed by midcentury architect Gio Ponti, is known best for its front-facing observation car with a conductor's cabin hidden above.
The Arlecchino, designed by midcentury architect Gio Ponti, is known best for its front-facing observation car with a conductor's cabin hidden above.

Legend of midcentury architecture Gio Ponti designed the Arlecchino (which translates to “Harlequin”) during Italy’s postwar boom—it was inaugurated in 1960 as part of that year’s Olympics in Rome and retired in 1986. Then in 2015, the FS Foundation rescued the vintage train and embarked on a meticulous restoration that balanced a return to the original design with the introduction of the necessary technology to operate on the electric tracks that Italy runs on today. Read the full story by Charlie Hobbs here.

Darjeeling Express

The Darjeeling Express is affectionately known as one of India's “toy trains.”
The Darjeeling Express is affectionately known as one of India's “toy trains.”

The New Jalpaiguri station in Siliguri, one of the busiest junctions in northeast India, is the origin for the affectionately known ‘Toy Train’ to Darjeeling. Over seven and a half hours, the train clatters uphill at 4.4 mph, arriving around 5:30 p.m. into the city famous for its tea. Barely two strides wide, the rickety little service has been a much-loved feature of the landscape since the late nineteenth century when British colonizers first set it to work. Read the full story by Monisha Rajesh here.

Visuals by Pallavi Kumar and Andrea Edelman.

Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler

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