There is a category of travel experience that no flight can replicate. The train journey — slow, panoramic, unhurried — remains the most civilised way to move through a landscape. Here are seven that belong on every serious traveller's list.
1. The Glacier Express — Switzerland
Running between Zermatt and St. Moritz, the Glacier Express crosses 291 bridges and passes through 91 tunnels across the heart of the Swiss Alps. It takes around eight hours — making it the world's slowest express train — and every minute is worth it. The panoramic windows frame the Matterhorn, the Rhône Glacier, and the Engadin valley in a continuously shifting alpine theatre.
2. The Maharajas' Express — India
One of the world's most luxurious trains, the Maharajas' Express traverses Rajasthan in extraordinary style. Onboard: butler service, a club car stocked with Rajasthani spirits, and a restaurant serving multi-course Mughal feasts. Off the train: private access to palaces, forts, and sunrise elephant encounters. It is less a train journey than a rolling palace.
3. The Trans-Siberian — Russia
At 9,289 kilometres, the Trans-Siberian is the longest railway line on earth. The full Moscow-to-Vladivostok route takes seven nights. You pass through eight time zones, across the Urals, along the shores of Lake Baikal — the world's deepest lake — and into the endless Siberian taiga. Bring books. And tea. Many cups of tea.
4. The Rovos Rail — South Africa
Arguably the most beautiful train in the world, the Rovos Rail runs from Cape Town to Dar es Salaam through the Karoo desert, the Hex River Valley, and past the great game parks of Zimbabwe and Tanzania. Each carriage is Edwardian teak; each suite has a private ensuite and an observation platform that delivers the African landscape at sunset in a way that no words adequately capture.
Cabinly Tip
Book train passes well in advance — especially for the Glacier Express in summer and the Maharajas' Express during peak season (October–March). Use Tiqets to compare rail pass options and secure the best available fares.
5. The Bergen Railway — Norway
The Bergen Railway between Oslo and Bergen is regularly voted one of Europe's most beautiful rail journeys. It crosses the Hardangervidda plateau — the largest high mountain plateau in northern Europe — passing through a landscape of frozen lakes, wooden stave churches, and dramatic waterfalls. In winter the train cuts through a white silence that feels genuinely otherworldly.
6. The Flåm Railway — Norway
Short but sensational: the Flåm Railway descends 863 metres in just 20 kilometres, spiralling through mountain tunnels and past roaring waterfalls including the magnificent Kjosfossen. It connects the Myrdal plateau to the Aurlandsfjord below — one of the arms of the UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord system — and remains one of the steepest standard-gauge railways on earth.
7. The Palace on Wheels — India
A more accessible alternative to the Maharajas' Express, the Palace on Wheels still delivers a princely experience through Rajasthan. Seven nights from Delhi through Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Agra — a golden triangle plus the desert west. Each carriage is named after a royal state; each has a personal attendant and a dining car serving authentic Rajasthani cuisine.
