Eight of the world’s most breathtaking mountain train journeys, from Scotland to Canada
These train journeys are the pinnacle of perfection in train travel.
Eight train journeys from around the world that take you through spectacular mountain landscapes.
What’s more, they all have the seal of approval from Lonely Planet’s adventure experts, as they feature in the guide Amazing train journeys tome.
From the Scottish Highlands to the towering granite peaks of the Rockies, you’ll trudge along dizzying cliffs, clamber over epic bridges and navigate logic-defying tunnels.
Scroll down to discover which sensational service you would most like to book.
Rocky Mountaineer, Canada
The Rocky Mountaineer traverses spectacular scenery best viewed from the GoldLeaf class viewing car (above)
A trip on Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer sleeper service between Vancouver and Banff tops bucket lists the world over – and for good reason. For starters, it winds through some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet.
Lonely Planet says: ‘This train journey clatters along a pioneering 19th-century railway line, all at once a geology excursion, a sightseeing adventure and a wildlife safari. It promises cinematic views of Canada’s signature mountain landscapes, plus a host of engineering marvels, from vertiginous bridges to logic-defying tunnels.’
If you’re lucky, the book says, you might spot a bald eagle, moose or grizzly bear.
Passengers will also travel in style. Lonely Planet adds that those with top-tier ‘GoldLeaf’ tickets will have access to a double-decker carriage with a viewing platform on the upper level and a dining area on the lower level.
Visit: rockymountaineer.com.
La Trochita, Argentina
Passengers ride Argentina’s Andean La Trochita train in carriages with barely enough room to stand. But the views are incredible
What La Trochita (Little Railway) in Argentina lacks in luxury, it makes up for in stunning views.
Lonely Planet explains that this “antique steam train chugs through a desolate landscape” between Esquel and Nahuel Pan in the Argentine Andes, with passengers packed into such compact carriages that there’s barely enough room to stand upright.
The guide adds: ‘Heated by old-fashioned wood stoves, the train is tiny compared to the mountainous landscape. It has to stop regularly when a strong wind blows across the vast landscape.’
Visit latrochita.org.ar.
Serra Verde Express, Brazil
The Serra Verde Express ‘winds through dramatic mountain passes covered in tropical rainforest’
The Serra Verde Express is “one of Brazil’s most spectacular train journeys,” according to the Lonely Planet. According to the journey, the train “winds through dramatic mountain passes covered in tropical rainforest” and passes “gorges, jagged peaks and lush lowlands.”
In addition, it offers ‘a fascinating glimpse into the past, as it passes small stations dating back to the late 19th century’.
The journey begins in the town of Curitiba in the state of Paraná and ends in Morretes, a ‘picturesque colonial town on the banks of the Rio Nhundiaquara’.
Visit: railsouthamerica.com
Glacier Express, Switzerland
The Swiss Glacier Express (above) ‘opens up stunning Alpine scenery and winds over 291 bridges’
If the Swiss could choose their ultimate train journey, the honour would undoubtedly go to the Glacier Express.
That says Fantastic train journeys.
The description of the trip in the book reads: ‘This eight-hour journey from chic St. Moritz to Matterhorn-capped Zermatt takes you through the stunning Alpine scenery of the south of the country, winding up windy mountain passes, crossing 291 bridges and weaving through 91 tunnels.
‘The world’s slowest express train deliberately runs at a snail’s pace, so that the otherworldly views of meadows, forests, waterfalls and mountains are particularly appreciated.’
Visit: glacierexpress.ch/en.
The Little Yellow Train, France
The Petit Train Jaune glides through canyons to the highest station on the French railway network
The Petit Train Jaune (Little Yellow Train) is a mountain railway ‘often referred to as the most beautiful train in France’, taking passengers ‘through the sawtooth-shaped mountains of the Pyrenees’ in sunflower-yellow carriages.
The train, which has been running since 1910, begins its journey in the walled town of Villefranche-de-Conflent, the book explains, and “then travels inches past canyons and dizzying cliffs” to Bolquère-Eyne, which at 1,592 meters is the highest station on the French rail network.
The last stop is Latour-de-Carol, close to the Spanish border.
Visit: raileurope.com
Bernina Express, Switzerland
The Bernina Express offers passengers views of ‘glacier-capped mountains, waterfall-covered ravines and jewel-colored lakes’
The Bernina Express, which runs from Chur in Graubünden to Tirano in northern Italy, is, as the book points out, often considered one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world.
Why? Because it offers passengers views of “glacier-capped mountains, waterfall-filled canyons, jewel-toned lakes and endless spruce forests, all seen through panoramic windows.”
The book notes that the railway itself is also a marvel, ‘with 55 tunnels and 196 bridges’.
Visit: tickets.rhb.ch.
Kalka to Shimla, India
Board a train on the Kalka-Shimla line and enjoy ‘soul-stirring views’ and a journey to ‘deafening heights’
The narrow-gauge Kalka–Shimla railway in the Himalayas “runs along the foothills of the world’s mightiest mountains,” according to Amazing Train Journeys.
Climb aboard and enjoy ‘stunning views’ and a journey to ‘deafening heights’. Kalka is at an altitude of 2,150 feet (665 metres) and Shimla at 6,811 feet (2,076 metres).
The service on this line is provided by Indian Railways.
Visit: railyatri.in
Caledonian Sleeper, London Euston to Fort William
The Caledonian Sleeper (above) embodies the romance of train travel, according to Lonely Planet
The train crosses the Allt Kinglass Viaduct (seen in the distance) and Corrour in Scotland
The Caledonian Sleeper takes passengers from London Euston to Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William. Lonely Planet rates the journey to Fort William – which crosses the dramatic Allt Kinglass Viaduct and stops at Corrour, Britain’s highest station at 1,338 ft (408 m) – as the best of the bunch.
It says: ‘The transition from the sooty suburbs and busy, concrete-lined cul-de-sacs of central London to the fresh air and dramatic views of the Scottish Highlands, via a single overnight train journey, is the epitome of rail travel romance.’
Visit: sleeper.scot.
Amazing Train Journeys – 60 Unforgettable Rail Trips and How to Experience Them, from Lonely Planet, is available now (£22.99)
