7 great train journeys from around the world
Justine Tyerman crosses four continents in her search for the greatest train voyages in the world.
You can keep your grand, 16-storey cruise ships that sail from one exotic port to the next with endless views of blue sea and sky. When I travel the world, I prefer to journey by train, attached to terra firma, with the multi-hued kaleidoscope of Mother Earth flickering by accompanied by the music and the rhythm of the rail.
I counted up my Great Train Journeys to date and to my surprise, I discovered the tally was seven . . . so far. All vastly different trips and all with Rail Europe, although only two of the experiences – the Bernina Express and the Glacier Express – were actually in Europe. The others were in Peru, Australia and New Zealand. Rail Europe has a portfolio of Great Train Journeys from 50 rail companies all around the world – the Americas, Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, and Africa.
1. The Indian Pacific, Australia
The Indian Pacific was my first-ever long-distance train experience. The epic four-day, three-night, 4352km, 65-hour journey across the vast continent of Australia from Perth on the Indian Ocean to Sydney on the Pacific Ocean marked the beginning of my addiction to train travel.
The journey traverses three states, time zones and capital cities, and offers a myriad of contrasting landscapes - from the undulating hills of the green Avon Valley and the vast Western Australian wheat-lands to the immense, other-worldly, dead-flat, treeless Nullarbor Plain; from the graceful garden city of Adelaide, population 1.7 million, to the remote ghost town of Cook, population four; from the strange rock formations of the South Australian desert to the staggeringly-high sandstone escarpments, cliffs, waterfalls and famous Three Sisters landmark of the Blue Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage area.
We stopped along the way at places like Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia, the site of one of the biggest gold rushes (1893) in Australian history. Next was Rawlinna on the fringe of the Nullarbor Plain, home to the largest sheep station in Australia, the 2.5 million acre Rawlinna Station. Then Broken Hill, Australia's oldest mining town and the world's richest lead-zinc ore deposit. We watched a highly-entertaining live show at the Palace Hotel called 'The Main Drag' in honour of the 1994 hit movie Priscilla, Queen of the Desert which was filmed at Broken Hill.
It was four days of sublime relaxation, gourmet cuisine, unlimited fine wine, cocktails and beer, comfortable private cabins with ensuite bathrooms, excellent entertainment, superb service, exciting off-train excursions and an ever-changing montage of Australian countryside.
I found myself gazing out the window for hours, brain in neutral, a gear I often find hard to locate these days.
There was no WiFi on the train so passengers of all ages played card games, read books, daydreamed, dozed and engaged with each other rather than their iPhones. So refreshing.
2. The Ghan, Australia
The four-day, three-night, 2979km Ghan Expedition from Darwin to Adelaide through the ‘Red Centre’ of Australia left an indelible imprint on my memory.
When it was launched 90 years ago, The Ghan was known as the Afghan Express, having taken its name from the 19th century Afghan cameleers who helped blaze a trail through the country’s remote interior. Today, the twin diesel-electric locomotives and the 38 silver carriages on the 903-metre, 1700-tonne train all bear the emblem of an Afghan riding a camel.
Unlike my experience on The Indian Pacific where much of the time travelling from Perth to Sydney was spent on the train, the itinerary on The Ghan revolved around off-train excursions.
The first was a barge cruise on the Katherine River in the Northern Territory’s magnificent 292,000-hectare Nitmiluk National Park surrounded by steep-sided sandstone canyons. We viewed aboriginal rock paintings thousands of years old.
At Alice Springs we learned about the history, geology, flora and fauna of Australia’s most famous Outback town. Called ‘Mpwante’ by the indigenous Arrernte people, the area has been inhabited for around 40,000 years.
Simpson’s Gap is a deep gash in the West MacDonnell Ranges dating back 60 million years. Known to the Arrernte as ‘Rungutjirpa’, the gap is the mythological home of their giant goanna ancestors and the site of several Dreaming trails.
The cuisine on The Ghan was exceptional every day but dinner outside under the stars at the historic 1872 Alice Springs Telegraph Station was unforgettable.
Coober Pedy in South Australia is renowned for its exquisite opals and unique underground dwellings designed to escape the extreme heat and cold.
The town’s 18-hole golf course, one of the 10 most unique golf courses in the world, is totally grassless and uses oiled earth for the ‘greens’.
The Breakaways is a surreal landscape where a series of colourful flat-topped hills or ‘mesa’ appear to have broken free and drifted away from the Stuart Ranges.
Nearby, we viewed a section of the world’s longest fence, the 5300km Dog Fence, built in the 1880s to protect sheep against dingo attacks.
I still have vivid flashbacks of ancient red rocks, dazzling desert sunrises and sunsets, the smoky taste of beef tenderloins barbecued under the stars, champagne shared around an open fire, and the warm-hearted strangers who befriended a solo traveller.
3. Belmond Andean Explorer, Peru
The Belmond Andean Explorer two-day, two-night Great Train Journey from Arequipa to Cusco travels over the Peruvian Andes on one of the highest train routes in the world.
And does so in style with luxurious cabins and ensuite bathrooms, elegant restaurants serving gourmet cuisine and fine wines, a bar, piano lounge, open-air observation car and even a spa car.
The off-train excursions were outstanding. At Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake (3812m above sea level), we visited Las Islas Flotantes de los Uros, the Floating Islands of the Uros people. For more than 3000 years, the Uros have constructed small islands, boats and houses from totora, a giant bulrush reed that grows in the lake shallows.
At Taquile Island, the hillsides were covered in ancient, pre-Inca tiered terraces where the islanders grow crops. The Taquileños are renowned for their excellent handmade textiles regarded as among the highest-quality handicrafts in Peru. After exuberant songs and dances performed by a troupe of brightly-dressed local men and women and a tiny tot, a tasty lunch was served at a restaurant overlooking Lake Titicaca – you can see the snowy mountains of Bolivia on the horizon.
Next day, we stopped at Raqch’i, the site of the Temple of Wiracocha, the Inca god of creation. The massive, imposing structure was built by the Incas over a period of 40 years in the 15th century.
The train travelled at such a leisurely pace, you could see detail from the observation car - women in bright, full skirts and black top hats; dusty terracotta villages; crops laid out in the sun to dry; cows, sheep and goats on leads tethered to stakes; the remains of ancient Inca walls and terraces; and the foamy, grey-green Vilcanota River.
The cuisine, wines and service were exceptional. We were totally spoilt by the charming, attentive crew.
Spend a few days in Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire, set high in the Peruvian Andes, 3399m above sea level, before boarding the Belmond Hiram Bingham to Machu Picchu (see below).
4. Belmond Hiram Bingham, Peru
Travel from Cusco to Machu Picchu, the legendary ‘City of the Incas’, aboard a train named in honour of the American historian and explorer — Hiram Bingham III — who rediscovered the ancient Inca citadel in 1911 and introduced it to the modern world.
The Belmond Hiram Bingham was launched in 2003 to recreate the romance and grandeur of train travel and since then it has transported thousands of passengers through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to Machu Picchu. The mere mention of the place makes my spine tingle.
I travelled the 112km route on a perfect autumn day with clear skies and warm sunshine. The landscape along the way was breath-taking – the patchwork plains of Anta, known as ‘the breadbasket of Cusco; magnificent mountain peaks and distant glaciers; perpendicular red cliffs towering high on either side of the train; deep ravines with swiftly-flowing rivers; hillsides dotted with Inca ruins and stone-walled terraces; tall cacti with fierce spikes; and hardy hikers with heavy packs walking the four-day, 42km Camino Inca which ascends to 4200m.
Apart from enjoying a superb lunch in the restaurant car, I spent the daylight hours of the journey in the open-air observation car. I could not bear to be inside on such a pristine day.
In the adjacent bar, the resident trio played all my favourite songs, accompanied by the occasional blast of the train horn.
After three-hours and 20-minutes, the train reached its final destination at Aguas Calientes, (2040m), where we boarded a coach to take us up the narrow, zig-zag road to Machu Picchu, one of the all-time highlights of my travelling life. But that’s another story . . . and a long one at that.
En route back to Cusco, the bar car morphed into a lively dance floor as the train chugged on through the dark night. Later in the evening, a sensational four-course à la carte dinner with magnificent wines capped off a truly magical day.
5. TranzAlpine, South Island, New Zealand
Lambs frolicked on lush, green Canterbury pastures, the aqua-turquoise Waimakariri River sparkled in the spring sunshine and fresh snow blanketed the Southern Alps the day I boarded the TranzAlpine Great Train Journey in New Zealand’s South Island.
Covering a distance of 223 kilometres, the train travels across the tall, slim island from Christchurch on the East Coast to Greymouth on the West Coast in just under five hours.
Food, beverages and an excellent commentary were provided inside the warm, comfortable carriages with their huge panoramic windows . . . but, as usual, I spent most of the five-hour trip standing in the blustery open-air observation car along with other puffer-jacketed, woolly-gloved, beanie-clad photo-snappers.
The TranzAlpine traverses spectacular landscapes including the 72-metre high Staircase Viaduct over the Waimakariri Gorge; the golden tussock lands of the Craigieburn Plain; beautiful Lake Pearson tucked at the foothills of the alps; black-green forested mountains with snowy white peaks; the much-photographed long, low bridge over the Waimakariri River; and the high alpine village of Arthur’s Pass.
After the 8.5km Otira Tunnel, the landscape changed as the TranzAlpine emerged on the West Coast, a region that never fails to intrigue with its misty rainforests, snow-capped mountains, moody lakes and swift rivers.
The train stopped for about an hour in Greymouth, the West Coast's largest city. I strolled along the river bank walkway in bright sunshine, stopping at a poignant memorial to the coal miners who had lost their lives in the region.
I reboarded the TranzAlpine for what I expected to be a more relaxed return trip, seated in my comfy armchair. But the landscape, transformed by the long shadows of late afternoon and a dazzling sunset, demanded I return to the observation carriage.
Mercifully, darkness finally fell, allowing me no option but to sit inside and enjoy tasty lamb shanks and pinot noir for dinner.
6. The Bernina Express, Switzerland
For the ultimate in breath-taking scenic experiences, take the UNESCO World Heritage Bernina Express from Chur in Eastern Switzerland over the Bernina Pass to Tirano in Northern Italy – part of the Ultimate Grand Train Tour of Switzerland.
The panoramic carriages were super-luxurious with fine food, wine and an informative commentary but, spellbound by the staggering landscape, it will come as no surprise to learn that I chose to travel in the open ‘wagon’ at the rear of the train for the entire four-hour trip. The scenery was overwhelming, delivering a massive sensory overload. The Bernina Massif with Piz Bernina reigning supreme at 4048m towered above the mighty Morteratsch Glacier and the twin lakes of Lago Bianco (White Lake) and Lej Nair (Black Lake), named for their pale aqua and ink blue colours.
The train reaches its highest point at stunning Ospizio Bernina, 2253m above sea level. From there we skirted the shores of Lago Bianco and began our long descent to Tirano.
We stopped at Alp Grüm, 2091m, built in 1923. The old stone station houses a lovely restaurant and hotel where white duvets were airing in the windowsills in typically-Swiss alpine fashion.
The passengers piled out and gazed at Palü Lake, an exquisite turquoise jewel fed by melt waters from the glacier beneath Piz Palü.
On the steep downward leg, the landscape and architecture took on a distinctly Mediterranean flavour. The Brusio Circular Viaduct is a remarkable engineering masterpiece, which allows the train to lose height within a short distance and confined space. Opened in 1908, the 360-degree, 110m spiral viaduct is a jaw-dropping sight.
There are such contrasts on this trip - from the clear, sharp, light and cool, dry air of the high Swiss alps to the soft, diffuse, golden haze and warm, velvet air of the Italian lakes' district.
I would do it again in a heartbeat.
7. The Glacier Express, Switzerland
The Glacier Express from Zermatt to St Moritz in Switzerland is famed as the ‘slowest express train in the world’. The journey covers less than 290km but takes about eight hours, crossing 291 bridges and passing through 91 tunnels - part of the Ultimate Grand Train Tour of Switzerland.
Of all my Great Train Journeys, this is the only one where the weather did not behave well. On a clear day it would be a magnificent trip. However, a tasty lunch and prosecco compensated for the lack of view.
From Zermatt (1604m) to Visp, the train travelled through the narrow Matter Valley, the deepest cleft valley in Switzerland. The lower reaches of country’s highest mountains towered more than 4000m metres on either side, albeit with their heads in the clouds. Waterfalls gushed off cliff edges to the foamy, glacier-fed river alongside the train.
The history and engineering of the track is fascinating. The first train ran from Visp to Zermatt in 1891 after two and a half years’ of construction. The narrow-gauge track uses a rack-and-pinion or cogwheel mechanism for traction on the steepest sections. The train brought tourism and prosperity to communities who had for centuries, lived off the land.
At Oberwald, we plunged into the 15km Furka Tunnel opened in 1982 to connect Zermatt and St Moritz all year round.
From Andermatt (1435m) we climbed steeply to Oberalppass (2033m), the highest point of the journey. The train handled the ascent slowly but surely with the help of the cogwheel track.
The Glacier Express then descended to the valley floor and entered the dramatic Rhine Gorge, known as Switzerland’s Grand Canyon, a unique landscape with bizarre stone formations created by huge landslides 10,000 years ago.
I disembarked at Chur (585m), the oldest town in Switzerland dating back 5000 years. I had already travelled from Chur to Saint Moritz a few years earlier on a pristine, clear autumn day so I can guarantee that, blessed with fine weather, this two-hour section of the Glacier Express is utterly mind-boggling - vertiginously-high viaducts, spiral tunnels, deep gorges, castle ruins, swirling rivers, turquoise lakes, impressive hydro-electric dams and breath-taking mountain peaks.
Just pray for a fine day!
Be warned!
There’s an undeniable romance, style and elegance associated with train travel. It’s the most leisurely, stress-free way to explore a country for people of all ages. The crew take care of all the logistics. There’s no need to navigate in a foreign land - the days are literally mapped out for you.
But be warned! Train travel is seriously addictive. It takes root in one’s psyche and refuses to budge. One journey leads to another, and another...
I’m currently 'in training', brushing up on my Irish accent in preparation to feed my addiction on the Belmond Grand Hibernian...
Rail Europe is the world’s leading and most trusted distributor of rail tickets, passes and scenic rail journeys. Great Train Journeys is Rail Europe’s portfolio of luxury scenic train experiences around the world. Call Auckland 09 377 5420 for more information or visit www.greattrainjourneys.co.nz.