Trains provide an experience that is different than airplane. We all know that, what’s new? Well, an airplane journey gives you something to endure, you have to sit, and if there’s no window seat, forget the view. However in trains, the journey is the whole point. Let’s dive into this.
Sleeper trains as moving residency
Now this might sound a bit tacky but here’s the thing, you board a sleeper train, move through hundreds of kilometers, fall asleep, and when you wake up, your destination is much closer then where you boarded from.
The comfort of breeze
The soft swaying and shaking of the train makes you fall asleep with the wind flowing in from the windows. There’s nothing much going on outside, but its still interesting to look out, maybe to zone out peacefully perhaps. Though not all trains provide this, the core of a train journey is still there.
Glacier Express, Switzerland
If you want to travel by train, then one of the few trains would be the Glacier Express. It runs between Zermatt and St. Moritz and takes 8 hours. It’s a Swiss classic and crosses around 291 bridges with stunning scenery and 91 tunnels.
Bernina Express, Switzerland
Another beautiful train journey of which the Albula and Bernina lines received a UNESCO World Heritage Site title. This was in the year 2008, and today after so long, this line still hold its beauty.
Flåm Railway and Bergen Line, Norway
Now this might be a rollercoaster of a ride, mainly because it is one of the world’s most steepest lines and drops to around 860 meters. The line crosses the Hardangervidda plateau, filled with snow for the majority of the year.
Rocky Mountaineer and California Zephyr
This is a scenic train journey that runs only through daylight. Nights are spent in hotels along the route. The route covers 2,400 miles from Chicago to the Bay area and crosses the Rockies and Sierra Nevada, the two major mountain ranges.
The Ghan and Indian Pacific, Australia
This train follows a 2979 kilometer run from Adelaide to Darwin and from Sydney to Perth, it runs 4350 kilometers. It basically crosses an ocean to reach its destinations. This journey takes around 3 to 4 days to complete.
India’s Mountain Railways
Darjeeling, Nilgiri and Kalka-Shimla are railways that are also listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. These trains run through tea gardens, pine forests, old hill towns and what not. Truly a unique and peaceful journey.
Luxury Trains and the Trans-Siberian
There are a number of famous long train rides such as the Trans-Siberian which runs from Moscow to Vladivostok and travels around 9289 kilometers as a 7 days journey. These trains provide luxury experiences as if you’re in a moving hotel which is travelling through different locations.
