All Aboard

In 1870, Americans with an adventurous spirit could ride the transcontinental rail line from New York City to San Francisco for as little as $65 (roughly $1,575 today)—or twice that if they wanted to relax in a first-class sleeping car along the seven-day journey.

The prices have changed since then, and the landscape has been transformed to accommodate a growing population, but the experience is much the same.

Sitting in a comfortable seat with a beverage from the café car in hand, feeling the train’s gentle propulsion over the track, hearing the hum of the engine echoing in the deep valleys, watching the scenery pass by with rapt attention. The sensation is hypnotic as the view changes from sprawling neighborhoods to corn fields to mountain passes, punctuated occasionally by a roaring plunge into a darkened tunnel.

With all due respect to Japan’s Shinkansen high-speed rail, the slower the train ride the better. Travel today has become a race from Point A to Point B, eyes constantly fixed on the car’s GPS or the in-flight airline feed telling us how much longer we have to go. A train ride flips that ideal on its head, focusing more on, as the writer Brandon Sanderson efficiently states, “Journey before destination.”

That journey becomes all the more enjoyable on luxury trains that transport you in style through rugged terrain that is often difficult to explore by other means. Comprised of everything from converted 1930s Pullman carriages to newer builds featuring futuristic viewing bubbles, modern trains are akin to an intimate cruise experience: the route highlights the best of a region, experts narrate fascinating stories about your surroundings, and included meals are meticulously prepared. For those who are all aboard this idea, here are some of the world’s most compelling rail journeys for you to choo-choo-choose.

North and South America

Like on most continents, the railroads of the Americas were built starting in the early 1800s to connect metropolitan cities with remote destinations. As more passengers undertook these journeys, railways branched out to offer sleeping cars, beginning with the “Chambersburg” model on the Cumberland Valley Railroad in 1839. With the later addition of the first dining car—“The Delmonico” in 1868— the train vacation was born. Since then, railways have created many ways to lure passengers on board.

Those who ride the Rocky Mountaineer’s “First Passage to the West” through the Canadian Rockies can soak in the mountain passes and dramatic canyons via bi-level glass dome coaches and outdoor viewing platforms on their way from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Banff, Alberta. As the train glides through Spiral Tunnels, past alpine lakes, and across the Continental Divide, guests can look forward to afternoon activities off the train, such as ascending to the top of Sulphur Mountain on the Banff Gondola or canoeing across Lake Louise to discover dramatic views of Victoria Glacier.

Rocky Mountaineer riders sleep in hotels rather than staying on the train, but you don’t have to leave Amtrak’s California Zephyr. Suites can sleep up to four on this three-day route from Chicago to the San Francisco area, though you’ll want to stay awake as you chug across the sweeping plains of Nebraska, through the heart of the Rockies, amid the coppery deserts of Utah, and past the snow-capped Sierra Nevadas. Stretch out the journey by buying tickets for segments of the route, allowing you to stay in Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, or smaller stops before jumping back on board.

For an even more upscale experience, head further south to Peru to board the Belmond company’s Andean Explorer. On the first luxury sleeper train in South America, you’ll have hard choices to make. Will you focus on the train’s opulent interiors, sipping pisco sours (Peru’s national drink) in the lounge car before heading to the spa for a soothing massage, or will the jaw-dropping vistas of the world’s highest rail route steal your attention as you travel from Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, across the Andes to Lake Titicaca and Arequipa, a UNESCO World Heritage site framed by three volcanoes? You may need to ride the route twice to fully appreciate both perspectives.

Europe

Another elegant Belmond train experience awaits across the pond in Scotland. Offering two- to seven-night journeys into the heart of the Scottish Highlands, the Royal Scotsman is a moving celebration of everything Scottish. A Highland piper welcomes guests on board, where they’ll find interiors swathed with tartan upholstery, kilts to borrow, and a fine variety of Scotch. Grand suites include a personal butler as well as a cozy sofa perfectly positioned by an expansive window, providing the ideal viewing spot to see passing castles, villages, glens, and lochs. There’s even an openair observation carriage to take photos, take in the fresh air, and double-take at the vast night sky.

There is no open-air viewing platform on Switzerland’s Glacier Express, which is good since passengers would surely tumble off as the train rises and plummets on its trek through the Swiss Alps. The 180-mile route from Zermatt to St. Moritz only takes eight hours, but they’re an incredible eight hours. The train traverses 291 bridges, burrows through 91 tunnels, crosses both the Rhône and Rhine rivers, and takes you 6,670 feet above sea level at the Oberalp Pass. The captivating, ever-changing views are easy to take in through panoramic windows that extend overhead or from the lavish dining carriage with an apéritif in hand.

Remarkable Routes on Other Continents

Adventurers ready to travel a bit farther before boarding their train can find luxury on pretty much any continent.

The best train journeys traverse an entire country or region, giving you a prime position to witness the full spectrum of natural and human-made wonders it has to offer. Australia has two such train treks that connect its coasts: the east-west Indian Pacific and the north-south Ghan.

Traversing the southern third of the country as it travels more than 2,485 miles between Sydney and Perth, the Indian Pacific passes through a parade of varied landscapes, including the vibrant Blue Mountains and the endless flats of the Nullarbor Plain. Your ticket includes Off Train Experiences that tell Australia’s story, such as a wine-and-dine outing in the Barossa Valley. More Off Train Experiences await on The Ghan as you travel 1,851 miles through Australia’s otherworldly Red Centre from Adelaide to Darwin, including a tranquil roll past the towering cliffs of the Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. (Both the Indian Pacific and The Ghan also offer shorter trips.)

The Maharajas’ Express does not cross India, but its “Indian Splendour Journey” still showcases a significant slice of the nation’s heritage and culture on a seven-night journey that begins in Delhi and stops in Agra, Jaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and more before arriving in Mumbai. (You can go the other way on the “Heritage of India Journey.”) To live up to its self-given moniker of the “World’s Leading Luxury Train,” the journey includes lavish interiors, dining on plates edged with gold, Swarovski hand-cut crystal glasses filled with some of the best wines in the world, personal butlers, and numerous excursions transporting you to iconic palaces, forts, and World Heritage Sites.

That’s not a bad way to explore India or any other of these destinations, which is why train journeys have endured into the modern age. But what they truly do best—beyond all the luxurious bells and whistles—is encourage us to slow down, to breathe deeply, and to experience the world with eyes wide-open.