Lonely Planet's Top Train Journeys: Glacier Express, TransAlpine, and More

Booking Train Travel Tips

• 🗓️ Book train tickets in advance, with booking windows typically shorter than flights, ranging from 3 to 9 months, and up to a year for some routes like London to Paris.
• 💰 Dynamic pricing is common, so booking earlier generally secures better value.
• 🌐 Utilize the internet for booking, similar to flight arrangements.

Iconic European Rail Journeys

• 🇨🇭 The Glacier Express in Switzerland offers an 8-hour journey through stunning alpine scenery, crossing hundreds of bridges and tunnels, from Zermatt to St. Moritz.
• 💡 While not fast, it's a highlight of European travel; consider alternative routes between St. Moritz and Chur/Zermatt for potentially better deals, though you might miss the panoramic windows.
• ❄️ The ideal time to visit the Glacier Express is May-June for wildflowers, but winter can offer spectacular snowy landscapes, with a risk of cloudy weather.
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 The Kyle Line in Scotland, from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, features rapidly changing scenery, from snow-capped mountains to palm trees, with a mile-by-mile guide provided.
• 🇬🇧 The Caledonian Sleeper from London to Fort William is an iconic overnight journey through the Scottish Highlands, offering a lounge car and breakfast with views of rugged landscapes.
• 🚂 Consider extending the Caledonian Sleeper journey to Mallaig to ride the Jacobite steam train over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, famous from Harry Potter.

Wilderness and Cultural Train Experiences

• 🇲🇽 The Copper Canyon in Mexico provides a scenic route with opportunities to stop overnight and immerse in local culture.
• 🇦🇺 A transcontinental journey across Australia from Perth to Adelaide and then to Cairns offers a fantastic wilderness experience, with incredible stargazing due to the clear, dry atmosphere.
• 🇳🇿 The TransAlpine train in New Zealand's South Island travels from Christchurch across the Southern Alps to the west coast, featuring a graded change in scenery and an open observation car.
• 🇵🇪 The train journey from Cusco to Machu Picchu in Peru, and onward to Lake Titicaca, offers a glimpse into the high-altitude Altiplano and the culture of the Aymara people.
• 🇳🇴 The Flåm Railway in Norway, from Myrdal down through waterfalls to Flåm, is described as an incredible waterfall train journey, with options to walk or cycle parts of the route.

Onboard Dining and Passes

• 🍽️ Dining experiences vary greatly; Amtrak's long-distance services offer a classic communal meal experience, similar to some European trains with buffet cars.
• 🇵🇱 A secret tip suggests Polish and Czech dining cars offer excellent value and quality.
• 🚄 Modernizing trains often reduce dining space, leading to more snack-focused options, especially on high-speed services like in France.
• 🎟️ Rail passes, like the Eurail Pass, can offer excellent value for extensive travel, especially for younger travelers, though point-to-point tickets might be more economical for fewer journeys.

Considerations for Train Travel

• ⚠️ Be aware that trains can experience delays, and missed connections are a possibility, so factor this into travel plans.
• 🏙️ A benefit of train travel is that stations are typically in city centers, making it easier to find accommodation if delays occur.
• 🇨🇦 For the Canadian Rockies, September is a good time to travel, offering fall foliage and fewer crowds, with options like the Canadian VIA Rail service or the premium Rocky Mountaineer.