THE RIGHT TRACK
Seven global train journeys where getting there is all the fun
FROM epic journeys to day trips, sophisticated luxury to casual charm — and high-speed to slow ride — rail travel is the ultimate “something-for-everyone” form of travel. Here are seven great rail trips on five must-visit continents.
THE LONGEST RIDE:
Mongolia, Siberia, Russia Take this 12-night adventure from Mongolia’s capital and wild grasslands to remote Siberian towns and on to the taiga (the largest unbroken forest in the world) and eventually Moscow. You’ll log 3,917 miles on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express and experience three distinctive cultures (Mongol, Buryat, and Russian). Along the way, you’ll view nomad sporting competitions at the Naadam Festival in Ulaanbataar, myriad UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the very spot in Ekaterinburg where the last Russian czar Nicholas II and his family were executed by Bolsheviks in 1918, plus Moscow’s Red Square and Kremlin. One departure in 2017: July 10–22. Fares start at $15,895 per person, double occupancy ( MirCorp.com/trip).
BIG THRILL:
Ecuador’s Boutique Railway
Wave back to the people. Delighted Ecuadoreans line the tracks, waving proudly when Tren Ecuador, the country’s mid-19th-century steam locomotive train rolls through their towns and villages. Tren Crucero, an elite (maximum 30 passengers) four-day guided journey from Guayaquil to Quito climbs from the coast through cloud forest to the Andean highlands -- and in reverse. You’ll ride in beautifully restored and modern carriages designed for lounging, dining and great views — one car features an observation terrace. A favorite highlight: navigating the steep-walled Devil’s Nose Pass — the train must zig-zag from track to track, sometimes just inches from the edge. Rates are $1,650 per person, including meals and beverages, and off-train overnights. Tren Ecuador can offer a two-for-the-price-of-one ticket, a steal ( TrenEcuador.com).
JUST UNVEILED:
Latest Luxury Ride in Peru Combine ancient culture and high-Andes scenery on Belmond’s new train in Peru, traveling from Cusco, the ancient Inca capital, to Lake Titicaca (highest navigable lake in the world) to Arequipa, a magical city of white volcanic stone architecture beneath snow- capped volcanoes. On the Andean Explorer’s Peruvian Highlands trip, you’ll savor a slow ride, two nights/ three days with breathtaking landscapes, elegant cabins, a two-car restaurant, an openair observation car, and one more thing — a grand piano in the bar. Rates for a twin-bed cabin start at $1,440 per person double occupancy, including meals, open bar, and excursions ( Belmond. com/es/belmond-andeanexplorer).
WILD CANADA:
Creature Watching in Churchill
Ride Via Rail Canada to a place unreachable by car, the top of Manitoba on the shore of Hudson Bay, to witness wildlife extraordinaire. The two-night roundtrip journey from Winnipeg to Churchill covers 1,056 miles. Travel mid-June through August to observe beluga whales in the Churchill River. Visit between October through November, and you’ll see polar bears near Churchill. From mid-November to mid-April, you’ve got a shot at witnessing the aurora borealis. Roundtrip fares for sleeper cabins start at $1,034 per person, including meals ( ViaRail.ca/trains/en).
SEA TO SEA:
Crossing Australia From Adelaide on Australia’s southern coast to the country’s wild red-hued heartland to Darwin on the Timor Sea, The Ghan train packs a lot of beauty and history into 47 hours. The two-night trip covers 1,851 miles, with a four-hour stop at Alice Springs to visit Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock — the world’s largest sandstone monolith — and one day spent amongst aboriginal Australians whose ancestors arrived on the continent 50,000 years ago. Fares start at $2,069 per person for gold service twin cabins, with all-inclusive dining, beverages, and excursions ( GreatSouthernRail.com.au).
LIVING HISTORY:
Colorado’s Southwest Corner If trains could talk, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad would have endless stories to tell. In continuous operation since 1882, the train evokes images of the Old West, while navigating steep mountain passes and five crossings of the mighty Animas River. From Durango, the train climbs 3,000 feet in elevation over 45 miles to the old mining town of Silverton, a roundtrip journey of 9-1/4 hours with plenty of time for lunch and poking around Silverton. Roundtrip deluxe fare is $89 per person, May through October ( Durango Train.com).
THE STUNNER:
Gob Smacked in the Swiss Alps If good things come in small packages, that must be true for this jawdropping day trip in the Swiss Alps. Since 1930, the Glacier Express has been thrilling passengers with trips between St. Moritz and Zermatt, which sits just below the Matterhorn. During an eight-hour journey, the train averages 24 miles per hour, navigates through 91 tunnels, and crosses 291 bridges. Fares start from $154 ( RHB.ch/en/home).