The World's Great Rail Journeys

Australia — vast landscapes and transcontinental journeys

The Ghan — Darwin–Adelaide. One of the world's great rail journeys, crossing the Australian interior from the tropical Top End through Alice Springs and the Red Centre to South Australia.

Indian Pacific — Sydney–Adelaide–Perth. A remarkable east–west crossing of Australia, covering about 4,352 km and traversing the Blue Mountains, the outback and the Nullarbor Plain.

Great Southern — Brisbane–Adelaide. A more recent luxury journey showcasing Australia's southeastern landscapes, including the Hunter Valley and regional Victoria.

Best description: rail journeys across a continent—red deserts, endless plains, tropical landscapes and the vast Nullarbor.

South Africa — luxury, wildlife and dramatic landscapes

The Blue Train — Pretoria–Cape Town. Perhaps South Africa's most famous luxury train, combining elegant onboard travel with changing scenery across the Karoo and toward Cape Town.

Rovos Rail — particularly the Pretoria–Cape Town journey, travelling through the Great Karoo and historic landscapes. Rovos also operates journeys towards Durban, Victoria Falls and Namibia, combining rail travel with wildlife and safari experiences.

Rovos Rail Durban Safari — a shorter journey combining luxury rail with the South African bushveld and safari.

Best description: the romance of colonial-era luxury combined with African wilderness, wildlife and spectacular landscapes.

Canada — wilderness, Rockies and vast distances

The Canadian — Toronto–Vancouver. One of North America's iconic long-distance train journeys, crossing the country through forests, lakes, the Prairies and finally the Rocky Mountains. The journey is about 4,406 km and four nights.

Rocky Mountaineer — especially Vancouver–Kamloops–Banff/Lake Louise or routes towards Jasper. This is the quintessential Canadian sightseeing train, focused on daylight views of the Rockies rather than overnight travel.

Jasper–Prince Rupert — a spectacular VIA Rail journey from the Rockies through British Columbia's forests and wilderness to the Pacific coast.

Winnipeg–Churchill — a very different experience, travelling through boreal forest and subarctic landscapes towards Hudson Bay, with opportunities for polar-bear and beluga encounters around Churchill.

Famous trains and rail journeys in India

Palace on Wheels — One of India's best-known luxury trains, travelling through Rajasthan, typically including Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer. It combines ornate interiors with India's royal heritage.

Maharajas' Express — India's flagship luxury train, offering itineraries through Rajasthan, Agra and Varanasi, with highlights such as the Taj Mahal, forts, palaces and the Ganges.

Deccan Odyssey — A luxury journey associated with Maharashtra and western India, with itineraries incorporating destinations such as Mumbai, Goa, Rajasthan and the Taj Mahal.

Golden Chariot — The principal luxury train of southern India, showcasing Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Goa, with temples, palaces, wildlife and historic cities.

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway — “Toy Train” — Perhaps India's most famous scenic railway. The historic narrow-gauge line climbs from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling, winding through Himalayan foothills and tea country. It is a UNESCO World Heritage railway.

Kalka–Shimla Railway — Another celebrated Himalayan mountain railway, climbing through the hills to Shimla via hundreds of curves, bridges and tunnels. It forms part of the UNESCO-listed Mountain Railways of India.

Nilgiri Mountain Railway — Running from Mettupalayam to Udhagamandalam (Ooty) in Tamil Nadu, this historic mountain railway is famous for its steep gradients, steam locomotives and dramatic Nilgiri scenery.

Kashmir railway — Vande Bharat / Kashmir Valley journeys — The newer rail connection into the Kashmir Valley offers spectacular Himalayan scenery and represents a very different side of Indian rail travel: modern engineering in extreme mountain terrain.

Vande Bharat Express — India's modern high-speed-ish intercity train family, representing the country's transition from traditional railways to faster, more contemporary rail travel. It is useful as India's counterpart to the modern trains of Europe, Japan and China.