There's a storied pillar of the travel world currently undergoing a renaissance due to its unique ability to add extra layers of depth, meaning, and even romance, to the trips of nearly every style of traveller: the rail journey.
Efficient, evocative, and effortlessly immersive. Rail travel captures the romance and nostalgia of classic journeys from a bygone era while embracing the sustainability and elevated luxury of today. If you're looking for a more meaningful travel experience, where the journey itself is as rewarding as the destination, then look no further than these rail journeys, brought to you by Goway and our trusted travel partners.
Add more meaning to your journeys by connecting with a Goway Destination Specialist today.
Slow Travel by Train: Scenic Rail Journeys That Let You Linger
The most memorable travel moments are often the slowest, calmest, and most peaceful ones. The ones that linger just long enough for you to recognize the beautiful simplicities, intricacies, and curiosities of the moment you're in. This is where rail travel excels.
Grand Train Tour of Switzerland
Slow travel replaces the high-paced rush of trying to fit every little thing a destination has to offer in one trip with fewer, more meaningful, and often higher-quality experiences. One such example is the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland. "This itinerary encompasses three epic panoramic train routes in Switzerland: the Golden Pass Express, the Bernina Express, and the Gotthard Panorama Express," says Marc Sison, vice president of Goway's Central and Northern Europe division. "I particularly love the Bernina Express, a component sometimes referred to as 'from glaciers to palm trees' because it fully captures the diversity of Switzerland."
This world-renowned rail journey covers over 1,280 km (795 mi), taking you to five different UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These include Switzerland's medieval capital, the Old Town of Bern; the Abbey District of St. Gallen; the medieval Castles of Bellinzona in Ticino; the Lavaux Vineyards along Lake Geneva; and the Rhaetian Railway, an engineering marvel of viaducts and tunnels carved through the Swiss Alps. The winter tour also includes the Glacier Express, undoubtedly Switzerland's most iconic and luxurious slow travel option. This portion of the Grand Train Tour winds slowly across the Alps from St. Moritz to Zermatt, rolling through 91 tunnels and over 291 bridges. Just picture looking out at the imposing Swiss Alps, the dramatic Rhine Gorge, and the secluded Lake Sils, all from your luxurious coach with an onboard bar and concierge service.
Orient Silk Road Express
You'll find another top-notch rail experience to the east in central Asia that provides the "unpack once" pleasure of slow travel. The 15-day Orient Silk Road Express is a comfortable and immersive way to travel along the legendary rail route. Settle into a private cabin and wake up in a new Silk Road city nearly every morning as you venture through Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. This two-week-long sojourn moves at an intentionally measured pace, giving you ample time to feel the scenery and geography instead of simply flying over it. The Tien Shan foothills and elevated plateaus gradually shift to the Kyzylkum Desert and oases as you enjoy your time chatting over tea with your travel companions, soothed by the rhythm of the railroad.
Embark on the Orient Silk Road Express rail journey with Goway.
Ultra‑Luxury Train Journeys: Five‑Star Hotels on Rails
If you thought opting for those first-class plane tickets made your trip as luxurious as possible, think again. The ultra-luxe experiences offered by the world's premier rail journeys are the gold standard of luxurious transportation, elevating the best features of first-class flights and transforming the journey into an experience.
Rovos Rail Great Southern Africa Train Adventures
Rovos Rail's 16-night journey from Cape Town to Dar es Salaam is one of the luxurious rail journeys in the world. This extraordinary journey takes you across nearly half the African continent, through South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Tanzania. The Cape Peninsula vineyards and coastal scenery give way to highveld grasslands and East African plains full of wildlife before your eyes. Yet onboard, wood-panelled cabins with full ensuite bathrooms, air-conditioning, private lounges, 24-hour concierge service, and fine-dining experiences with formal evening attire create an extraordinary luxury experience.
Your journey also includes day tours at the historic 19th-century village of Matjiesfontein, the diamond town of Kimberly, and South Africa's capital, Pretoria, before two nights in the Madikwe Game Reserve. You will eventually find yourself basking in the awe-inspiring views of Victoria Falls and overnighting at the iconic Victoria Falls Hotel, before crossing the spectacular Zambezi River into Zambia and Tanzania. Then, begin climbing and winding through the tunnels, switchbacks, and viaducts of the lush Udzungwa Mountains and crossing the Nyerere National Park, Africa's largest, before you arrive in Dar es Salaam. Those interested in a shorter journey while still experiencing Rovos Rail's iconic slow-travel luxury and nostalgia can opt for the three-night journey from Pretoria to Cape Town.
The Ghan, Indian Pacific & Great Southern Coastal in Australia
Australia is another destination with a collection of iconic luxury rail journeys. The Ghan, Indian Pacific, and Great Southern are the jewels of Australia's rail travel crown, each offering a unique luxury experience with the new Aurora Australis suites rivalling boutique hotels and dining experiences. The Ghan is undoubtedly Australia's definitive luxury rail journey, linking Adelaide and Darwin through the country's Red Centre, with premium fine dining and day tours.
The Indian Pacific is another transcontinental journey, except this time, it takes you from Sydney to Perth, with off-train stops in the Blue Mountains, Barossa Valley, Cook, and the Kalgoorlie Super Pit, one of Australia's largest gold mines. Lastly, the Great Southern Coastal is a seasonal journey between Adelaide and Brisbane, where you split your time between luxury cabins and world-renowned wine regions, beach towns, and scenic countryside. The addition of the Aurora Australis suites elevates each of these routes to new prestigious heights, offering between 1.6 m2 (178 ft2) and 24.5 m 2 (264 ft 2) of space, nearly three times as much as the existing Platinum cabins.
Sustainable Train Travel: Low‑Carbon Rail Journeys in Canada & the US
Rail travel's ability to transform the journey into an experience is not only a rewarding feature but also a sustainable one. The International Energy Agency (IEA) found that a rail journey produces, on average, 85% less CO2 than a flight and 87% less than a car trip. Trading trains for planes is a great way to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from your trip, helping preserve the integrity of the world's natural environments and local communities. Fortunately, there are several more excellent options for us to choose from.
The Canadian & The Rocky Mountaineer
Canada has two rail journeys celebrated for their sustainability and immersive experiences: the Rocky Mountaineer and The Canadian from VIA Rail. The Rocky Mountaineer was recognized by Lonely Planet as the Best Sustainable Train Journey in 2021. This daylight-only route replaces long self-drive trips and short-haul flights, allowing you to travel through steep canyons, winding rivers, and glaciers along the former Canadian Pacific lines in glass-domed coaches with open-air viewing platforms. The Canadian rail service from VIA Rail also travels through the Rockies; it journeys along the northern Yellowhead Pass route between Edmonton and Jasper. But The Canadian doesn't stop (or start) there. The Canadian is a transcontinental route connecting Toronto and Vancouver, covering roughly 4,466 km (2,775 mi). This means you can plan a sustainable trip to Toronto, Sudbury, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Jasper, Vancouver, and other nearby destinations with ease and peace of mind.
Alaska’s Glacier Discovery & Denali Star
The US also has its own collection of rail journeys that will help you reduce your carbon footprint. Alaska alone has two great adventures: the Glacier Discovery route and the Denali Star. The Glacier Discovery takes you south from Anchorage to Grandview, hugging dramatic coastlines and glacial valleys. Meanwhile, the Denali Star travels north to Fairbanks, giving you a front-row seat to Alaska's wild interior and Denali National Park. Both routes trade short regional flights for relaxed, low-impact journeys that immerse you in the vastness of Alaska without distractions.
The Canyon Spirit Train from Utah to Colorado
The Canyon Spirit Train is another highlight of US rail journeys. This daylight-only journey between Moab, Utah, and Denver, Colorado, is another comfortable, environmentally conscious alternative to short-haul flights and long road trips. The train winds through remote canyons, red-rock deserts, and dramatic river valleys, showcasing landscapes that are otherwise difficult to reach without hours behind the wheel. Glass-dome coaches, regionally inspired cuisine, and overnight hotel stays along the route showcase the raw beauty of the Colorado Plateau and the Rockies in the comfort and ease you now have come to expect from rail travel.
Born to two parents who met travelling, Sael has always wanted to travel the world. Sael has hiked the Inca Trail in Peru, visited blue-footed boobies on the Galapagos Islands, stood on both hemispheres of the equator in Ecuador, climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, hiked the base of Uluru, surfed Pacific Ocean waves in Mexico, and skydived over the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns. Meeting new people and sharing stories are some of Sael's favourite parts of travelling, and he hopes he can help ignite this passion for discovery in others.
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