10 Most Beautiful Train Journeys To Add To Your Bucket List

Picture yourself gliding through snow-capped peaks, crossing viaducts that seem to touch the clouds, or winding alongside crystal-clear lakes that mirror the sky above. The world’s most spectacular train journeys offer far more than simple transportation – they deliver life-changing experiences that stay with you long after the final station.

These rail adventures take you through landscapes so breathtaking that every window becomes a moving masterpiece. From the engineering marvels of Switzerland to the raw wilderness of Canada, each route tells its own story through changing scenery, diverse cultures, and unforgettable moments that make ordinary travel feel extraordinary.

The Glacier Express, Switzerland

The Glacier Express has got to be one of the most beautiful train rides in Europe, with the first Zermatt to St Moritz ‘Glacier Express’ starting in summer 1930. The Glacier Express has been progressively developed as a premier tourist attraction in its own right, though it continues to form an integral part of the Swiss transport network.

This astonishing train is one of Europe’s best railway rides covering the spectrum of the Alpine nation’s natural splendor by climbing canyons, crossing rivers, burrowing through mountainsides and traversing barren icescapes. Known as “the slowest express train in the world,” the trip between Zermatt and St. Moritz takes about eight hours, but passengers are treated to stellar views of the Swiss Alps through the train’s picture windows and glass skylights.

The Bernina Express, Switzerland

A ride on the Bernina Express is a 4-hour, 144 km (90 mile) journey between icy Switzerland and sunny Italy, through 55 tunnels and 196 bridges, with Alpine gradients as steep as 1 in 14, on a railway built in 1896-1904 and now declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Bernina Railway reaches impressive altitudes, with the highest point on the route being Ospizio Bernina at 7391 feet (2253 meters) above sea level, providing passengers with unforgettable panoramic views.

Along the journey, passengers can admire iconic landmarks such as the Morteratsch glacier, a giant ribbon of ice, or the Brusio Spiral Viaduct, a remarkable feat of railway engineering. Travellers are treated to marvellous sights during their journey, like the Montebello curve with a view of the Bernina massif, the Morteratsch glacier, the three lakes Lej Pitschen, Lej Nair and Lago Bianco, the Alp Grüm and the Brusio Circular Viaduct.

Rocky Mountaineer, Canada

Prices typically range from around $2,200 CAD to over $5,000 CAD per person for rail-only packages, with the cost of a Rocky Mountaineer journey varying based on route, season, and service class. The Canadian Rocky Mountaineer offers the most beautiful train ride, proving time travel is possible as these two-day scenic train trips follow the path of the great 19th-century explorers departing Vancouver for Banff, following the 1885 Canadian Pacific trail through Western Canada and the Canadian Rockies.

It’s also arguably the most scenic route to choose, as the Canadian Pacific route between Vancouver & Banff has always been considered more scenic than the later Canadian National route between Vancouver & Jasper, although the two routes share the same tracks between Vancouver & Kamloops. The scenery is truly wonderful, especially the Fraser River canyon, and you may see bald eagles, ospreys and black bears or even grizzly bears.

The TranzAlpine, New Zealand

The TranzAlpine is a coast-to-coast route through New Zealand’s South Island, showcasing some of the country’s most jaw-dropping scenery as it whisks passengers from east to west between Christchurch and Greymouth via the Southern Alps of the Great Divide, where you can expect to gaze in awe at rocky gorges, river valleys, curving viaducts, beech rainforest, and more.

In less than five hours, this journey is surely one of the world’s finest and most scenic one-day train rides, commencing the TranzAlpine experience in Christchurch before speeding along the Canterbury Plains and climbing quickly through the snow-capped mountains of the Southern Alps, before descending through a thrilling tunnel to emerge among the lakes, streams and rainforests of the South Island’s West Coast.

California Zephyr, United States

For soaking up the scenic grandeur of the North American continent, nothing compares with Amtrak’s California Zephyr, one of the best train journeys in the US. From the striking snow-clad summits of the Cascade Range to the expansive stretches of the Pacific Ocean coastline, the observation car offers a magnificent panorama.

From the Windy City to Big Sky Country, behold the magnificent skylines and natural beauty of America on one of Amtrak’s most scenic routes: The Empire Builder, which offers views of natural wonders including the Mississippi River, Glacier National Park, the vast North Dakota Plains and wildlife throughout Montana. The journey takes passengers through dramatically changing landscapes that showcase America’s diverse natural beauty.

The Reunification Express, Vietnam

This is one of Southeast Asia’s best-loved railways – and one of the most epic overnight train journeys in the world – with a route that rattles through historic cities and swooshes beside spectacular coastlines. The journey covers over one thousand miles between Vietnam’s twin metropolises.

There is no more atmospheric way to haul into Vietnam’s twin metropolises. This remarkable railway adventure connects Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, offering travelers an authentic glimpse into Vietnam’s diverse landscapes and rich cultural heritage through constantly changing scenery.

The West Highland Line, Scotland

Scotland’s West Highland Line will introduce you to some of the UK’s most untamed landscapes as this scenic route connects the city of Glasgow with Fort William and the west coast towns of Oban and Mallaig, where crossing the Glenfinnan viaduct is a magical moment for Harry Potter fans, and you can also expect to marvel over sparkling lochs, highland glens, and sprawling moorland.

Fondly remembered as the Hogwarts Express from the Harry Potter movie, this train ride runs across the highlands of Scotland to Central Scotland, where the thick puff of smoke rising from the steam engine, as it crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, creates a picture postcard setting for a ride across the wild west coast in the United Kingdom that you would certainly love to embark someday!

The Ghan, Australia

The Ghan has been operating for nearly a century since 1929, marking nearly a century of crossing the Outback. Departing from Adelaide in South Australia for a two-night, three-day chug that includes vibrant greenery and rugged red desert, the journey runs the entire length of Australia from south to north, covering 1,851 miles and traversing dramatic gorges and curious rock formations of the ancient mountains of the Flinders Ranges, moving through the outback and passing through the Red Center, the region home to Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

As the train approaches the northern coast, the landscape changes to tropical forests and wetlands, with the rate including seven meals served in the convivial restaurant carriage that showcase local ingredients and wines.

Bergen Line, Norway

Norway’s Bergen Line is a nearly 400km railway line that bisects some of the country’s most remote, unforgiving, and astounding landscapes, where passengers can savour these scenic train journeys between Oslo and Bergen after departing the nation’s capital, witnessing a dramatic change in the scenery as the modern architecture gives way to waterfalls, fjords, and spectacular valleys.

This extraordinary route takes travelers through some of Europe’s most pristine wilderness areas. The journey showcases Norway’s incredible natural diversity, from urban landscapes to untouched mountain regions that feel completely removed from civilization.

The Orient Express, Europe

This deluxe train trip is probably the planet’s most famous scenic rail route, traveling between London and Venice, passing through Paris and swooning over the peaks of the French and Swiss Alps and Dolomites, with luxury cabins all in 1920s style, complete with polished wood and luxury linens.

Hop aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and you’ll be taken on a luxury voyage, seeing some of Europe’s most incredible scenery on the way, where it’s possible to board in London but passengers have had to change onto another train in Paris since last year, being transported back to the glamorous world of train travel in the 1920s and ’30s thanks to carriages from those decades, with the journey taking 24 hours from Paris to Venice while seeing true European icons including the Swiss Alps, the French Riviera and the rolling hills of Italy.

These magnificent train journeys represent more than just transportation – they’re moving galleries of our planet’s most stunning landscapes. Whether you’re drawn to the engineering marvels of Swiss mountain railways, the wilderness adventures of Canadian routes, or the cultural immersion of Asian rail networks, each journey offers something truly special. The memories created on these rails last a lifetime, making every mile traveled worth the investment. What would you choose first for your own railway adventure?