Destination Guide · The World's Great Trains
Seven famous trains
you need to experience.
The ride is the adventure.
This guide is to seven of the world's most famous trains,each one proof that scenic rail journeys turn travel into the adventure itself. From the Glacier Express,and the Bernina Express,through the Swiss Alps,to the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in vintage glamour,Canada's Rocky Mountaineer,and Scotland's Jacobite steam train:these are trips you take for the ride,with the window as the main character. Tap any photo below to watch that journey play out on YouTube.
Below,each train gets its own moment:how it looks,how it feels,and the scenery that makes it unforgettable. If one of them makes you reach for your calendar,tell us your dates,and a Navigator will plan the whole journey around it.
Seven unforgettable rides
The world's most famous trains,one at a time.
Each one was built for a different kind of wonder:alpine passes,glacier panoramas,vintage cabins,or a steam whistle in the Highlands. Click any image to watch the ride on YouTube,and let the windows do the convincing.
01
The Glacier Express, an eight-hour panorama of the Swiss Alps
A panoramic train through the Swiss Alps from Zermatt to St. Moritz, an eight-hour passage over 291 bridges and 91 tunnels. The slowest express in Switzerland climbs to the Oberalp Pass at 6,670 feet, where the windows fill with snowfields,and the valleys drop away in both directions. You board for the scenery,and the scenery does not stop.
02
The Bernina Express, the highest rail crossing in Europe
Europe's highest rail crossing comes with a front-row seat: the Bernina Express glides over the Bernina Pass, past glaciers,and alpine lakes,and down the famous spiral viaduct at Brusio. From Switzerland into Italy,theride stacks more drama per mile than almost any train on the continent.
03
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, legendary luxury on rails
The world's most legendary luxury sleeper train carries travelers between Venice, Vienna, Paris,and London in vintage glamour. Art deco cabins, white-gloved service,and dinners that feel like a stage production: this is a journey you book as much for the night aboard as for the cities between. It is old-world romance on rails.
04
The Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest railway station
'Top of Europe' is no exaggeration: a cogwheel railway climbs through the Eiger and the Mönch to Europe's highest railway station, 11,332 feet above the sea. At the top,the Aletsch Glacier unwinds below,and the panorama rewards every second of the climb.
05
The Rocky Mountaineer, Canada's daylight-only luxury train
Canada's world-famous daylight-only luxury train rolls through the Canadian Rockies between Vancouver, Kamloops,and Banff. Glass-dome coaches put every peak above you,gourmet meals arrive at the table,and the GoldLeaf observation car makes the scenery the main course. You ride by day,and the mountains never repeat themselves.
06
The Gornergrat Railway, a rack ascent toward the Matterhorn
From Zermatt,a rack railway climbs to the Gornergrat,past the Matterhorn's towering peak,and on to what may be the best terrace in the Alps. Monte Rosa,and the Matterhorn,span the horizon,while the world's highest open-air railway wine bar waits at the summit. Order a glass,and watch the peaks catch the evening light.
07
The Jacobite Steam Train, Scotland's most cinematic ride
Scotland's iconic steam locomotive crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct,made famous bythe Harry Potter films,and steams on through the West Highlands between Fort William,and Mallaig. Sea views of the Isle of Skye appear out the window in the distance,and even without a film score,this is the most cinematic ride in Britain.
Ready to ride?
We plan train journeys the way we plan everything:with the details handled, so all you do is watch the windows. Tell us your dates,and a Navigator will match you to the right route,right cabin,and right season.