Rocky Mountaineer rolling around Morant's Curve, Canada
ROCKY MOUNTAINEER
The Beauty of Train Travel: The Best Way to the Scenic Route
By Zachary Laks
Sometimes the best vacations encompass the joy of the journey, not just the destination. Train travel presents one of the most classic ways to revel in that kind of passage. Whether you’re gliding through the countryside, traversing mountains or hugging a coastline, traveling by rail feels timeless, romantic and sophisticated. Perhaps those are the reasons why train travel—available all over the world—is trending. That and the fact that riding the rails is a more sustainable mode of transportation, estimated to reduce emissions by more than 80% when compared to other travel options. In many ways, traveling by train is an unmatched way of vacationing.
Rail routes offer gorgeous views of the Canadian Rockies.
What makes traveling by train so wonderful?
Everything. From the first “All aboard!” to the squealing brakes as you arrive at your stop, the experience captivates. One of the first things passengers notice is the ease and convenience of train travel. The boarding process is simple, without egregious lines and with a seamless luggage process that provides easy access to your bags throughout your entire journey. On extended trips, such as those aboard the stunning El Transcantabrico, for which you’re booked into a sleeper car, delight in unpacking only once. The train serves as both your accommodations and your transportation while traveling on a seven-night itinerary along the northern coast of Spain, between Santiago de Compostela and San Sebastian.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express double cabin
BELMOND, VENICE SIMPLON-ORIENT-EXPRESS
Once you’ve found your place, ease into your plush seat, enjoy the passing views and soak up the esteemed service of these legendary journeys. Bask in personal, attentive and intuitive service aboard luxury train lines. Take the service on board the newly refreshed Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, for example. It embodies Old-World charm, reviving a legacy that dates to the origins of luxury train travel in the 1880s. Hospitality becomes an art form as white-gloved stewards move with grace and precision, whether it’s preparing your sleeper cabin for a restful evening or refilling your champagne flute as it nears empty. Delight in afternoon tea but save room for the decadent five-course dinner, the menu for which was crafted by French chef-extraordinaire Jean Imbert. Every detail aboard this legendary train whispers tales of a bygone era as you traverse from France to Venice, soaking in the sweeping panoramas of the Swiss Alps and the Italian Dolomites along the way.
Live musical performance, Grand Canyon Railway
GRAND CANYON RAILWAY
Never bored while on board
While the views may command the most attention, the onboard experience can be a never-ending wellspring of fascination. Delicious meals, like the fresh Pacific salmon and braised beef short ribs served on Rocky Mountaineer itineraries, are made to order. The meals, wines and beers served reflect the area of western Canada visited on these Canadian Rockies trips. Similarly, onboard entertainment, such as the local expert who joins Uniworld's Cruise & Rail: Delightful Danube & The Castles of Transylvania, shares illuminating context to passing vistas and scenes as the train passes through the fabled countrysides of Bulgaria and Romania, where medieval and gothic castles rise.
Train station, Cinqure Terre, Italy
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The heart of the action
In addition to providing a top-notch onboard experience, trains typically bring you to the heart of a destination. Although rail journeys may reveal a country’s middle-of-nowhere, your journey will likely begin and end in a major hub, where day trip transfers are available. Alexander + Roberts’ Italy by Rail itinerary brings you into the centers of Rome, Florence and Venice. This trip allows you to capture the essence of Italy, tailored to your custom interests, without any of the headaches of travel arrangements. Local guides give context to each place, detailing architectural wonders, revealing lesser-known landmarks and recounting captivating stories.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
For a livelier train ride that takes you to the heart of an American icon, board Grand Canyon Railways, which travels from Williams, Arizona, to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. This rousing, old-fashioned train ride comes complete with cowboys, folk singers and maybe even a few bandits.
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Glass-dome coach, Rocky Mountaineer
The awe-inspiring panoramas
Train travel is relaxing travel. All you really have to do is to sit back and enjoy the passing views—you’ve never really seen a destination until you’ve seen it through the expansive windows of a train. Traveling by train through the Canadian Rockies is a spectacle to behold. Witness it with a front-row seat through Rocky Mountaineer’s custom-designed glass-dome coaches. On Gold Leaf carriages, marvel at the 360-degree views achieved by the windows that wrap around the entire carriage. They present thrilling, unobstructed views of the majestic mountains, lush forests and natural wonders of the Canadian wilderness.
Encompassing more than 1 million acres of rugged mountains and pristine lakes, Glacier National Park is one of the prized gems of the U.S. National Park System. After arriving at the park on Amtrak’s Empire Builder, on which the large windows have framed the skyscrapers of Chicago and the Badlands of North Dakota, you can explore the park’s many treasured byways and scenic passages, including an unforgettable drive on Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Rovos Railroad, South Africa
getty images
Accessing remote locations
Because a surprising number of track miles have been laid around the world, initially used for industrial purposes and transporting people from villages into cities, you can literally see the world by train. Yes, even Africa. With Alexander + Roberts, embark on game drives and bush walks in the days leading up to a flight to Johannesburg, where you join Rovos Rail to traverse South Africa’s Great Karoo on a luxurious 1,000-mile rail adventure. This bespoke journey coasts through the grasslands of the veldt and across a sparse landscape, where low-slung mountains rise in the distance, and eventually past winelands dotting the Western Cape.
Bernina Express, Graubunden, Switzerland
In Switzerland, the mountains are the destination, and the railroad engineering that made accessing the Swiss Alps is impressive. Switzerland’s rail network, which dates to the 1800s, is renowned for its efficiency and scope. The 10-day Best of Switzerland itinerary delivers one of the easiest ways to see the 15,000-foot-high peaks and ride various trains, including the Glacier Express and the Bernina Express. The Glacier Express travels eight hours past the breathtaking Matterhorn and along the Rhine Gorge, known as the “Grand Canyon of Switzerland.” The Bernina Express is your chance to ride the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Rhaetian Railway, passing postcard-perfect alpine villages, blue lakes and snow-capped peaks.
Whether rolling through South Africa’s Great Karoo or toasting the good life on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, train travel combines the best of comfort, convenience and scenic beauty.
Don’t miss your chance to hop on board one of these exciting journeys. Contact your AAA Travel Agent to begin planning your rail adventure, tailored to your interests, budget and desired destinations.