There is nothing quite like travelling by train. With no need to arrive two hours prior to departure like plane travel and no need for Google Maps when doing a self-drive holiday, a train journey is relaxing and easy. See if you can catch these incredible train journeys when planning your next holiday.
New Zealand
Covering over 200 kilometres from one coast to the other, New Zealand’s TranzAlpine travels between Christchurch and Greymouth. Spectacular scenery awaits, like the jaw-dropping Southern Alps, great plains and ancient river valleys.
Read about a first-hand experience onboard here, and hop onboard with Cosmos on this South Island adventure.
Canada
Rocky Mountaineer
With its glass-dome carriages built specifically to maximise the views, the Rocky Mountaineer is an exceptional journey. Its four routes take you through Western Canada’s ultimate scenery so be prepared to be wowed!
VIA Rail
Sit back and relax onboard VIA Rail, taking passengers with ease through Western Canada, Atlantic Canada, between Ontario and Québec and even from one coast to the other. It runs year-round which means you can experience Canada in all four seasons!
Globus and Cosmos have several tours through Canada that include either the Rocky Mountaineer or a VIA Rail train journey.
Australia
An adventure to the Outback is made even more special with a journey on the iconic Ghan train. There are several routes to choose from with Darwin, Alice Springs and Adelaide as its major train stations, all showcasing parts of Australia that you might not otherwise see. From sunrise to sundown, the Ghan is an unforgettable adventure.
Experience the Ghan with Globus on this train/tour holiday.
Europe
Flåm train
If Norway is on the cards, you must add the popular Flåm train to your agenda! On a two-hour return trip that takes you 867 metres above sea level, you’ll witness sparkling fjords, tunnels and mountainous scenery. The railway is one of the steepest standard gauge lines in the world meaning you travel for most of your journey at a gradient of 5.5%!
Experience this for yourself on the Cosmos Norwegian Fjords tour.
Glacier Express
There’s no doubt about it, Switzerland has some of the world’s best train journeys – and the Glacier Express is just one of them. There are breath taking views at every turn along this eight-hour (one-way) trip starting with charming chalets in Zermatt beside the Matterhorn, to the glitz and glam of the resort town of St Moritz. It certainly makes for the perfect leisurely travel day when in Switzerland.
Bernina Express
As the highest railway in the Swiss Alps, the Bernina Express is truly epic as it connects Chur, Switzerland to Tirano, Italy. It makes for an extraordinary journey no matter what time of year you’re there – picture lush, green meadows in spring and summer, and snow-capped mountains in winter – through a myriad of tunnels and bridges.
Cosmos offers two Switzerland tours that incorporate these exciting rail journeys – Scenic Switzerland by Train and Alpine Adventure: Bernina & Glacier Express.
USA
Chug through the untamed beauty of the Royal Gorge aboard the Royal Gorge Route Railroad. Taking you through the Colorado Rockies, alongside the Arkansas River and the Royal Gorge canyon itself, President Teddy Roosevelt described it as “the trip that bankrupts the English language” …and we guarantee it will leave you speechless, too! Beginning in the 1870s, this historic train is like no other.
Catch the Royal Gorge train on the Globus Historic Trains of the Old West tour.
Even if you aren’t a train fanatic, you are sure to love travelling in style aboard one (or more!) of these incredible trains. Take a look at the Globus and Cosmos tours that include a rail journey today.
