"Trains are wonderful.... To travel by train is to see nature and human beings, towns and churches, and rivers, in fact, to see life." ― Agatha Christie
There's nothing like traveling by train, and it's the only way to see some of the world's most beautiful landscapes. I just returned from a glorious two-day rail journey from Denver (with an overnight in Glenwood Springs, CO) on Rocky Mountaineer's newest train route: Rockies to Red Rocks. Please check out Nine Muses Travel's Facebook or Instagram pages for just a taste of the gorge-ous landscapes that kept changing like a kaleidoscope around us - plus my extra days in Moab exploring Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Dead Horse Point, and Sand Flats Recreation Area in Moab. What a profoundly rejuvenating trip....
Another favorite rail journeys has to be when I was invited by Belmond to ride the historic Orient Express from Venice with connections all the way to London, where we pulled into Victoria Station in style aboard vintage British Pullman carriages. Now I've added Rocky Mountaineer's Rockies to Red Rocks route to my list, and I look forward to traveling with them again - hopefully in the Canadian Rockies next time. That's first on this list of stunning train trips to add to your list!
Excerpt below from 7/25/2017 Virtuoso article by Joel Centano can be found HERE.
These journeys put adventure on a solid track. There’s an irrefutable romance about seeing the world by train. Here, four great train journeys around the world:
The Rocky Mountaineer cuts across western Canada
The Route: Vancouver, British Columbia, to Jasper, Alberta, Canada. The Train: The Rocky Mountaineer Daylight-only travel (with overnight hotel stays) ensures guests don’t miss a peak. The Highlights: White-water rapids gushing through Hell’s Gate in Fraser Canyon; 12,972-foot-high Mount Robson, the highest in the Canadian Rockies; Pyramid Falls; and the ascent over Yellowhead Pass into Jasper National Park – and across the Continental Divide. The Views: White-topped ranges and winding river canyons, lush green fields and lodgepole pine forests, rocky shoreline and desert like landscapes. The Details: Rocky Mountaineer’s eight-day Western Explorer package (including two days aboard the train) between Vancouver and Calgary with visits to Jasper, Lake Louise, and Banff.
Zipping through the Australian Outback
The Route: Alice Springs to Adelaide (The Ghan) and Adelaide to Sydney (Indian Pacific), Australia.
The Trains: The Ghan and Indian Pacific, both considered among the world’s best. Look for ornate, old-world stylings, along with regionally sourced, native fare (including kangaroo and saltbush) served with Barossa Valley wines. The Highlights: Stops in remote Marla and art-filled Broken Hill. The Views: Vast expanses of ever-changing hues across the Red Centre, abandoned homesteads dotting the barren Nullarbor, rolling pastoral lands and the rugged Flinders Ranges, and the clear desert sky broken by an occasional Australian wedge-tailed eagle. The Details: Swain Destinations' 17-day Australia rail journey (including two overnights aboard the trains) between Cairns and Sydney.
Switzerland
The Routes: Zermatt to Gornergrat (Gornergrat cogwheel train), Zermatt to Saint Moritz (Glacier Express), and Saint Moritz to Poschiavo (Bernina Express), Switzerland. The Trains: The Gornergrat cogwheel train, Europe’s highest; the Bernina Express; and the storied Glacier Express, with its sky-high windows to admire all 291 bridges and 91 tunnels along the journey. The Highlights: Ascending high above Zermatt on a cogwheel train; crossing every last bridge on the legendary Glacier Express route to Saint Moritz; climbing the Bernina Passto Ospizio Bernina, the highest point (7,578 feet) on the Bernina Railway; and getting a glimpse of Italian-speaking Switzerland. The Views: Expect a constant procession of skyscraping peaks, glaciers, and alpine lakes, and up-close perspectives of the Matterhornand Gorner Glacier, one of the topmost viewpoints in the entire Alps. The Details: National Geographic Expeditions’ ten-day Swiss Trains and the Italian Lake District trip (between Zürich, Switzerland, and Milan, Italy) includes three partial- to full-day trips aboard the trains and two full days at Lake Como.
All aboard India's Deccan Odyssey
The Route: Mumbai to Mumbai, India. The Train: Each coach is inspired by a different period of Maharashtra state history. The Highlights: Glimpses of Asiatic lions in Gir National Park, the hill fortress of UNESCO-designated Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, and hundreds of Jain templesin Palitana. The Views: Nighttime travel brings freshly prepared delicacies served by stewards in traditional attire, lively conversations in the comfortable lounge, and fine wines in the atmospheric bar. The Details: Reach out to your Virtuoso travel advisor for more info.
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