HTMW... - Train Travel: My Bucket List of Epic Rail Adventures

‘I like trains. I like their rhythm, and I like the freedom of being suspended between two places, all anxieties of purpose taken care of: for this moment I know where I am going.’ – Anna Funder.

Taking trains across the world

As the years go by, I’ve become a bit of a train geek. I love travelling by train more than any other form of transport. For me, there really isn’t anything better than sitting back and watching the scenery flash past as you’re taken from A to B.

As my love of train travel has grown, I’ve developed a bucket list of all the epic train journeys I’d love to take around the world. From scenic trips across the UK to multi-day, long distance odysseys across North America, Asia and Australia, this list is pretty comprehensive!

Key to understanding the bucket list:
* – bucket list item is complete.
~ – bucket list item completion is underway.
^ – bucket list item is in the planning stages.

Warning: This list is not exhaustive!

Africa

Ride the Southern Cross route on the Shongololo Express.

This epic rail adventure takes you from Pretoria in South Africa and travels through South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, ending at Victoria Falls. Over twelve memorable days, this amazing trip includes game drives, safari stops, panoramic views and multiple other tours and stopovers. Having been intrigued by the African continent for many years, this would be a dream trip to discover new countries. I can imagine using it as a springboard to dive deeper into exploring each country and the continent further.

Victoria Falls at sunset. A plume of mist rises up from the waterfalls which was hidden from view. In the foreground, some water flows over dark rocks and there is foliage silhouetted against the orange sky. — Victoria Falls, part of the itinerary on the Shongololo Express. Photo by Jäger on Unsplash.

Asia

Spend 14 minutes taking the fastest train in the world in Shanghai.

The Shanghai Maglev, which runs between Shanghai International Airport and Longyang metro station, tops off at 267mph at its fastest and travels between destinations in just seven minutes. I would absolutely love to geek out on this train and take a picture as the speedometer hits the 267mph mark. I’d happily take less than a quarter of an hour out of my life to experience this remarkable feat of human engineering and technology!

Train Travel. Shanghai's skyline seen across a body of water. Including lots of high rise buildings, skyscrapers all lit up as the sun sets and darkness descends. — Shanghai. Photo by Edward He on Unsplash.

Travel on the highest railway in the world to Tibet.

Visiting Tibet can be seen as somewhat contentious, given the history and politics of the region. I’ve read various books and articles where the writers have voiced unease and concern about their visit to Tibet, given the oppression the country suffers. I would like to go and form my own opinion of the area, just as I have visited other countries to form my own opinion. Israel/Palestine, I’m looking at you! Taking the train into the country would be an added bonus. Reaching a breathtaking (literally!) 5,068m at its highest, this train even provides oxygen to passengers onboard due to the rapid change in elevation and potential to suffer from altitude sickness!

Train travel. Multi coloured prayer flags are strung across rocky ground. The sun is rising behind the scene and shining on a glacier in the background. — Tibet. Photo by James Wheeler on Unsplash.

Revisit Lake Baikal and ride the Circum-Baikal railway.

I wish I’d known that there is a train that circumnavigates Lake Baikal when we visited in 2016. I’d have leapt at the chance to ride it and explore the Baikal region further from the train window. Obviously, we had other wonderful adventures at Lake Baikal, but this is something to go back for. Maybe as part of another Trans-Siberian adventure one day?

Lake Baikal. The lake is iced over with a thin layer of circle patterned ice, and is very blue. It stretches away into the distance. — Lake Baikal. Photo taken during my time in Russia in 2016.

Travel the ultimate long distance route – the Trans-Siberian.*

Before I met P, I’d never met anyone else who wanted to take the train all the way from Beijing to Moscow. It’s an incredible feat. As the world’s most coveted long distance train journey, it is one that most train geeks aspire to complete at least once in their lifetimes. As we pulled away from Beijing to begin our epic odyssey across China, Mongolia and Siberian Russia, I don’t think I quite grasped the gravitas of our fortunate situation. What followed was a wonderful month or so travelling home from Beijing via rail, all of which is documented in The Long Journey Home series. It was an incredible trip, pushing me right out of my comfort zone and testing my limits. I would like to think I’d take do this trip again one day, perhaps in the opposite direction… Fingers crossed!

Train travel. The Trans-Siberian train (dark green) pulled into the platform on the Chinese border. A woman looks out of one window and several people have disembarked and are pulling suitcases along the platform. — Our train on the border between China and Mongolia, when we travelled the Trans-Siberian route. Photo taken in 2016.

Europe

Take the London-Venice Simplon-Orient Express.

I recently read Around The World in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh. It’s fairly self-explanatory. Rajesh travels around several continents by train alone and upon her return to the UK, aiming to take eighty trains as she goes. The last train she takes is the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Her book inspired me and made me long to take this beautiful refurbished train across Europe. The train looks gorgeous and like taking a step back in time. Plus, what could be nicer than arriving in such a stylish manner into Venice?

Venice. A gondola floats on a canal against a backdrop of a bridge over the canal and houses behind. — Venice. Photo by Damiano Baschiera on Unsplash.

Explore more of the UK by train.~

Of course, I take trains around the UK fairly regularly. As I don’t own a car, train travel is my usual mode of transport anytime I want to escape London. This item is here to remind me that you don’t need to go far to have an epic rail adventure. There are two sleeper services left in the UK – The Caledonian Sleeper and the Night Riviera. I’d like to take both! It is also possible to take special train journeys around the UK, including the fort William to Mallaig route or the Blaenau Ffestiniog Railway. I’ve completed just one of these ten most scenic railway journeys in Britain. I’d love to finish them all!

Train travel. A red steam train emitting a column of smoke from its funnel travels the length of a curved viaduct against a backdrop of green hills and trees. — The Jacobite steam train in Scotland. Photo by Jack Anstey on Unsplash.

North America

Take the Rocky Mountaineer across Canada.

Canada is high on my hit list as places I want to go, and so obviously throwing amazing train travel into the mix while there is going to happen! The Rocky Mountaineer looks insane! Taking in epic vistas of the Canadian Rockies from the viewing car, eating delicious food cooked on board… What better way to explore Canada? I’m not sure which package I’d go for, but I’m pretty sure they’d all be pretty incredible.

A snow covered landscape with the Canadian Rocky Mountains in the background. In the foreground, a line of train track curves through conifer forests beside an iced up river. — The Canadian Rockies. Photo by Steve Wiesner on Unsplash.

Trip across the United States using Amtrak.

I’ve heard mixed things about train travel across America, but the negative feedback has, strangely, only made me want to experience it more! There are some odysseys to be had traversing the States if you are happy to while away a few days/weeks doing so! Travelling up the coast of California would be amazing, as would some of the interior trains crossing north or south across the country. Perhaps I could combine rail travel across the States with a trip further north into Canada and Alaska, completing one mammoth train adventure all in one go…

Train travel. A train travelling along a coastline in California. Cliffs and blue sea are in the background, with grasses and flowers along the sides of the train tracks. — An Amtrak train along America’s coastline. Photo by Hari Panicker on Unsplash.

Ride the railroads across Alaska.

Alaska is the United States’ final frontier. Helping to pave the way across that frontier – the railroads. From Seward to Fairbanks, over 470 miles of track traverse some of Alaska’s most stunning landscapes. To travel that distance and be immersed in such spectacular scenery, spotting some of Alaska’s 10,000+ glaciers and exploring the national parks along the way would be one hell of a train travel adventure.

A train curves around a bend in the bottom left of the image, with mountains and forests in the background. — Alaska. Photo by Anna Tremewan on Unsplash.

Oceania

Ride the Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin.

I have wanted to take the Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin across Australia’s outback for as long as I can remember. It is a train trip I envisage taking when I’m a little older. I’d perhaps do it as a package, including a stop in Alice Springs and a trip to Uluru as part of it. This package looks pretty epic! Taking a train across miles and miles of ’empty’ desert and wilderness might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but to be able to say I’ve crossed one of the world’s largest deserts overland would make me really happy!

Uluru standing against a backdrop of cloud filled blue sky. The shot is taken from a distance with outback in the foreground. — Uluru. Photo by Holger Link on Unsplash.

Travel on all three of New Zealand’s scenic rail routes.~

In 2015, I took the TranzAlpine Express from Christchurch to Greymouth and back and I loved it! I fully intend to complete the set In 2022, when I next return to New Zealand, Mum and I will take the Northern Explorer from Auckland to Wellington as part of our trip. I’ll take the Coastal Pacific on yet another occasion. It’s good to have things to come back to in New Zealand, as it’s a country I’ll always be returning to.

Train travel: My bucket list of epic rail adventures