In Praise of the Great Rail Journey

Shake off your childhood memories of boredom or the frustrations of the daily commute, and the delights of a classic rail journey may well take you by surprise

Trains don’t half come in for some flack in our everyday lives. When we’re already running late from A – B, the inconvenience of a delayed service, even if it’s only a couple of minutes, is enough to tip many of us over the edge.

Perhaps it’s time to return to our memories of childhood rail journeys; when the ticking clock simply didn’t feature and we felt as if we had all of the time in the world.

My own recollections? An annual pilgrimage made with my sister and mum every year, from the depths of the Scottish Highlands down to Yorkshire to visit our favourite cousins. It was a long nine-hour rail journey with many changes, sometimes more if the snow had laid down her thick carpet, but it always had an exciting air of adventure.

It was the simple things that brought pleasure: a lukewarm cheese and tomato toasted sandwich from the buffet car; feeling safe and deliciously cosy when the rain lashed down on the windows; being lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking sensation.

Of course, I was too young to fully appreciate the cinematic splendour we were passing through: that came later. I can trace my desire to become a travel journalist back to those nostalgia-tinged days.

Increasingly, many of us are rediscovering the pleasures and romantic vibe of ‘slow’ travel on a train. Sure, certain journeys are only practical by air, but if you have the time and inclination, embarking on a classic rail journey could be a holiday to remember. It can also gain you access to some of the most remote places on the planet.

And when you consider how long the check-in process at the airport can be, compared to simply passing through a ticket barrier and onto the train waiting to spirit you away to new, exciting destinations, it’s so, well, straighforward and stress-free.

Then there’s the – no small – issue of space and comfort. Budget airlines have made us perfect the art of concertinaring our bodies into teeny tiny spaces, but there’s generally plenty of room on trains to stretch your legs out and move around. This makes it a child-friendly option, too, and the little folk can move around in the carriages when they get fidgety.

You can also rest easy knowing that you’ve made the soundest ‘green’ choice. According to The Guardian, worldwide, motorists account for 71% of transport CO 2 emissions, air travel makes up 12.3%, with rail travel only claiming a measly 1.8%.

On longer trips, an easy rhythm will develop – when your eyes temporarily tire of absorbing the epic scenery, you can nap or tap into the meditative, almost hypnotic qualities of a train rocking and rolling through the landscape. There’s nothing to do but gaze into the middle distance and just ‘be’.

And last, but not least: a train is your own personal viewing platform, moving through ever-changing landscapes and giving you a mind gallery of impressions of the place you’re visiting. If you’re tempted to get your own ticket to ride, why not hop onboard the Inspired Travel Magazine Express and consider these classic rail journeys?

THE JOURNEY: The Albula Railway on the Bernina Express

WHERE: Chur in East Switzerland to Tirano, North Italy on the Bernina Express

DISTANCE: 76km, around four hours

With 55 tunnels, 196 bridges and top elevations of 7392 feet above sea level, this classic route would make an excellent rollercoaster ride at speed. But the smart red Bernina Express meanders through the Alpine wonderland at a fairly leisurely pace, and has panoramic windows in every carriage, so you won’t be madly craning to catch a view. Regular trains also cover the route, but they’re not direct, and won’t look half as impressive on your insta-feed, of course.

The route, on the narrow-gauge Albula railway, begins in the serene chocolatebox-perfection of Chur, Switzerland’s oldest city, before it traverses through a UNESCO World Heritage site of dramatic mountains, thundering waterfalls and depthless ravines.

Goose-bump-inducing moments are a-plenty, including passing over the 213ft-high Landwasser Viaduct, affording you an eagle’seye view of the surrounding landscape. Our tip: be sitting on the right-hand-side of the train for this part of the journey.

The ascent up to the Bernina Pass is a bucket-list moment – although with the route’s highest point of 7392 feet, vision might be compromised by the blizzard conditions that are found here most of the year. Hardy hikers can jump off at the tiny station of Ospizio Bernina to bag another Alp.

What goes up, must come down, and so the train wends its way past the magnificent Palü glacier and glittering Poschiavo lake. The extra bonus of the journey? Catch an early train (booking is strongly recommended) and you’ll cross the Italian border into the town of Tirano just in time for a cheeky Aperol. Salute!

THE JOURNEY: Tokyo – Osaka on the Kodama Shinkansen

WHERE: Japan

DISTANCE: 515km, around four hours

It’s not just about the journey with this choice: Japan is famous for its super-sleek bullet trains, nicknamed after their appearance and impressive speeds.

Of course, it you’re hoping to savour the views of this astoundingly beautiful country, you might want to leave the Nozomi Shinkansen to the stressed-out commuters who need to travel at 340km p/h to be at their desks on time. Instead, its sister train, the Kodama, travels at a more ‘leisurely’ 285km/h. It stops at every station along the route, which curves along the south-eastern coast of the country, the Pacific Ocean on one side, the ever-changing interior on the other.

After the intensity of the modern metropolis of Tokyo, the train whisks passengers past the country’s highest peak, Mount Fuji. Japan’s most recognisable landmark is an active volcano, and her 12,389 ft summit is perpetually capped with a perfect ring of snow.

Most passengers will leave the train at the penultimate stop of Kyoto. This city once served as the capital and the emperor’s residence from 794 – 1868. Its exceptional historic value saved the city from being targeted by the atomic bomb during the Second World War.

Today, visitors flock here in spring to witness the ethereal blossom season, when whole districts are transformed into blush-pink wonderlands. Temples abound here, too, including the Nanzenji Temple, a Zen temple featuring a calm-inducing stone garden.

To really soak up the culture, why not try a Japanese tea ceremony? The traditional, centuries-old, ritual can take several hours to perform (and years to master), but there are shorter tourist-friendly versions. Equal parts art, hospitality and meditation, it’s one experience you’ll file under U for ‘unforgettable’.

THE JOURNEY: The Trans-Siberian route on the Golden Eagle

WHERE: Moscow – Vladivostok

DISTANCE: 9288km, 14 days

This epic journey has been likened to a steel ribbon that cuts across Russia’s vast hinterland, from east to west. Finding it hard to compute the vast distance? Perhaps adding that there are 10 time zones between beginning and end will help… or fry your brain even further. And let’s not even get started on the different eco-climates you’ll travel through.

Regular trains are a good option if you want to stop off and explore this diverse country at leisure. But do remember that we’re talking in terms of days between places, rather than a handful of hours, so leave plenty of time or risk having to cut out stops at the end.

However, if you’re hankering after a bit of luxury and glamour, The Golden Eagle Trans- Siberian Express is the only way to go.

The train offers three standards of sleeper cabins – from an Imperial Suite, complete with a lounge area, underfloor heating and a complimentary bottle of Dom Perignon – to gold and silver cabins.

Whichever option you plump for, the epic journey offers a fascinating introduction to the country. There’s a plethora of things to do in Moscow, but top of the list should be a visit to Red Square, and the instantly recognisable St Basil’s Cathedral with its brightly coloured onion domed spires. A great insider tip? Head underground to the city’s subway system, which has the feel of a subterranean museum. Many of the stations, built as symbols of communist pride in the 1930s, are lavish affairs, complete with crystal chandeliers, marble pillars and bronze statues.

As Moscow fades from view, the route crosses the Ural mountains and through the endless steppe (grassland plains) and onto Lake Baikal. It’s the deepest lake in the world, holds 20% of the planet’s freshwater and takes five hours to circumnavigate. If you’re lucky enough to be aboard the Golden Eagle, the grandeur is off the scale when a Soviet Era locomotive steam train hauls you and your fellow passengers along this section of track.

THE JOURNEY: Canadian Rockies Circle on the Rocky Mountaineer

WHERE: Return trip to Vancouver

DISTANCE: Approx 2000km, 10 days

Glacier-fed lakes, endless carpets of green forest and an abundance of wildlife are just some of the things to get excited about ahead of this thrilling train journey. For the best seats in the house, book a ‘Gold Leaf’ ticket. This lets you ride and dine in the traditional Old American style ‘Dome Cars’. These feature an upper level with windows on all sides and overhead, for optimum sightseeing action. And if your train driver spots some ambling bears, he may even slow right down for a photo opp.

The renowned route travels into the heart of British Columbia’s interior, through a dramatically changing landscape, from lush green fields, forests and winding river canyons to the desert-like environment near Kamloops. These are seriously painterly vistas.

Another unforgettable highlight is found near Banff. The Columbia Icefield is one of North America’s easiest to acess and you’re whisked via ice explorer vehicle to the middle of the Athabasca Glacier for a fascinating geology lesson. It’s the stuff of a true explorer’s dreams.

In complete contrast is Yoho National Park, home to other natural wonders including a rock bridge hewn by the elements, spanning the marvellously monikered Kicking Horse River.

An added bonus of a circle tour of course is that if you miss one incredible view on the way, you can make sure you capture it on the way back! Believe us, this is scenery you’ll be happy to see on the return leg of the journey.