If you want to travel to a distant specific destination quickly, you will probably choose to fly. If, however, you wish to explore the region, meet new people and immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the area, don’t make it an Aussie online casino bet. Check into the options of train travel.
Far from being “old fashioned” and “going out of style,” train travel is seeing a revival. New high-speed lines are opening all around the world and those that exist are expanding. Train journeys give travelers time to relax and imbue themselves in their surroundings.
Benefits
Some of the most oft-cited reasons that seasoned travelers report for their decision to travel by train include:
- It’s safe. New technologies have reduced accidents due to crashes, overturning, cars on the tracks, etc.
- It’s comfortable. When you’re on the train you can stand, stretch, move around the cabin and even sleep. You generally have more legroom than you would on an airplane and many long-distance trains also offer dining cars, sleeper cars, lounge cars, etc.
- It’s reasonably priced. Tickets are generally cheaper than they would be by plane travel or even relative to car travel.
- It’s fast. High-speed trains travel fast and they aren’t impeded by traffic. You also rarely have delays or cancellations as happens so often with air travel.
- It’s great for sightseeing. You can see the landscape as the train rolls through the countryside and frequently have the chance to get off and explore with an option to return to the train station and continue your journey on another train that comes through in a day or two (or more).
- It’s comfortable for group travel. Regardless of whether you’re traveling with friends or are a family with children, you’ll find that the benefits of traveling in a train car where you can get up, move around and interact with one another (or with strangers that you meet on the train) are endless.
Trips
You can check out the train schedules from one destination or another or you can book a train trip because of the trip itself. There are affordable and enchanting train journeys in many places around the world. Some of the best include the following:
Fort William/Mallaig
The Fort William Mallaig journey takes you along one of the most scenic rail journeys in Great Britain. Dubbed the “Road to the Isles” the 42-mile trip journeys from Fort William, the largest town in the Highlands which is situated at the southern end of the Great Glen, passing Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain and through Europe’s deepest seawater loch.
This route is often called the “the World’s Greatest Railway Journey.” From Fort William and Ben Nevis the train journeys to Arisaig, the most westerly mainland railway station in Britain. It passes near Loch Morar, a freshwater loch and travels along River Morar, to the stunning Loch Nevis.
There’s a stop in the charming village of Glenfinnan and then the train rolls through the picturesque villages of Lochailort, Arisaig, Morar, and Mallaig. In Arisaig, you can see the “Small Isles” of Rum, Eigg, Muck, Canna and the southern tip of Sky to Arisaig. You can also request to stop and get off in Arisaig and then return to your journey when the next train rolls through. At the end of the trip, the train passes the silvery beaches of the town of Morar and ends in Mallaig.
Mallaig is a delightful vacation town but the journey is definitely a part of the adventure.
Train to the Clouds
Even if you’re not a train traveler, it’s likely that you’ve heard of the Train to the Clouds, the train that travels the South American Tren a las Nubes from Salta in Argentina to the Chilean border. The journey takes 7 hours and involves a ride of 13,800 feet through dramatic Andean scenery. It’s the highest train journey in the world that doesn’t employ a rack and pinion system.
Train to the Clouds is the best way to see the incredible landscapes of Salta in northern Argentina. As the train rumbles along the track you’ll see giant cactus fields interspersed with multicolored rock formations. The tracks pass through bridges, tunnels and aqueducts and the towns of Puerta Tasti, Incahuasi and Chorrillos with a stop in San Antonio de la Cobres.
Rocky Mountaineer
Rocky Mountaineer is a thrilling two-day journey that takes you over three different routes through the Rockies via the old Canadian Pacific line. The magnificent beauty of the Pacific Northwest is laid out in front of you as you make your way along the rail lines through glacier-fed lakes, green forest lands, and rushing rivers.
You have your choice of three different routes including:
- Coastal Passage — Seattle, Vancouver, and the Canadian Rockies. Reported to be the most scenic, this train trip is historically significant. The route goes over the Continental Divide and takes passengers past Castle Mountain, Lake Louise, Stoney Creek bridge and the Thompson & Fraser river canyon. This is a 2-day trip with a hotel stopover in the middle.
- Rainforest Gold Rush — Vancouver, Whistler, Quesnel and Jasper, the First Passage to the West. A ride along the famous trans-continental rail line from mighty Fraser River through the Fraser River canyon where you may see bald eagles, black bears, and ospreys. This is a 3-day journey with 2 overnight hotel stops in Quesnel and Whistler. A highlight of this trip is the half day stop in Whistler.
- Journey through the Clouds – Vancouver, Kamloops, and Jasper. Takes the Yellowhead mountain pass over one of the Canadian trans-continental railways. The route encompasses the Yellowhead & Kicking Horse routes with a section of line past Mount Robson and through the Yellowhead Pass. The journey takes 2 full days with 1 overnight hotel stop included in the fare.
Rocky Mountaineer is a private company that offers travel vacations for travelers who can use the trains as part of tours or packages.