Travel Tips & Trends

Great rail journeys of the world

Rail travel has long held a certain mystique—the romance of a sleeper car, the hypnotic rhythm of the rails and the anticipation of arriving in a new destination. For the train enthusiast who has tried the numerous U.S. scenic routes and is now looking to travel internationally, there is an enticing array of spectacular rail journeys available.

In Central America, the historic Panama Railroad makes the journey from the Atlantic to the Pacific in just one hour. Originally built in 1855, this railway travels between Colon and Panama through lush rainforest filled with wildlife, including howler monkeys and toucans. Travelers can watch ships transiting the Panama Canal or waiting their turn in Gatun Lake.

In Peru, visitors to Machu Picchu often travel from Cuzco by rail, a half-day journey through the beautiful Sacred Valley past snow-capped Andean peaks, timeless Indian villages and terraced fields. The Train to the Clouds is a single-day roundtrip excursion from Salta, Argentina, across the High Plateau into the peaks of the Andes. Through tunnels, across bridges and ascending zigzags, this train carries passengers to an elevation close to 14,000 feet with a final stretch over the 700-foot-long Polvorilla Viaduct.

China's new Sky Train offers an even higher rail journey. This full-day trip opened in 2006, carrying passengers across the spectacular Tibetan Plateau from Xining, China, to Lhasa, Tibet. It takes three locomotives to pull the train over 16,640-foot Tangula Pass.

For many train enthusiasts, the Trans-Siberian Railway is the epic, once-in-a-lifetime journey. Traveling across two continents and seven time zones, passengers explore remote Siberian outposts and Lake Baikal before arriving in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Those looking for a luxury experience can try India's opulent Palace on Wheels, a week-long journey visiting scenic and cultural highlights of Rajasthan. The train's ornately decorated rooms-each with a personal attendant, private bathroom and full amenities—are replicas of historic private coaches owned by maharajahs and viceroys of the British colonial era.

For more information on world rail travel, contact your AAA Travel professional.