Travel Tips & Trends

Rail travel
© RMV/ Armstrong Group

The world's greatest rail journeys

Exploring the world by train is a truly unique experience. If you've tried all the train rides Colorado has to offer, here are four international routes to add to the wish list.

The Rocky Mountaineer, Canada

The Rocky Mountaineer traverses the Canadian Rockies with stops ranging from scenic wilderness to urban sophistication: Kamloops with its axe-throwing, log-rolling lumberjack show; Jasper and Banff with mountain peaks, glaciers and waterfalls; and cosmopolitan Vancouver for afternoon tea and ethnic enclaves.

Rail travel
© Joel Blit

The Ghan, Australia

The Ghan Railway's 2,000-mile span crisscrosses the continent of Australia. Starting in Adelaide, a city of crashing waves and some of Australia's best wines, it passes Uluru (Ayers Rock) on the way to Alice Springs, a small city in the midst of exotic desert scenery. Extending through the Outback, the Ghan ends in Darwin, a city closer to Singapore than Sydney, giving it a distinctive mixture of Australian and Asian cultures.

TGV Méditerranée, France

France's TGV travels at speeds that approach 200 mph, completing the journey from Paris to Marseille in just three hours. There's no better way to experience the contrasts between Paris, Provence and the Cote d'Azure. The journey begins in Paris and ends in one of three places: Avignon, with its Gothic architecture; Aix-en-Provence, with its innumerable fountains; or Marseille, gateway to the French Riviera.

Andean Explorer, Peru

This route includes some of the highest railroad tracks in the world, through incomparable scenery along the Huatanay River, past the exotic wildlife of the Andean Plains and on to Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake. Or travel past Inca fortresses to Aguas Calientes, known for its thermal baths, and on to the haunting ruins of ancient Machu Picchu.

For more information on these rail journeys, contact a travel agent.