DESTINATIONS ICONIC JOURNEYS | RAIL HOLIDAYS best


OF THE REST


The Polar Bear Express, Canada: This five-hour journey through untamed Ontario wilderness trundles along some of the world’s most isolated train tracks to James Bay, part of Hudson Bay, and 15 miles north of any main road. Ffestiniog Travel general manager Maria Cook says: “It’s great to travel in the fall when the landscape transforms to an autumnal yellow, orange and brown glow.”


ABOVE: The California Zephyr; FACING PAGE: (clockwise from top left) The Rocky Mountaineer passing Mount Robson; the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express; the Glacier Express, Switzerland; the Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia


spiral viaduct, where the train loops back on itself. Will Sarson, head of specialist


product for Riviera Travel, says: “Rail journeys are on so many people’s must-do lists, and are always a popular addition as they are a great way of seeing incredible scenery from the comfort of your train seat. With rail itineraries, the journey is as important and as impressive as the final destination.” Book it: Riviera Travel’s Lake Como, St Moritz & the Bernina Express is an eight-day escorted tour starting at £799 for departures from April to October 2021, with flights, seven nights’ half-board accommodation,


activities and tour manager. rivieratravel.co.uk


Or try: Norway’s Flam railway often wins awards for its scenery, whisking passengers up from the edge of Aurlandsfjord to the mountain station of Myrdal, some 867m above sea level, passing by gushing waterfalls, wild countryside and snowy peaks along the way.


travelweekly.co.uk


BEST FOR . . . EPIC JOURNEYS It would be hard to find a more varied train ride than the California Zephyr, which carries passengers all the way from Union station in Chicago across the Midwest to San Francisco. The pictures are enough to make you wonder why anyone would choose to fly cross-country, when they could instead be making their way over the Mississippi, through the Rocky Mountains and the steep- sided Colorado canyons – where the train snakes along the river’s edge, past pine-covered slopes and craggy, rock-strewn ridges – into the open plains of Utah and the heights of the Sierra Nevada, before drawing in to the mist-filled skyline of San Francisco. Peter Traynor, managing


director of Railbookers, says: “The views and the landscapes are constantly changing, from the beauty of the Rockies and the Colorado canyons to the Nevada desert and the snowy peaks of the


Sierra Nevada, before running along the famous Bay Area. It’s worth breaking the journey in the Mile High City of Denver, which is perfectly complemented by a trip to experience the scenery and wildlife of Rocky Mountain National Park.” Book it: Railbookers offers a 12-day Great American – Majestic Landscapes itinerary from £2,299 in March 2021, travelling from New York by train, with accommodation (eight nights in hotels, three on train), attraction passes, sightseeing in Rocky Mountain National Park


and Napa; flights extra. railbookers.co.uk


Or try: If transcontinental train travel appeals, try The Ghan, which cuts almost north to south through the heart of Australia from Darwin to Adelaide. You can hop off the train for included excursions, from watching sunrise in the desert and exploring Alice Springs, to cruising through Nitmiluk Gorge and learning about the local Jawoyn people.


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The Jacobite, Scotland: This steam train from Fort William to Mallaig was made famous by the Harry Potter films – when it stood in for the Hogwarts Express, passing over the sweeping arches of Glenfinnan Viaduct – but there are other scenic highlights along the route, from Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, to its deepest seawater loch.


Palace on Wheels, India: India is famous for its railways, and while this luxury tourist train is a far cry from its ordinary rail network, it is a pleasant, hassle-free way to cover key sights including Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Agra. Plus you’ll get your own personal butler, en-suite accommodation and two restaurant cars.


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