TRAIN travel isn’t going anywhere, with a number of new routes launching across the globe.
This includes sleeper trains across Europe and even plans for new routes connecting London to Paris and Amsterdam.
And the Sun Travel team are big fans of travelling by rail, no matter where in the world.
So the Sun Travel team have revealed their favourite train travel trips around the globe, from the UK to further afield.
Davos to Geneva in Switzerland
After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport.
The journey is split into two, with a change at Landquart station, in the Swiss canton of Grisons.
It was the first leg of the journey from Davos Platz to Landquart, taking an hour and ten minutes that I’ll remember forever.
The quaint red train itself felt very Wes Anderson, but the scenery outside the window really stole the show.
The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass.
– Caroline McGuire, Travel Editor
Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen
Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world.
I hopped on during a visit to Japan a few years ago, opting for the fast route from Tokyo to Kyoto.
It comes with a price – tickets start from £71 – but the 280mile journey takes just over two hours.
It hardly feels like you’re whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur.
Make sure to book seat D or E too – as you’ll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way.
– Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor
London to Paris by Eurostar
Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what’s so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel.
But there’s something luxury about travelling across European borders by train, even in Standard class.
The Eurostar is hassle-free with short queues (most of the time), you needn’t arrive two hours before departure, like you would a flight, AND you can bring buckets of luggage with you.
Tickets can be pricey, but you can bag them for as little as £35 each way and find yourself in Paris in just two hours.
Having cleared French immigration on departure, you won’t have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord.
– Sophie Swietochowski, Assistant Travel Editor
Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail
I already have several bucket-list-worthy train journeys under my belt, but it’s Scotland’s West Highland Line that takes the crown.
From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window.
Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond, and make sure to have your camera at the ready.
If you carry on to Mallaig, you’ll be on the train as it trundles over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which has been made famous by its starring role in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Journeys take 3 hours and 44 minutes between Glasgow and Mallaig, with tickets costing £19.50 each way.
– Hope Brotherton, Travel Reporter
China to Mongolia by Trans-Mongolian Express
The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other.
It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city’s high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert.
Overall the journey takes just over 35 hours, covering 843 miles from the Chinese capital to Ulaanbaatar, but spending a day and a half on the rails is far from a chore.
The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I’ve witnessed anywhere, while the noodles and dumplings served in the dining car were made all the more comforting by the magnificent scenery rolling past the window.
I ended the evening being gently rocked to sleep by the swaying of the train on the tracks, before waking up refreshed and revitalised, ready to explore all that Mongolia had to offer.
– Ryan Gray, Travel Reporter
