Six rail journeys in six different continents... we have rounded up the world's best.
From: Cusco to Arequipa
Duration: Three days
Slice through the majestic Andes mountains on one of the world's highest train routes by jumping aboard the Andean Explorer, which travels from Cusco - once the capital of the Inca Empire - to the resplendent Peruvian city of Arequipa, flanked by three dramatic volcanoes. Along the way, stay in luxurious suites, complete with plush linen and ensuites, and enjoy a pit-stop at Lake Titicaca, where - to this day - local indigenous people build boats, houses and floating islands they live on out of reeds. belmond.com/trains
From: Sydney to Perth
Duration: Four days
What could be more romantic than travelling from one ocean on one side of Australia to another ocean at the other end, along the way taking in the sunburnt beauty of this wide brown land. But here's a tip a seasoned traveller on The Ghan (the other iconic Australian rail journey) once gave us: Travel from Sydney to Perth instead of the other way round because when you go east to west, some of the train's most significant remote stops coincide with the sunset hour, making experiences such a dinner under the stars at Rawlinna on the Nullarbor Plain possible. journeybeyondrail.com.au
From: Paris to Istanbul
Duration: Six days
This is not the Orient Express, which inspired Agatha Christie's classic whodunnit. That passenger train service connecting classic European haunts such as Paris, London, Athens and Istanbul to one another ceased to operate in 2009. But this is as close as it'll come to reliving the grandeur of the bygone era. Passengers sleep in cabins that look like they're straight out of the 1920s and dining experiences range from decadent degustations to "midnight brunches". If five nights is too long, there are shorter trips as well, such as one-night journeys from Paris to Venice and from London to Budapest. belmond.com/trains
From: Cape Town to Dar Es Salaam
Duration: 16 days
Imagine going to bed in the national park of one African country and waking up in the wildlife reserve of a different nation the next morning. That is the promise of Rovos Rail's 15-night Dar Es Salaam journey between South Africa on the southern tip of the continent and Tanzania on its eastern edge. Along the way, you'll cross the storied Zambezi River in Zimbabwe, spot lions in South Africa's Madikwe Game Reserve and spend a night in a luxury lodge near the fabled Victoria Falls. Say no more. rovos.com
From: Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Duration: Two days
You could fly from the highly atmospheric city of Hanoi in Vietnam's north to the bustling metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City in the country's south in a couple of hours. Or you could slow down and smell the ... forests, aboard the Reunification Express and take in the beauty of Vietnam's lush landscapes. The 35-hour journey passes through dozens of tunnels and hundreds of bridges, and costs about the same as the airline ticket ($135), even when you go for the most premium option (a soft berth). vietnam-railway.com
From: Vancouver to Banff
Duration: Two days
You don't really sleep on this train like you do on the other journeys in this list; nightly accommodation is provided in premium hotels along the track. But that doesn't take away from the joys of train travel, particularly if you sign up for the GoldLeaf experience, which gives you access to glass-dome coaches with expansive windows and large outdoor platforms offering uninterrupted views of the passing Rockies. The Canadian company offers four routes, but the First Passage to the West (between Vancouver and Banff, with a night stop at Kamloops) is the classic. rockymountaineer.com
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