10 Great Vacations for Rail Buffs

These trips incorporate rides aboard some of the
world’s great trains

By Katie Solan

There are few modes of travel that conjure up greater images of romance and adventure than trains. Before airplanes and automobiles, trains were the fastest way to get from here to there; today, rail vacations are often the best way to see some of the world's most far-flung destinations. From the red desert of Australia to the mountains of Tibet and the canyon rims of Mexico, trains often take you where others cannot.

Many tour companies incorporate train trips into some of their escorted vacations -- some are all-rail itineraries, where you sleep, eat and see the sights in the comfort of a moving railcar, while other itineraries combine motor coach and air travel with shorter train excursions.

Escorted tours offer economic benefits as well -- they can save you up to 40 percent off the price of traveling the same itinerary on your own. Tour operators negotiate low group rates on everything from hotels to sightseeing, then pass the savings on to you. An escorted tour is also worry-free, as all the details are handled for you, and the services of a tour director, accommodations, sightseeing and some meals are included.

Below are 10 great rail vacations around the globe -- read on to see which one is right for you.

Information: For details on these and other escorted train vacations, visit Vacations To Go or call (800) 680-2858.



On the eight-day "Canadian Rockies Escape" with Rocky Mountaineer Vacations, guests will spend four full days aboard the company's eponymous train, known for visiting some of the most unique sights in western Canada. Travel takes place only during daylight hours so that passengers don't miss any of the spectacular scenery, and guests overnight in hotels along the way.

The rail journey is divided into two portions. A two-day trip along the Yellowhead Route begins the vacation, taking passengers from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Jasper, Alberta. This route from the coast to the Canadian Rockies includes such sights as the rushing waters of Hell's Gate and the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, Mount Robson. A second train trip on the Kicking Horse Route from Banff, Alberta, to Vancouver concludes the itinerary. This two-day excursion takes in such attractions as the famed Spiral Tunnels and Craigellachie, where the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed.

In between train rides, you'll travel via motor coach along the Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise, stopping midway to ride an Ice Explorer -- a specially outfitted all-terrain bus -- on the Athabasca Glacier. You'll stay at the famed Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and also tour Yoho National Park.

Rates: Departures through Oct. 6, 2007 are priced from $2,099 per person, based on double occupancy, without airfare. Click here for more details.



GrandLuxe Rail Journeys (formerly American Orient Express) captures the golden age of rail, the era of the '40s and '50s when luxury train travel was at its peak (think Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint in "North by Northwest"). Its fully restored vintage train, the GrandLuxe Express, features an elegant dining car where dinner is served by uniformed waiters, a lounge car for sipping cocktails or gathering around the piano and a dome car for treetop perspectives. Passengers stay in private cabins ranging from single sleepers to spacious suites, all with beds, sinks and toilets. Depending on cabin class, showers are either in-cabin or at the end of the car.

The nine-day "Great Northwestern National Parks" itinerary offers an elegant adventure along the transcontinental rail route from Seattle to Jackson, WY. Passengers spend six nights aboard the GrandLuxe Express and visit four national parks: Glacier, Mount Rainier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Other high points include passage through the Cascade Range or the Columbia River Gorge, wildlife viewing in Coeur d'Alene, ID, and a boat cruise in Helena, MT. This itinerary also is available in reverse.

Rates: Departures in 2008 from July 19 to Sept. 17 are priced from $4,960 per person, based on double occupancy, without airfare. Click here for more details.



On the 12-day "Reflections of South Africa" with Brendan Worldwide Vacations, you'll travel through this enchanting country on the famed Blue Train, a favorite of kings and presidents and synonymous with luxury and personal service. A butler is assigned to every coach, and the all-suite cabins are elegant lounges by day transformed to cozy bedrooms at night, outfitted with goose-down bedding, marble-tiled bathrooms and gold fixtures. Amenities include a lounge car and club car for aperitifs or afternoon tea, and a dining car where all meals are served, including formal dinners.

You'll spend a day and a half riding the Blue Train north from Cape Town to Pretoria, passing through the Great Karoo, known to the indigenous Bushmen as the "Place of Great Dryness." Other highlights during this leg include a visit to the Cape of Good Hope and a wine country excursion while in Cape Town, plus a tour of Soweto Township at Johannesburg. On day eight, you'll fly to Kruger National Park and stay for three nights at a wilderness lodge. Try to spot one of the "big five" -- lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffaloes -- during your included safaris and game drives.

Rates: Departures through Dec. 31, 2007 are priced from $3,844 per person, based on double occupancy, without airfare. Click here for more details.



The Royal Scotsman travels -- where else? -- through the heart of the Highlands, a wild countryside of sweeping glens and mirror-calm lochs. A notable feature of this train is the open-ended observation car. Bringing up the rear, its interior section features abundant windows and comfortable seating for all 36 passengers, while the open-air veranda allows for exhilarating views of the passing scenery.

Elsewhere, two dining cars alternate between informal and formal dinners (kilts welcome!), which highlight regional cuisine. Elegant and Edwardian, all staterooms feature private bathrooms with showers, a full-length wardrobe and a dressing table.

The "Classic Journey Aboard the Royal Scotsman" with Abercrombie & Kent is a five-day, all-rail, round-trip journey from Edinburgh. You'll travel north through the former Kingdom of Fife and along a 19th-century cantilevered bridge to Keith, then to Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, and the west coast village of Plockton.

Journey south through the central countryside to Perth before returning to Edinburgh. Highlights along the way include a private ceilidh -- a lively social event with Celtic music and dancing -- at the Strathisla Distillery in Keith, and a visit to Ballindalloch, a 16th-century castle and gardens in Speyside.

Rates: Departures through Oct. 22, 2007 are priced from $5,720 per person, based on double occupancy, without airfare. Click here for more details.



Where in the world can you travel from glaciers to palm trees in less than two and a half hours? Switzerland's Bernina Express does just that, taking passengers from the alpine resort of St. Moritz, through the peaks and glaciers of the Bernina Alps, and to the palm-shaded streets of Tirano, Italy. The Bernina Express is the highest rail crossing in the Alps, and during summer passengers can enjoy the glorious views from open-air cars.

"Scenic Europe and Bernina Express" with Cosmos includes this spectacular journey over Europe's famed mountain range. The 12-day tour begins in London and includes stops in Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and France. Off-the-rails highlights include a ferry ride across the English Channel, a visit to Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, lakes Como and Lugano in Italy, the Swiss walled city of Lucerne and the tres chic city of Paris. Along the way, passengers travel via motor coach and overnight in local hotels.

Rates: Departures through Oct. 4, 2007 are priced from $1,190 per person, based on double occupancy, without airfare. Click here for more details.



The Chihuahua al Pacifico Railway offers one of the most dramatic rail excursions in North America. Known as the "train ride in the sky," the line skirts the rim of Mexico's majestic Barranca del Cobre, or Copper Canyon, which is four times the size of the Grand Canyon and one and a half times as deep.

The nine-day "Mexico's Copper Canyon" with Globus offers a day trip on this acclaimed route, departing from Divisadero on the Continental Divide, descending 7,000 feet and traveling more than 100 miles to the colonial town of El Fuerte. You'll pass vast gorges, deep ravines and tumultuous tunnels on your way to wide valleys and fields of wildflowers.

The round-trip tour from Tucson, AZ, offers a regional discovery of this intriguing landscape. Your first stop is at Nuevo Casas Grandes, where you'll explore Paquime, one of the most important archaeological sites in Mexico. Then it's on to Chihuahua; among sites, you'll visit the former home of revolutionary Pancho Villa. From Creel, travel to the cave dwellings of ancient Tarahumara Indians, and after your exciting train trip, tour a pearl farm at San Carlos on the Sea of Cortez.

Rates: Departures from Sept. 9, 2007, through March 2, 2008, are priced from $1,839 per person, based on double occupancy, without airfare. Click here for more details.



Travel through hot red deserts and untamed outback on Australia's legendary Ghan, operated by the Great Southern Railway. The 15-day "Wonders of Australia" with Trafalgar Tours includes an overnight journey on The Ghan, where you'll ride from southern coastal Adelaide though the "Red Centre," Australia's brick-colored central desert, to Alice Springs. While passing through one of the most remote spots on the planet, you'll enjoy first-class comfort. Meals highlighting regional specialties such as grilled kangaroo loin or saltwater barramundi are served in the stylish Stuart Restaurant, and entertainment in the lounge car includes live piano music.

The journey begins with three nights in the exciting coastal city of Sydney, highlighted by a sightseeing tour, a cruise through Sydney Harbour and a full day at leisure to explore. A free afternoon in Adelaide to perhaps visit one of its famed wineries precedes your train trip. Upon disembarking, you'll spend three nights in the outback city of Alice Springs.

Here, enjoy an Aboriginal culture demonstration, view native wildlife at the Alice Springs Desert Park and catch the sunset over Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock. You'll conclude your journey with a flight to Cairns and two full days of leisure in this Great Barrier Reef city.

Rates: Departures through March 31, 2008, are priced from $2,899 per person, based on double occupancy, without airfare. Click here for more details.



On the 12-day "New Zealand by Rail" with Brendan Worldwide Vacations, you'll have two train day trips. The first is on the TranzCoastal, which travels between the delightful port town of Picton and Christchurch, the South Island's largest city. This route features passage through 22 tunnels and across 175 bridges as it passes between the Kaikoura Mountains and the rugged Pacific coastline. From your seat, spot wildlife such as dolphins, seals and even penguins.

A second train trip on the TranzAlpine takes you on a coast-to-coast journey from Greymouth to Christchurch. You'll ascend from the west coast rain forest to the Southern Alps, and through the spectacular gorges of the Waimakariri River Valley. The four-and-a-half-hour ride ends in the fields and farmland of the Canterbury Plains. Both trains feature open-air viewing cars for taking in unobstructed views and the fresh air of the mountains and coast.

The rest of the journey hits the hot spots of the country from north to south. Highlights include a visit to the caves and Glow Worm Grotto at Waitomo, the Te Puia Thermal Reserve at Rotorua, a ferry ride across Cook Strait, a cruise through spectacular Milford Sound and a free day in Queenstown.

Rates: Departures through Dec. 31, 2007 are priced from $1,529 per person, based on double occupancy, without airfare. Click here for more details.



On the five-day "Machu Picchu by Train" with GAP Adventures, you'll travel by rail from Cuzco, Peru, the oldest inhabited city in the Americas, to the village of Aguas Calientes, the gateway to the ancient Incan ruins of Machu Picchu. The scenic journey winds through the Urubamba River valley, passing lush fields, villages and the Andes foothills.

Before you ride the rails, you'll spend two nights in Cuzco where you have free time to explore and adjust to the high altitude. Perhaps white-water raft on the Urubamba River, mountain bike to the Sacred Valley or visit the ruins of Coricancha, which at one time was the Incan empire's richest temple, covered in gold.

When you arrive at Machu Picchu on day three, you'll join a local guide who will give an interpretive tour of the ruins and Incan history. Free time allows you to explore the town or climb Wayna Picchu mountain for high-altitude views of Machu Picchu and its surroundings. The train returns you to Cuzco for your final night in Peru.

Rates: Departures through Dec. 31, 2007 are priced from $345 per person, based on double occupancy, without airfare. Click here for more details.



Travel on "the highest train in the world" with General Tours on their 13-day " China to Tibet by Rail." This vacation features a full day on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, dubbed the "Sky Train" for its high-altitude mountain crossings. Unveiled in 2006, the 710-mile route is the first to connect China to Tibet. You'll board this train in Xining, China, for the overnight journey to Lhasa, Tibet. Along the way, you'll pass snowcapped mountain peaks beneath brilliant blue skies, and you might spy native antelopes or yaks grazing in the fields. At the journey's highest point, 16,640-foot Tangula Pass, three locomotives are required to pull the express train.

This tour also includes three nights in Beijing, where you'll tour Tiananmen Square and go to the Great Wall. A four-night stay in Tibet introduces you to the deep spirituality of this country -- you'll visit several Buddhist monasteries plus Potala Palace, the former home of the Dalai Lama. From Lhasa, fly back to China for two nights in Xian to see the 2,000-year-old terra-cotta warriors, more than 7,000 statues that guard the tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuang. The trip concludes with two nights in Shanghai, where ancient sites contrast with ultra-modern cityscapes.

Rates: Departures from Sept. 16, 2007, through April 20, 2008, are priced from $3,199 per person, based on double occupancy, without airfare. Click here for more details.

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