Scenic train trips that you would recommend

Kalimah

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121808594#Comment_121808594

Thanks so much for those tips! Very much appreciated. We're doing it slightly differently. Flying to Auckland, a day or so there, flying to Wellington, Interislander to Picton, Coastal Pacific to Christchurch, overnight there and then the Transalpine to Greymouth. Hoping to spend some time touring around by car after that. Our daughter has been living in Wellington for a year and a half. The only thing I'm not mad about is the flight over - we're going to Auckland via San Francisco (other son living there) and it's a 13 hour flight😓

SimpleDimple

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121808028#Comment_121808028

You’ll need to stop off in Amsterdam or Oslo though on your way to Bergen.

2 hours direct flight rather than 6hr when the stop over is factored in

foxsake

the green train is a series of old fashioned slow moving routes around sardinia

https://sardiniagreentrain.com/index.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2vopFGK33M

geecee

Train from Singapore or Johar Bahru (just north of Singapore in Malaysia) to Bangkok is a nice journey

Stop at Butterworth for Penang island, take a detour at Phuket in south Thailand or Hua Hin before you get to bkk.

Not quite the eastern Orient express but similar route!

Nodster

Scottish Travel reviewer SteveMarsh on youtube has a couple of interesting train trips around Scotland and Scandinavian mong other European routes - well worth checking out

Coillte_Bhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121807505#Comment_121807505

I stayed in Ljubljana for two nights, it was lovely, stayed here, would highly recommend, http://www.petkovsek-lj.si/

VG31

I've done the Bernina Express and GoldenPass Express in Switzerland and highly recommend them.

The Bernina Express is a fabulous route to do in both summer and winter. It starts in Chur in Switzerland and finishes in Tirano just across the Italian border. Chur is 1.5 hours by train from Zürich. Tirano is 2.5 hours by train from Milan. I combined the Bernina Express from Chur to Tirano with Lake Como, which is between Tirano and Milan.

https://tickets.rhb.ch/en/pages/bernina-express

The GoldenPass Express (GPX) goes from Montreux on the east side of Lake Geneva to Interlaken in central Switzerland. It' not quite as beautiful as the Bernina Express but it's still an impressive route. I did Geneva to Zürich in one day with the GPX in 1st class. Despites being a fairly long day it was really enjoyable and relaxing. I took the following trains:

• Geneva -> Montreux
• Montreux -> Spiez
• Spiez -> Bern
• Bern -> Zürich Airport

https://journey.mob.ch/en/

If you're planning a rail journey in Switzerland. I highly recommend a Swiss rail pass. Swiss trains are expensive so passes can save you a lot of money. Some of the passes include:

• 1 month Half Fare Card for 120 CHF https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/tickets/guests-abroad/swiss-halffare-card.html
• 1 year Half Fare Card for 190 CHF. This is the one I used last year when I travelled to Switzerland multiple times. It paid for itself after one 3 day trip (thanks to the very expensive Jungfrau Railway). Despite conflicting information online, you don't have to be a Swiss resident to purchase one https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/travelcards/half-fare-travelcard.html
• Best for short trips, a Saver Day Pass. This gives you unlimited transport on virtually all public transport in Switzerland for one day. I combined this with my Half Fare Card for the GPX. I managed to travel from Geneva to Zürich in 1st class for only 59 CHF (excluding GPX seat reservations). Prices are generally cheaper the further in advance you book and start from 52 CHF in 2nd class and 88 CHF in 1st class (without a Half Fare Card).

I'm surprised The Man in Seat 61 hasn't been mentioned yet. It's an excellent resource for train travel https://www.seat61.com/index.html

VG31

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121810757#Comment_121810757

Steve Marsh has a great channel!

This channel is also very good https://www.youtube.com/@SuperalbsTravels/videos That's where I got inspiration to do the GoldenPass Express. Despite some clickbaity/dramatic thumbnails, his videos are very well done and balanced.

Jeb Brooks is one of my favourite YouTubers for train and plane trip reports. He has done quite a few long train journeys in the US and Canada https://www.youtube.com/@GreenerGrass/videos

endofrainbow

Reggio di Calabria to Palermo ! They load the train onto the ferry - quite the experience.

suvigirl

This is a great thread, such fantastic ideas!

thanks for starting it OP

HildaOgdenx

I was just about to say the same. Lovely thread. Lots of great recommendations.

WishUWereHere

Bangkok to the Malaysian Border. I’m not sure the train stops at the border or goes onto KL & Singapore.

It’s an overnight train ride & we got off at Hat Yai, but a train ride in tropical conditions is something special.

Vic_08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121812057#Comment_121812057

Interrail is also a good option for Switzerland, it depends on the length of stay and how many trips taken.

Most of the scenic lines have the heavily marketed tourist trains, Bernina, Golden Pass, Glacier Express but they also have regular trains that can be used without any extra fees over normal Swiss fares or rail pass and these are usually far less crowded.

Jungfraujoch and some of the ski resort rack railways and cable cars are very expensive, Personally I don't think they are good value as there is plenty on the regular routes with stunning scenery but if you want to go I'd suggest not to pre-book, wait until the day and check the weather as you can get days where the mountain peaks are surrounded by thick cloud and there is nothing to be seen at all.

Ginger83

I would be very grateful to hear views on which scenic rail trips might suit someone in an electric wheelchair.

I'm looking into this or a scenic cruise as a bucket list final big trip sorta thing.

Hibernicis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121806771#Comment_121806771

Back in the dark ages on my first Interrail trip as a 19yo we stopped for two nights in Interlaken and stayed in a youth hostel full of rich American students. It was boring and devoid of the interaction that makes hosteling so much fun. We bailed the following morning to cut our losses and while waiting for a train out of Interlaken spotted a sign for the train to Jungfrau. Tickets were expensive but we got a 50% discount because we had Interrail tickets. The breathtaking views remain with me decades later. The tickets were good for three days so we hopped off at most of the stops and wandered around the villages. On the way down we stopped in Grindlewald and overnighted in a charming hostel full of interesting people. I won’t recommend it now as so many years have elapsed and it may have changed, but it was a very memorable experience and a “chocolate box” view of the Bernese Oberland and Switzerland. Definitely one for the summer months if you are considering it.

Perhaps a return visit is called for !!

Greg81

Check out this YouTube Chanel.

https://www.youtube.com/@Trektrendy

You will find few ideas there

finbarrk

I read this book.

The 50 Greatest Train Journeys of the World; Anthony Lambert – The Secret Bookstore

Did Frankfurt to Cologne once. It was nice by the Rhine.

xtradel

For the Bernina express don't forget to use the travel hack on seat61 if travelling from Tirano to Chur where you can do the journey for €29. Done that myself and I'm travelling on it next week where I also booked a first class seat in the panoramic coach for around €34 on the Rhaetian Railway website

https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/bernina-express.htm#bernina-express-tickets-from-29-euros

https://tickets.rhb.ch/en/pages/bernina-express

miamee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121831743#Comment_121831743

Oooh exciting how did it go?

miamee

Thanks for all of the great suggestions here everyone, lots to think about. The only one I had already heard of was the Bernina Express and I was partly inspired to start the thread because of that and also a programme I watched some time ago with Joanna Lumley taking a train across Mongolia, it was stunning. I've still booked nothing but will bookmark these for when I can, a bit under the weather at the moment.

Vic_08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121889143#Comment_121889143

Thankfully while the Semmering tunnel will se the express trains diverted there are no plans to close the old line, it will still get regular regional trains.

Same for the Brenner pass between Innsbruck and Verona, the old line will still be kept for local and some freight while the base tunnel is used for the faster trains.

It is hard to take a train in that part of the world and not have great scenery, another less mentioned route is the local line that branches off the Brenner at Fortezza to Lienz and Spittal.

xtradel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121889066#Comment_121889066

Unreal!

I flew into Milan Bergamo, Bus to Milan Centrale and regional train to Tirano arriving around 6:30pm. I stayed 2 nights in Tirano which was a bad choice because there is really nothing to see and can even be difficult finding a pint! There was a pub beneath a half abandoned shopping centre called bobo's which was cool if your a smoker because they allow it anywhere inside, not so good if you don't but as I'm a smoker I loved it and vowed to return the second night of my stay only to find out they close on Wednesday and Thursday....

On to the Bernina Express....an experience like no other. Within a half hour snow started to appear on the ground and stayed with us until the final half hour decent. And I mean Snow....literally the height of the windows of the train in some cases and this was in March. Booked a very comfortable 1st class seat in the panoramic coach on the left hand side but because it twists and winds it way around there really is no bad side. Snacks were provided by a trolley service and everyone was given a gift of Lindt chocs in a Bernina Express tin carriage. Besides the amazing scenery, I was amazed by the whole infrastructure of the route bearing in mind this was built over 100 years ago and still in better shape with a smoother journey than anything we have in this country.

Although I travelled on the Bernina Express which is aimed at tourists there are regular services throughout the day which travel the whole route as its treated as a regular commuter route and while these dont have the panoramic coach they still have very nice 1st class sections.

Arrived into Chur where a lot of passengers transferred on to Swiss Railways services to Zurich but as I stayed in Chur for the night and is a beautiful place but as is all of Switzerland very expensive (pints €10.40) I was meant to travel from Chur to Hannover on the only direct train (continues to Hamburg ICE70) the following day but due to a German Railway strike I ended up spending a second night in Chur (pints were still €10.40!) and travelled the next day but was happy to be able to spend more time in Chur.

In Tirano I stayed in The Bernina Express eco rooms which is a minute away from the station. Lovely double room with balcony and breakfast for €77 a night.

In Chur I stayed in ABC Hotel again a 2 minute walk from the station. Good room with decent sized single bed with breakfast for €160 a night.

miamee

Wow this sounds fantastic @xtradel thanks for the reply!

rossie1977

San Diego to Anaheim is a lovely journey with the first 85% right next to the sea.

Budapest to Bucharest sleeper is perfect because you wake in the middle of the Carpathians.

Innsbruck to Salzburg is spectacular too.

Just my opinion of few mentioned. Bergen to Flam is great but you need good day (which thankfully we got) and weather in western Norway makes west of Ireland look like Sahara lol.

NZs TranzAlpine unfortunately I only got as far as Arthur's Pass and we were bussed the rest of the way. I enjoyed the bus more, we had great driver (former All Black's rugby player) and we went places through the mountains we would have missed on the train. So don't despair if an earthquake/mudslide/landslide happens they provide excellent backup support.

Poochie05

The Via Rail Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver! 5 days on a train but I took a break for 3 days in Jasper in the Rockies. absolutely amazing scenery.

i did an Interrail journey last year in Italy, Slovenia and Austria, loved the journey from Ljubljana to Salzburg.

Thanks to whoever recommended Steve Marsh, my new favourite YouTube channel!

Conall Cernach

Another Swiss one:

Geneva to Zermatt has Lake Geneva on your right for over an hour passing Montreux and the Chateau de Chillon. Then on for another hour to Visp where you change to a cog train to get up the Vispa valley to arrive after another hour at Zermatt with the Matterhorn in front of you and Monte Rosa to your left. You can change again in Zermatt for a trip on the Gornergrat railway which will take you up to over 3000 metres to Gornergrat where you will have some incredible views.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121806634#Comment_121806634

I visited Norway at the end of last summer. I stayed in Bergen and took a round trip, firstly on a boat, then on the Flåm Railway and then back to Bergen on the main line. I also stayed in Stavenger and took the train to Kristiansand, this line is scenic also. Kristiansand to Oslo not so much. Norway has a lot to offer, there is also the line to the North.

However, possibly the most scenic line in Europe is the Bohinj railway from Jesenice to Nova Gorica in Slovenia which is cheaper to travel on than Norway or Switzerland.

miamee

@Charles Babbage Slovenia looks beautiful, we had that on our To Visit list before covid but just never got there. Maybe some day !

VG31

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121914875#Comment_121914875

I did part of the Bohinj railway on the car train from Bohinjska Bistrica to Most na Soči. It was very scenic and the car train was a fun experience! I definitely woud like to return and do the full route.

https://potniski.sz.si/motorail/

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121912111#Comment_121912111

I still have the Lindt Bernina Express tin! I managed to get a 1st class ticket for a very cheap price by following this advice from The Man in Seat 61.

https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/bernina-express.htm#bernina-express-tickets-from-29-euros

For a cheaper hotel option in Chur, Ambiente Hotel Freieck is a nice hotel in the old town with a great breakfast.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121918211#Comment_121918211

Not only is it beautiful, but the people are friendly and the food is yummy.