Photo by Anup Mishra on Unsplash

There is something magical about a train window that a plane window can never match.

On a plane, you mostly get clouds, a wing and the back of someone’s reclining seat. On a train, the world drifts past like it’s putting on a private show just for you. Tiny villages. Rivers. Sheep standing exactly where sheep always seem to stand. Castles you only notice because you’re not hurtling past them to the nearest services.

I’ve loved trains since I was little. Partly because I found the steady rhythm strangely calming, and partly because trains seem to sneak into places nothing else can. They climb mountains, disappear into tunnels, skim along coastlines and cross bridges that make you sometimes take your breath away.

Maybe I’m getting older, but these days the journey feels just as exciting as the destination.

These are the rail journeys at the top of my bucket list.

If ever there was a train that understood the joy of taking your time, it’s this one.

Despite the name, it’s famously the slowest express train in the world, and honestly, that’s exactly why people love it.

The journey takes around eight hours between Zermatt and St. Moritz, winding through 91 tunnels and across 291 bridges while the Swiss Alps show off at every opportunity.

The panoramic windows are enormous, lunch is served at your seat, and every time you think you’ve seen the best view, another snow-covered mountain appears around the next bend.

Most people know this as the Harry Potter train.

I have to confess…I’m probably one of about six people who never became a huge Harry Potter fan.

But even without the Hogwarts connection, this journey looks spectacular.

The steam train crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, weaves past lochs, forests and mountains, and somehow manages to make Scotland look even more dramatic than it already does.

The best bit?

It’s right here in Britain.

No airport queues. No passport control. No tiny bottles of shampoo in plastic bags.

Just a train, beautiful scenery and, if you’re on time, a delicious bacon roll before you go.

This is one of those holidays people seem to talk about forever.

Glass-domed coaches.

Turquoise lakes.

Waterfalls.

Snow-capped mountains.

The occasional bear wandering about as though tourists don’t exist.

The clever part is that the train only runs during daylight, so you never miss the scenery. At night everyone heads to hotels… yup, I said hotels no bunk beds on this fancy trip.

It’s expensive,

Painfully expensive.

But every review I’ve seen says

“Worth every penny.”

Apparently Switzerland wasn’t satisfied with having one incredible railway.

The Bernina Express climbs through the Alps before dropping into northern Italy, passing glaciers, lakes, tiny villages and mountain passes that don’t even look real.

By the end of the journey you’ve swapped snowy peaks for palm trees.

It’s like travelling through three different countries without ever leaving your seat.

This journey crosses New Zealand’s South Island from Christchurch to Greymouth in under five hours.

In that time you’ll travel through open farmland, towering mountains, deep river gorges and lush rainforest.

There’s even an open-air viewing carriage.

Wonderful for photographs.

Sounds like an awesome way to see some of New Zealand’s gorgeous scenery

Around 51 hours from Chicago towards San Francisco.

Which sounds absolutely ridiculous…

…until you realise the scenery includes the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada and landscapes that simply don’t exist from the motorway.

I’ve also heard American train passengers are wonderfully chatty.

You might board alone and leave knowing someone’s entire family history, favourite casserole recipe and why their cousin should never have bought that boat.

Sounds really fun!

Luxury isn’t really the point here.

This is real travel.

The train runs almost the entire length of Vietnam, passing rice fields, fishing villages and one of the most beautiful coastal rail sections anywhere in the world between Hue and Da Nang.

Everything I’ve read says it’s noisy.

Sometimes late.

Occasionally chaotic.

Exactly the sort of unique trip that will stay in your memory forever

Proof that you don’t need to spend thousands for an unforgettable train ride.

This ordinary railway service crosses the Yorkshire Dales and the magnificent Ribblehead Viaduct, with scenery that easily rivals journeys costing twenty times as much.

My advice?

Take a flask.

A packet of baby wipes.

Sit on the left if you’re travelling north.

Bring a real camera that can hang round your neck.

Don’t forget headphones.

I’ve packed brilliantly.

I’ve packed terribly.

I’ve once managed to pack a book I had finished the day before and no phone charger.

Here’s what actually earns a place in my bag now.

Modern travel has become obsessed with speed.

Fast flights.

Fast check-ins.

Fast food.

Fast everything.

They ask you to slow down.

To look out of the window instead of at another screen.

To notice villages you’d never otherwise visit.

To eat your sandwiches while mountains drift by instead of grabbing meal deals between airport gates.

Maybe that’s why so many people fall in love with rail travel. Not because it’s the quickest way to get somewhere. Because, for once, the journey doesn’t feel like something you’re trying to get through. It feels like part of the holiday.

Eight uninterrupted hours watching mountains roll past while eating snacks you’ve packed yourself sounds like one of the greatest luxuries left.

Now I’d love to know…

Which railway journey is on your bucket list? Do you have any recommendations?

I love hearing other people’s travel stories, and until I manage to ride all of these myself, I’ll happily travel through yours.

If you enjoy travel, wellbeing and honest slices of everyday life, I’d love it if you followed along for more.

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