guest post by Paul of Look Trains
Trains are one of the most romantic ways to travel, because they offer not only comfort and, some of them, even luxury, but also the opportunity to enjoy amazing landscapes as no other means of transportation. Thus, the beauty of the sights, the charm of the restless, diverse train stations and comfort combined make these railways the best in the world.
1. Glacier Express
One of the most appreciated railways in the world and one of the most celebrated trains of all time, is the one connecting the train stations of Zermatt and St. Moritz resorts,. This unforgettable journey through the Swiss Alps ranks first in many people’s preferences. The panoramic windows, which are placed even in the roof and the multitude of modern conveniences, make the trip worth its price.
2. Centovalli
The 105 minutes journey from Domossola, in Italy to Locarno, Switzerland, is justly named Centovalli as the travelers pass through 100 side valleys of a natural splendor. The charm of the little carriages, the spectacular views as well as the picturesque train stations are worth the price of the ticket!
3. Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
This historical line was once used for gold-ore mining and the steam locomotives that were built in the 1920s give an extra charm to this trip. The main attraction of the line is nevertheless the majestic mountain landscape which becomes particularly beautiful in the Animas River gorge area.
4. Indian Pacific
This is the train (top photo) that makes the connection between the western and eastern Australia and is famous for being the railway with the longest straight section of track in the entire world, 478 km across the infertile plain of Bullarbor.
5. Trans-Siberian
The longest railway in the world links Moscow to the Far East Russia and the Sea of Japan. A branch line also takes travelers to China and Mongolia. Today, the new railway called “Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian” is privately owned and offers great comfort to the passengers, which is quite necessary if you think that the entire journey could last for more than a week! Not to worry though, the modern trains include showers with floor heating and many other facilities and there are also long stops in the train stations to make use of ATMs, for example.
6. Eurostar
This is a delightful journey which will benefit travelers with time to spare and a taste for luxury. One of the most amazing train stations in the world, St Pancras, in London, is especially designed to host the high-speed Eurostar. Traveling from London to Paris and Brussels was never more appealing than with this world famous railway.
7. Venice-Simplon Orient Express
Famous all over the world is the historical Orient Express which stopped running in 2009. However, the private Venice Simplon Orient Express took over the original routs – including the famous Paris-Istanbul line, but also acquired the vintage trains, with carriages dating from the 20s. Thus, a journey with the Orient Express remains as enjoyable as it was for decades.
8. The Canadian
The most beautiful way to travel between Toronto and Vancouver is by means of the VIA (Via Rail Canada) railway which allows you to discover the wonderful sights of endlessly green forests, of the colossal snowy mountains and of the comfortable silver carriages that come right from the 50s.
9. New Jalpaiguri-Darjeeling
One of the World Heritage sites, the toy train to Darjeeling offers its travelers amazing views of the Himalayas and of the Kanchenjunga. The beauty of this journey is incontestable, though it is more for the adventurous souls, as India, with its colors, scents and wilderness is not for everybody. Connecting the plain train stations to hill ones, the 88 km long journey will offer you 8 hours of enchantment.
10. Settle and Carlisle
This is most amazing railway in the entire England, especially for those who appreciate the overwhelming beauty of mountain landscapes. At north of Settle there is the Yorkshire Dales National Park; the entire line bursts with life and color, as the trains “attack” Yorkshire’s three peaks: Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. Leaving from one of the most picturesque train stations in the world, the Victorian Settle Station, this railway will offer travelers the journey of their lives.
Look Travel Network is the practical guide that will inform you on trains and train stations, parks, bridges, airports, fun guide and landmarks . Go and enjoy your trips and journeys.
Photo Credits: Indian Pacific, Glacier Express, Centovalli, Durango, Trans-Siberian, Eurostar, Orient Express, Canadian, Darjeeling, Settle
Monday, November 28, 2011
Ten Best Railway Journeys of the World
Friday, November 4, 2011
Pilatus Golden Roundtrip (Lucerne, Switzerland)
One of the finest day trips in Europe can be made via five forms of transport from Switzerland’s picturesque city of Lucerne to the forbidding peak of Pilatus. Named after Pontius Pilate, legend dictates that Pontius Pilate went into exile and committed suicide after the trial of Jesus Christ and had his body dumped into a mountain lake on Pilatus.
In medieval times, it was strictly forbidden to attempt to reach the Pilatus summit for fear of provoking Pilate's wrath. To strengthen the ban, a story abounded that once a year Pilate emerged from the jagged peak and appeared above the lake, dressed in ceremonial robes to unsuccessfully wash his bloodied hands, and anyone who saw him would die within a year.
Today, the spirits and legends have calmed and Pilatus is regularly visited via the Golden Roundtrip (Goldene Rundfahrt). The tour starts with a suburban bus journey (#1) to Kriens before boarding a tiny gondola which takes quarter of an hour to whisk people almost a vertical kilometre to the mountain station of Fräkmüntegg. Switzerland’s longest toboggan run starts from here along with some lovely hikes but the Pilatus peak is reached by taking a larger cable car a further five minutes and another 600 vertical metres to reach 2132 metres above sea level and a stunning panoramic view across Switzerland.
Unlike most of the numerous peaks in Switzerland, Pilatus stands isolated, a mass of grey stone grandly rising above Lucerne and offering panoramic vistas of much of Switzerland. The glistening Lake Lucerne sparkles below, its arms reaching into the verdant Swiss valleys and with the city of Lucerne sprawled along its shoreline. The southern and western views peer over the spectacular Swiss Alps, a veritable ocean of snowy peaks, creaky glaciers and craggy ridgelines including the majestic Mont Blanc and the inconic triple giants of Jungfrau, Monck and Eiger.
Various trails (from a short circle around the peak area to a long trail all the way down the mountain) lead to other panoramic views with cute marmots occasionally nervously watching from their rocky vantage points. A mountain cut-through, ominously named the Dragon’s Walk after the mystical dragons that supposedly inhabit the rocky caves, leads to various short climbs. An historic and a more modern hotel allow folks to spend an overnight stay on this stunning mountain.
Its location in central Switzerland as a stand-alone mountain peak makes it an ideal military point with clear vision to the Swiss borders and gun emplacements built into the mountain side. A small café serves (pricey) silky smooth hot chocolate and various tempting treats that bold dohle, imposing birds with a jet black sheen and yellow beak will gladly seize if your concentration wavers onto the view for even a second.
All walked out and relaxed, the journey down involves riding the world’s steepest cog railway. Praying that the brakes continue to function as they have since 1889 on this historic train and running for 4.5 kilometres at a gradient that reaches 48 degrees, the forty minute journey on the vivid red rail cars weaves its way down Pilatus to the shore of Lake Lucerne at Alpnachstad, where a 70 minute boat cruise across the beautiful Lake Lucerne (the subject of panoramic photos only two hours earlier) and back to the city.
The journey can be done in either direction and I strongly recommend that the trip is started early in the morning as the weather and clouds often reportedly roll in later in the day. While in Lucerne, make sure you check out both the moving Lion statue and the wonderful Chapel Bridge.
In the middle ages a brave monk and a handful of his intrepid followers clambered up Pilatus to confront the spirit of Pilate throwing rocks in the cursed lake. Pilatus stands tall among Swiss mountains, nout juts for its stories but for its spectacular vistas across Switzerland with wonderful alpine hikes and the adventure of being able to travel via boat, cog railway, cable car and gondola as part of the journey.
Note: Map courtesy of Pilatus Bahnen.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Bridge Over the River Kwai (Kanchanaburi, Thailand)
Around 100 humid kilometers north of Bangkok is the bridge made famous by the film The Bridge Over the River Kwai. Kanchanaburi is the site of the Burma-Siam Railway Bridge built by prisoners of the Japanese in World War 2 under forced labour conditions. Today’s idyllic tropical setting (and even the movie) belies the appalling privations, random punishments, disease, meagre food and atrocities along with the withering humidity and searing heat suffered by the bridge builders. The toll was so large – over 12,000 prisoners of war and around 90,000 Burmese, Thai, Malay and Indonesian forced labourers lost their lives in construction of the railroad – that it became known as the Death Railway.
An excellent and busy tourist train (on weekends only) takes a scenic three hours aimed more at Thais than foreign visitors stopping near the famous bridge. The train nervously slows a couple of times on its journey to a snail’s pace to traverse old and rickety wooden bridges held up more by divine intervention than any expertise in engineering.
The train stops near the famed bridge where the passengers stroll the steel and wooden structure kept immaculate for all the visitors (only the outer spans are original as most was destroyed by bombing raids). Trains chuff across the bridge at regular intervals while the tourist train continues over the bridge to its terminus at Nam Tok with its scenic waterfall.
The gently running placid river and quiet setting give little feeling of the toil and hardship that went into building this key railway link and the plain dark steel arches lack character. Unsurprisingly, it is not the bridge used in the movie, which was fully shot on location in Sri Lanka!!
Nearby is the slightly disappointing JEATH Museum, its unusual name being an acronym of the various nations involved with the bridge (Japan, England, Australia / America, Thailand and Holland). Run by the local monks, there are some moving pictures, sketches and newspaper clippings shown in a cramped humid dingy bamboo hut to resemble the accommodation of the prisoners. Many of the exhibits are masked in plastic to prevent damage from the moisture and so are difficult to read or view properly in the poor light.
The bridge only became famous with the success of the movie. Ironically, for its grand title, the bridge doesn’t actually cross the Kwai but rather the Mae Klong (klong is canal in Thai). The Mae Klong runs into the confluence of the Khwae Yai and Khwae Noi Rivers (literally the big and little Khwae).
Under the mesmerising spell of popular cinema and sensing a tourism opportunity , the local authorities quietly renamed the relevant short section of Mae Klong to the Khwae Yai River, ensuring that there is a Bridge Over the River Kwai for all to visit and enjoy.
Despite its checkered history, the rail journey from Bangkok, the bridge and surrounding area are worthy of a visit, though the undoubted highlight is a short walk up the road to the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.
Note
The outstanding railway site Seat 61, has a detailed description on the River Kwai rail journey.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Sights of the USA – East to West Rail Tours
guest post by Titan HiTours
A vibrant labyrinth of culture and colour, New York is the ideal location to begin the epic adventure of coast-to-coast rail tours. When you’re done shopping along Fifth Avenue and taking a cosmopolitan stroll through Central Park, view the cityscape from the towering heights of the Empire State Building (where Tom Hanks or King Kong may be waiting, depending on your luck). Look out upon the USA’s inspiring symbol of freedom, the Statue of Liberty, and contemplate the journey of discovery to come. 
If architectural splendour is your thing then you’ll find plenty of it in the nation’s capital, Washington DC, a living monument to historic and contemporary America. Home to the Senate and the House of Representatives, discover where all the biggest decisions are made and soak up the power with a tour of the Whitehouse. The national monuments are truly spectacular, best viewed at night when illuminated in this beautifully crafted city.
There are equally important decisions being made in the next rail-tour destination, Chicago. Hawaiian or Four seasons? Meatballs or Mozzarella? Find your own version of the best Chicago pizza after working up a hunger in the delightful grounds of Millennium Park (Anish Kapoor's famous bean-shaped sculpture might inspire your appetite) or shopping on the Magnificent Mile. 
With a history of gold seekers, outlaws, buffalos and beer brewing the Wild West is very much alive in the next destination, Denver. The final resting place of Buffalo Bill, you can find out more about this colourful character (Express rider, army scout, buffalo hunter and showman), in the dedicated museum atop Lookout Mountain. Enjoy views of the snow capped Rockies in one direction, the Great Plains in the other. For another angle of history, check out the art Museum's unparalleled collection of Western and Native American art and artefacts.
Hollywood is the next stop, where dreams and drama are in plentiful abundance. Once you’ve taken ample pictures of Hollywood’s iconic sign, saunter down the Walk of Fame, where stars on the sidewalk commemorate those who have made a name for themselves in radio, television and movies. Grauman’s Chinese Theatre sits beside the famous footprints in the forecourt, a charming viewing experience from the golden age. 
If you’ve ever wanted to be directly confronted by the awesome power and depth of nature then the Grand Canyon, next stop on the rail tour, is the place to do it (although Thelma and Louise style is not advised). An ancient Native American holy site, a geological wonder; the Grand Canyon is an astounding 277 miles of fiery rock and sublime depth exposing almost two billion years of the planet’s history. 
Look back on your journey from the suspended beauty of the Golden Gate Bridge, a perfect end to the tour. A modern day miracle of man’s ingenuity and architectural achievement, the bridge spans two miles across the waters of San Francisco bay. Joseph B. Strauss’ lifetime masterpiece is among America's most cherished landmarks.
Photo Credits: Statue of Liberty, Buffalo Bill, Golden Gate
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Sea of Ice (Chamonix, France): Part One
Chamonix is the heart of the French Alps. Sitting below the towering peak of western Europe’s highest mountain, Mont Blanc, serrated saw-edged mountains and sweeping glaciers dominate the mind-blowing alpine scenery. Two wonderful half day journeys (both requiring good weather) help experience the wondrous alpine splendour and extraordinary panoramas without having to strap on a ski or snowboard. While for many, the Chamonix highlight is Mont Blanc, the first article explores the sweeping glacier field of Le Mer de Glace.
Contrasting to the little yellow train (which carves its way through the Pyrenees), a little red train steers its way to the Alp’s second largest glacier. Challenging the engineering skills of over 100 years ago, this narrow rack railway labouriously climbs 800 vertical metres from Chamonix to a stunning glacier. Over 14 kilometres long, almost two kilometres wide and between 200 metres and 400 metres deep, the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) is a vast frozen river of crevasses and ice as it snakes its way between the picturesque French Alps from Mont Blanc itself. The edges of the glacier are a dirty grey detritus of rocks and dirt gouged from the mountains and spat to the side of the sweeping tide of ice.
Signs indicate that the glacier moves at one centimetre (1/2-inch) every hour or ninety metres per year (slower at the edges), moved by the sheer weight of snow and ice along with the natural terrain.
Tiny ants across the glacier are actually intrepid trekkers (look carefully in the right centre of the photo to the right), roped together for safety in a human train, carefully negotiating their path across the icy wasteland. It reveals the huge scale of the glacier and the massive cracks that mean that one faulty step could result in falling many metres into a frozen abyss.
A series of ancient metal ladders, very cold to touch despite the pleasant outdoor temperature, lead a precarious descent to the edge of the glacier. There is an almost magnetic attraction to clamber down the ladder sequence and take a few tentative steps across the icy river. While not being overly adventurous, the creaking and groaning of the huge tongue of ice as it meanders down the valley is a powerful indicator of nature’s power, crevasses being created at whim. The backdrop is a superb mountain vista, the razor sharp Alps reaching for the sky.
Nearby is the entrance to an eerie blue mystery of an ice cave. Carefully cut into the glacier each year to help visitors experience the interior of the glacier, this blue tinged tunnel leads to a wonderland filled with creatively lit and carved ice sculptures. The subtle lighting makes for a truly unusual frosty art gallery. Despite the clever lighting, the sub-freezing temperatures filter quickly through the layers of clothing quickly sending a reminder that the gallery is set inside a glacier. Highlighting the movement of the glacier, the entrance to last year's cave can be seen some point further down the mountain, requiring a complete rebuild of the cave and its decorations every year.
Three other small museums worth a brief stroll highlight the geology and rocks of the area, the alpine wildlife and the history of the area.
The quaint red Montenvers mountain train provides immediate access to a glacier in all its living glory. All the senses are sparked in experiencing the grandeur, raw power and regal beauty of one of Europe’s largest glaciers.
Check out the second journey visiting Mont Blanc.
Photo Credit: red train
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus - He is in Finland (Rovaniemi, Finland)
Travelling north in Finland, the train crosses the Arctic Circle, an imaginary line at 66° 33′ 39″ north of the equator. All places north of this magical line receives at least one day of 24-hour sun and at least one day where the sun does not lift above the horizon at all. The travel wonder of Rovaniemi is fortuitously situated near the Arctic Circle and takes full advantage of its location. The interminable daylight presents a carpet of flowers and verdant forests flourishing in the brief warming summer months and turns the rivers into raging torrents as melting snow and ice escapes for the nearest oceans.
Most importantly, the town has established the existence of Santa Claus in Lapland. His village conveniently located just north of the Arctic Circle lives on a year-long Christmas celebration with the post office doing a roaring trade. Mr Claus receives over half a million requests a year for bicycles, dolls, electronic games, trucks and other assorted toys through the mail. Santa’s elves decked out in red and white toil away writing letters in response, selling a variety of tinsel-tinged festive paraphernalia and generally assisting Santa conduct his village.
Outside, Santa’s reindeer worn down with clichéd names like Dasher, Dancer and Rudolf loll around their paddocks, the July heat sapping their energy and the moult leaving their fur blotchy and untidy. They contently exchange pats and fondles for handfuls of food, blissfully unaware that their siblings provide a share of the Finnish menu, whether it be steaks, sausages or reindeer jerky.
Night times are strange in summer Rovaniemi – dusk and dawn merge together in a dull light without darkness setting in. Mosquitoes the size of tiny fighter jets swarm in black plumes dive-bombing bare skin with kamikaze passion, vacuuming precious red liquid from your body. The Finns recommend natural citronella over the various chemical concoctions – smelling like marmalade seems a small price to pay to fend off this savage attack force.
Maintaining a tradition practiced for centuries, Rovaniemi boasts a traditional smoke sauna. Taking hours for the wood-fuelled stove to heat the stone, the smoke is released and the people admitted. Sauna is serious business among Finns commenting on the löyly or steam in the same reverent terms that a winemaker will discuss a glass of red. Being a mixed group, everyone is wrapped in a towel, the sauna occasionally stoked with more löyly as water is tossed on the stones. The heat is intense but somehow gentle, small beads of sweat gradually turning into rivulets coursing down my torso. The wood provides a soothing forest aroma without any sense of smokiness.
The Finns chatter away in an incomprehensible language totally unrelated to the typical Slavic, Germanic or Romance-based languages of Europe, contented with the layer of mysticism the Finnish language adds to the country. Mind you, the long glass corridor of the Arktikum Museum strips away much of this mystery providing an excellent and detailed history of this northern land, its fascinating fauna and flora, the sparse population’s harmonious existence with nature and the harsh unforgiving winter battles fought during World War 2 (and the wilful destruction of the city by the Germans in retreat).
The local church highlights how everything is wrapped around the local Sami culture with a stunning central fresco and small supporting artworks, featuring a pious mixture of religion, reindeer and wintry weather.
Sensing a feeling of being well-cooked in the sauna’s heat, refreshment is available in the neighbouring river. The contrast of the water’s temperature gives a sensational burst of tingling freshness right through my body though the overwhelming cold of the currents quickly chases people out.
While people flock to this tiny township conveniently situated on the imaginary corridor of the Arctic Circle to capture an element of Christmas, there is an authentic Finnish experience available for those who want to wander a little beyond Santa’s Village.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
The Little Yellow Train (Languedoc-Roussillon, France)
A small bright yellow train with cherry red trim has meandered its way through the French Catalan Pyrenees in the Languedoc Roussillon region near the Spanish border, connecting remote and isolated mountain villages for over 100 years. Popular with travellers, le train jaune tracks through dramatic alpine scenery over towering bridges, tunnels gouged through the mountains and a number of viaducts.
The train departs from the travel wonder medieval village of Villefrance-de-Confluent. Before boarding the train, a short walk to Fort Liberia that stands guard over the town helps stretch the legs. Offering a stunning view of parenthesis-shaped Villefrance, the view shows the tightly packed stone houses, narrow streets and intact (and UNESCO heritage-listed) medieval defensive walls that protected the small town for centuries from Spanish sieges. The village has lots of witches and broomstick models dangling from doorways and shop windows, protecting the population from the evil mountain spirits.
While chilly at first, the train includes two open carriages (they were referred to as les bains or the bathtubs) that gives the full effect of the fresh mountain air and the engineering marvel (built before World War 1) of getting a line through this mountainous countryside. The track bends and curls between mountains, ploughing into the inky darkness of a tunnel when no other paths are available. At several points on the journey, the train travels high via bridges and viaducts over the forested valley floor including the vertigo-inducing Séjourné Viaduct with its dramatic double-decker arching.
Tiny stations whisk past, the train only stopping at more major stops unless signalled by a passenger to stop. The lion’s share of travellers stay on the train for the entire return journey. The village of Olette features tall narrow houses that cling to the cliff edges with the confidence of mountain goats. Several of the villages appear frozen in time, their grey stony houses having weathered centuries of harsh winters.
The train is powered by an electric current along a third rail, produced by a hydro plant from a nearby dam (so it is a green train too!). And the train needs all its power too as it climbs to Bolquère-Eyne, France’s highest rail station at almost 1600 metres, with all the spirit of the “I think I can” children’s story.
More reassuredly, as the little yellow train crosses a plateau and tumbles down into the final stop at Latour-de-Carol, is the news that the train boasts three separate braking systems each capable of stopping the train alone. The train travels through lush farmlands, dotted with caramel-coloured cows and large rolls of hay readying for the harsh mountain winters.
It was strongly recommended to get off at Bourg-Madam (a hotel owner reassures me “Latour-de-Carol is boring”), three stops from the end, walk through scenic surrounds for around half an hour (up hill) across the Spanish border to the quaint town of Puigcerdà with its historic belltower and return in time to pick up the train on its return leg.
Operated by French rail (and so available on rail passes), the Yellow Train offers a refreshing and relaxing day among stunning mountain scenery and tiny medieval villages of yesteryear.
Notes
Photos: Séjourné Viaduct, Gisclard Suspension Bridge.
Map courtesy of SNCF (French National Railways).
Friday, April 3, 2009
Riding the Devil’s Nose (Riobamba, Ecuador) - Part Two
Read Part One of the journey down Devil's Nose firstly.
Along the platform, enthusiastic street vendors parade a wide variety of food and drink to sate empty and dry bodies. Small kids dance along the train’s roof with the aplomb of Russian circus performers balancing trays of tasty morsels and shuffling currency with the flair of a central banker. No-one leaves their seat on the roof for fear of losing it with the influx of new passengers – possession being ten-tenths of the law on Ecuador railways!
The train finally starts its journey down the Devil’s Nose past a sequence of abandoned buildings. The sun has comfortably won the temperature battle as passengers have shed any semblance of winter clothing and try to catch any cooling breeze and hide from the harsh equatorial sun. The train rides past a junction in the line before a crew member clambers down and switches the junction. The train proceeds in reverse a further distance before repeating this same technique, zig-zagging down the mountain-side until we arrive at the abandoned town of Sibambe, with its shell of a railway station and church. We all get to stretch our legs for a few minutes before the train commences its slow journey back to Alausi, simply reversing its journey and struggling up the steep slopes of the Devil’s Nose. 
With dust-encrusted skin, slight sunburn from the mountain sun and sore legs from perching on the roof all day, most agree that it is good to be off this train that only a few hours earlier, people had rushed onto with excited anticipation. The switchback engineering is more interesting to read about than see, the views are pleasant rather than spectacular and the towns somewhat sad as they slowly fade from their colonial glory. Yet, in many ways, the Riobamba-Devil’s Nose train is a travel wonder worth experiencing.
