
Kunming to Vientiane on the China–Laos Railway
Yunnan to the Mekong on a brand-new cross-border railway
9h 34m · China State Railway Group (China Railway)
- Scenic
- Engineering
- Epic
Photo: Julia Denton-Barker · CC BY-SA 2.0
Journey type
Published train experiences of the epic kind, with route, season and booking intelligence for each.
73 published journeys

Yunnan to the Mekong on a brand-new cross-border railway
9h 34m · China State Railway Group (China Railway)
Photo: Julia Denton-Barker · CC BY-SA 2.0

The longest run in China: 4,372 km and two nights to Tibet
45h 03m · China State Railway Group (China Railway)
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

America's only high-speed service, down the Northeast Corridor
7h · Amtrak
Photo: 4300streetcar · CC BY 4.0

Overnight down the Mississippi valley, Chicago to the Gulf
19h 30m · Amtrak
Photo: Gary Todd · CC0 1.0

Three countries and the Channel Tunnel before lunch
5h 04m · Eurostar
Photo: Rob Dammers · CC BY 4.0

Overnight from Paris to the Riviera, in the Train Bleu tradition
11h 30m · SNCF Voyageurs
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Arctic iron-ore country, from the fjord to Lapland
3h · SJ Norge
Photo: Trond Blomlie · CC BY-SA 3.0

Into the north-east, on a line built for deep winter
4h 52m · China State Railway Group (China Railway)
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Two nights from the capital to the Tibetan plateau
39h 58m · China State Railway Group (China Railway)
Photo: xue siyang (df45086) · CC BY-SA 3.0

Two imperial capitals, joined at 300 km/h
4h 19m · China State Railway Group (China Railway)
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

High-speed rail along the Hexi Corridor
11h 30m · China State Railway Group (China Railway)
Photo: Liuxingy · CC BY-SA 4.0

China's cheapest long ride, through the Daliang mountains
9h 18m · China State Railway Group (China Railway)
Photo: Saigyouji-Noriko · CC BY-SA 4.0

Overnight from Tokyo to the shrine coast
11h 50m · West Japan Railway Company (JR West)
Photo: Mitsuki-2368 (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0

Japan's last regular overnight train, to Shikoku
9h 27m · West Japan Railway Company (JR West)
Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0

The highest railway in the world, across the Tibetan plateau
20h 26m · China State Railway Group (China Railway)
Photo: Windmemories / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Five routes, one rolling portrait of Kyushu.
3h 50m · JR Kyushu
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

North China to the Pearl River Delta, all of it at 350 km/h
7h 48m · China State Railway Group (China Railway)
Photo: N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0

Britain reimagined as a modern luxury sleeper journey.
72h · Belmond
Photo: Geof Sheppard · CC BY-SA 4.0

A private luxury train crossing Europe on a changing collection of grand itineraries.
168h · Golden Eagle Luxury Trains
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Contemporary Italian glamour turned into a moving luxury hotel.
72h · Orient Express
Photo: Michele Ursino · CC BY-SA 2.0

Shirakami Mountains on one side, the Sea of Japan on the other.
5h 15m · JR East
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

A private Highland country house that happens to move by rail.
72h · Belmond
Photo: Peter Moore / Geograph via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

The length of northern Honshu at Shinkansen speed
2h 58m · JR East
Photo: brian25_tw / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Europe’s most famous luxury train, still travelling in restored 1920s carriages.
24h · Belmond
Photo: Jour-reveur / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Sleep high in the Andes between Cusco, Lake Titicaca and Arequipa.
72h · Belmond
Photo: Gerry Zambonini · CC BY-SA 2.0

Twelve winter hours across Alaska from Anchorage to Fairbanks.
11h 30m · Alaska Railroad
Photo: Nils Öberg / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Across the Rockies to California
52h 14m · Amtrak
Photo: Sergey Yarmolyuk / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The Appalachian long way between New York and Chicago.
27h 28m · Amtrak
Photo: NovaWolce · CC BY-SA 4.0

Thirty-five hours of West Coast mountains, forests and ocean.
35h 16m · Amtrak
Photo: Glenn Beltz from Goleta, USA · CC BY 2.0

A hotel train for long-form journeys across western India.
192h · Deccan Odyssey
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

A summer railway across interior Alaska
12h · Alaska Railroad
Photo: Len Turner / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Tropical luxury rail from Singapore into the heart of Malaysia.
96h · Belmond
Photo: Adlersson · CC BY-SA 4.0

A two-night northern crossing of the United States.
46h · Amtrak
Photo: Loco Steve · CC BY-SA 2.0

The classic Rocky Mountaineer crossing from Vancouver to Banff and Lake Louise.
48h · Rocky Mountaineer
Photo: The Land · CC BY-SA 3.0

South India by luxury train from Bengaluru.
144h · Golden Chariot
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Summer by rail from subtropical Brisbane to Adelaide.
72h · Journey Beyond Rail
Photo: A.trailphotography / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Coast to coast across Australia and the Nullarbor.
96h · Journey Beyond Rail
Photo: Tomoyn / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

A working passenger train through one of Canada’s least-travelled great landscapes.
34h 40m · VIA Rail Canada
Photo: TagaSanPedroAko · CC0

Two daylight days from Vancouver to Jasper through the Rockies.
48h · Rocky Mountaineer
Photo: The Land · CC BY-SA 3.0

Long-distance public rail through the tropical interior of Peninsular Malaysia.
12h 30m · Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Sri Lanka’s hill-country railway through tea estates and cloud forest.
6h 45m · Sri Lanka Railways
Photo: Alexey Komarov · CC BY-SA 4.0

Palace-style luxury rail through northern India.
168h · Maharajas’ Express
Photo: Aswin Krishna Poyil / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0

New Zealand’s North Island from Auckland to Wellington in one long scenic day.
10h 35m · Great Journeys New Zealand
Photo: Johnragla / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Seven nights of Rajasthan and Agra in a classic luxury train.
192h · Palace on Wheels
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Three days from Pacific rainforest to the Rockies; for the final time in 2026.
72h · Rocky Mountaineer
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Vietnam from Hanoi to Saigon on the country’s defining north–south railway.
36h · Vietnam Railways
Photo: Benjamin Vander Steen · CC BY 2.0

Glass-dome daylight rail from the Rockies into Utah red rock country.
48h · Canyon Spirit
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Twelve nights of rail, safari, coast and mountains across South Africa.
312h · Rovos Rail
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Three nights through the Karoo on Rovos Rail’s classic route.
96h · Rovos Rail
Photo: Bob Adams / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Four countries, 14 nights and one of Africa’s most ambitious luxury rail expeditions.
360h · Rovos Rail
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Sixteen nights and five countries from Cape Town to Tanzania.
360h · Rovos Rail
Photo: David Brossard · CC BY-SA 2.0

Eleven nights from South African rail country into the Namib.
288h · Rovos Rail
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Luxury rail from Pretoria to one of Africa’s great natural landmarks.
96h · Rovos Rail
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Two nights from Chicago to Los Angeles across the old Southwest.
41h · Amtrak
Photo: Jerry Huddleston / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Twenty-five hours along Queensland’s tropical coast.
25h · Queensland Rail Travel
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Overnight from Brisbane to the heart of Queensland’s interior.
26h · Queensland Rail Travel
Photo: Lobster1 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Bayou country to desert sunsets on America’s southernmost long-distance train.
48h · Amtrak
Photo: Jerry Huddleston / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Two nights of formal luxury between Pretoria and Cape Town.
46h · The Blue Train
Photo: Bob Adams · CC BY-SA 2.0

Four days from Toronto to Vancouver
96h · VIA Rail Canada
Photo: Timothy Stevens / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Across Australia through the Red Centre
96h · Journey Beyond Rail
Photo: Tomoyn / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

Overnight from Montréal to Halifax across Atlantic Canada.
23h 06m · VIA Rail Canada
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

A full daylight crossing between Melbourne and Adelaide.
10h 30m · Journey Beyond Rail
Photo: Takeshi Aida · CC BY-SA 2.0

A coast-to-coast crossing of New Zealand’s South Island through braided rivers, the Southern Alps, Arthur’s Pass and the lush West Coast.
4h 55m · Great Journeys New Zealand
Photo: Kabelleger / David Gubler · CC BY-SA 4.0

An overnight crossing from Argentina’s Atlantic side to the Andes.
19h 10m · Tren Patagónico
Photo: David Brossard / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

A Belle Époque palace on rails across southern and central Spain.
168h · Renfe
Photo: Nelso Silva / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Go to sleep in London and wake in the Highlands.
11h 30m · Caledonian Sleeper
Photo: Colin MacInnes / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Spain’s grandest luxury rail journey along the Cantabrian coast.
192h · Renfe
Photo: Ander Ibarra / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Britain’s long railway into the peatlands and North Sea coast.
4h 15m · ScotRail
Photo: Peter Moore / Geograph via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Eight hours across the high Swiss Alps
8h · Glacier Express AG
Photo: Tim Adams / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

A summer railway journey through the long, quiet interior of Sweden.
45h · Inlandsbanan
Photo: Saippuakauppias / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Norway’s longest railway, from Trondheim across the Arctic Circle to Bodø.
9h 49m · SJ Norge
Photo: David Gubler (Kabelleger) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Fall asleep in Scandinavia and wake up in the Austrian Alps.
20h 40m · Snälltåget
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Sleep north through Sweden; with the direct Narvik service returning in December 2026.
18h 36m · SJ
Photo: David Gubler (Kabelleger) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0