Some train journeys change you. Not in the Instagram-inspirational-quote way, but in the quiet way — where you press your forehead to cold glass and watch a country unfold at exactly the right speed. I've taken 47 train journeys across 19 countries. These 10 are the ones I'd sell my return flight to repeat.
1. Glacier Express — Switzerland
Zermatt to St. Moritz · 8 hours · ~$150-350
The Glacier Express moves so slowly it's nicknamed "the slowest express train in the world." And that's the point. Eight hours of Alpine valleys, 91 tunnels, 291 bridges, and the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 meters. You eat a three-course lunch while crossing viaducts that engineering shouldn't allow. The wine tilts in your glass on the curves. It's theatrical and completely earned.
Best window side: Right side (south-facing) for afternoon light on the valleys.
Book: 2nd class is fine. The panoramic windows are the same.
2. Bergen Railway — Norway
Oslo to Bergen · 7 hours · ~$40-80
Europe's highest mainline railway crosses the Hardangervidda plateau at 1,222 meters. You leave Oslo's suburbs, climb through birch forests, hit snow fields in minutes (even in June), then descend through fjords into Bergen. The light changes six times. No dining car matches the views.
Pro tip: Sit on the left side. The Voss section has waterfalls you won't see from the right.
3. Kandy to Ella — Sri Lanka
Kandy to Ella · 6-7 hours · ~$2-10
This is the one everyone posts on Instagram, and for once, it deserves it. Tea plantations stacked vertically, waterfalls appearing and vanishing, the blue train curving through Nine Arches Bridge while you hang from open doors (technically not allowed, universally done). At $2 for a second-class ticket, it's the world's best value.
Reality check: Book the 09:45 departure. The seats are hard. Bring food. It's often late. None of that matters once the hills start.
4. Trans-Siberian Railway — Russia/Mongolia
Moscow to Vladivostok (or Beijing) · 6-7 days · ~$300-1,500
Not a journey — a meditation on distance. Six time zones. Lake Baikal's frozen edge. Birch forests that repeat for 3,000 kilometers until repetition becomes the point. The dining car changes nationality. Your sense of time dissolves around day three. You emerge different.
Route choice: Trans-Mongolian branch (through Ulaanbaatar to Beijing) is more varied. Classic route to Vladivostok is purer.
5. The Jacobite — Scotland
Fort William to Mallaig · 2 hours · ~$45-65
Yes, it's the "Harry Potter train." Yes, it crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct. But remove the franchise and you still have: a steam locomotive crossing Scottish Highlands, Loch Shiel below, Ben Nevis behind, and the Atlantic emerging at Mallaig. The whistle echoes off mountains. It's older than wizards.
Booking: Book 2-3 months ahead. First class adds tables and tea. Worth it.
6. Bernina Express — Switzerland/Italy
Chur to Tirano · 4 hours · ~$60-90
UNESCO World Heritage rail. You cross the Alps without a single tunnel at the highest point (2,253m). Glaciers, spiral viaducts, Italian palm trees at the end. It's Switzerland's engineering pride compressed into four hours. The temperature drops 20°C at the summit, then rises again as you descend into Italy.
7. Rocky Mountaineer — Canada
Vancouver to Banff · 2 days · ~$1,500-3,000+
Expensive. Unapologetically luxurious. Glass-domed cars through the Canadian Rockies, with bears spotted from your breakfast table. Kicks Creek trestle. The Spiral Tunnels. Morant's Curve. It's a hotel on rails through scenery that shouldn't be legal. Two days because they only run in daylight — you never miss a mountain.
8. Flåm Railway — Norway
Myrdal to Flåm · 1 hour · ~$30-50
Twenty kilometers. 863 meters of descent. One of the steepest railway lines in the world on normal gauge track. Waterfalls close enough to touch. The train stops at Kjosfossen falls for photos — a theatrical pause that feels earned. Short enough to do twice.
9. Shinkansen along the Coast — Japan
Tokyo to Kyoto (Tokaido Shinkansen) · 2.5 hours · ~$120
Not scenic in the traditional sense. But: the bullet train passes Mount Fuji at 285 km/h, and if the sky is clear (right side, about 40 minutes in), the mountain fills your window for exactly 11 seconds. Eleven seconds of perfection. Japan distilled into velocity and precision. The bento box you eat is also perfect.
Fuji window: Sit in rows D or E, right side. Between Shin-Yokohama and Shizuoka.
10. Reunification Express — Vietnam
Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City · 33 hours · ~$35-80
The full length is a commitment (33 hours). The Danang-to-Hué section is the masterpiece: the Hải Vân Pass, the coastline, fishing villages appearing between tunnels. Take just that 3-hour segment if you want beauty without endurance. Or do the full thing and emerge in Saigon having crossed the entire country by rail.
Sweet spot: Soft sleeper, Danang to Hué (departs ~6am, arrives ~9am). Sunrise over the pass.
FAQ
What is the most scenic train journey in the world?
The Glacier Express (Switzerland) and Bergen Railway (Norway) consistently rank as the most scenic. The Kandy to Ella route in Sri Lanka offers the best value-to-scenery ratio at just $2.
Are scenic train journeys worth the cost?
Most are surprisingly affordable. The Sri Lanka route costs $2, Norway's Bergen Railway $40-80, and even Switzerland's Glacier Express is $150 in 2nd class. Only the Rocky Mountaineer ($1,500+) is truly premium-priced.
Which side should I sit on for scenic train routes?
It varies by route: right side for Glacier Express, left for Bergen Railway, right for the Shinkansen (Mount Fuji). Our guide above specifies the best side for each journey.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.