Vacation train travel offers a unique way to experience an area. Trains take you where buses and cars can’t go. It is said, “A journey by train is an adventure in itself.” While the trains run like clockwork in Switzerland and there’s lots of options there, don’t overlook the chance to take a train junket if there’s one available where you are vacationing. The seating is comfortable, have a beverage and revel in the knowledge you are seeing the country and being kind to the environment by reducing your carbon footprint since you aren’t driving. Your travel advisor at GetAway Travel can help you with train adventure possibilities. Here are some options to think about.

“Life is a journey, enjoy the ride,” especially if its on a train!

Vietnam’s Reunification Express takes travelers on the North-South railway that became a symbol of the reunification of the country when it opened in 1976. Travel from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. Pass close to the sea in some places and enjoy the scenic views of rice paddies, villages, mountains and even some beaches.

Norway has a number of interesting options. The Bergen Line is considered the most scenic. There’s stunning mountain scenery on the trip fro Oslo to Bergen. The train takes you through the Hallingdal Valley along the picturesque Hardanger Jøkulen glacier. It’s a great way to travel between Norway’s two most important cities.

The Flåm Line is one of the world’s most famous and technically interesting railways. It’s a steep action journey from Myrdal station down to the village of Flåm and you’ll pass dramatic waterfalls, rivers, valleys, streams and mountains. Take in what is considered the epitome of Norwegian nature on an antique train.

The steep, angled climb from zero to a half mile above sea level takes two engines. One is at the front and one is at the back and each has a special braking system.

Take the seven-hour ride from Oslo to Trondheim on the Dovre Railway. You’ll enjoy the journey through Gudbrandsdalen, Rondan and Dovrefjell. The tracks go through some of Norway’s lovely national parks and you’ll see Lake Mjøsa as well at Eidsvoll, the birthplace of the Norwegian Constitution.

Safari, Sri Lanka, India and the Outback

 The Rovos Rail in Southern Africa takes a 15-day journey from Cape Town to Dar Es Salaam. The luxury train goes through five countries with scheduled stops at game reserves, the Zambia-Zimbabwe border, Victoria Falls and through Tanzania’s Nyerere National Park. You can enjoy canapés and champagne during formal evenings on the train and safari, cultural and historic excursions during off-train times.

The British created the Ella to Kandy line through the central highlands of Sri Lanka to move tea and travelers. The seven-hour trip takes you through mountains, across rivers and over gorges. You pass giant tea plantations, farm fields, quaint small rural temples and occasionally stop at tiny stations to pick up travelers.

A train trip from Delphi to Mumbai on the Maharajas Express India takes seven days. The luxury train offers a fabulous tasting menu that is tailored to the area you are passing through and travelers are treated with marigold garlands when they board the train. There are great lounges with comfy couches, books and board games for you to rest and relax after you take advantage of planned excursions at stops along the way.

Fancy a train trip though the Outback? There’s a three-day option on The Ghan that goes from Adelaide to Darwin. The environmental changes are amazing. You go from wine country in Southern Australia to the arid desert of Central Australia to the tropical landscapes near the Timor Sea.

Japan, Portugal, Canada, Egypt and the UK

 A train ride in Japan, the birthplace of the bullet train, is a three-hour blast from Tokyo to Shin Aomori. The Tohaku Shinkansen is the longest of the super speed lines that cross the country. Although it’s wicked fast, you can still see the volcanic landscape, snowy forests and villages.

Portugal’s Douro Line takes you on a three-hour journey from Porto to Pocinho. The rail line was created in the late 19th century to move port into rural areas. You can admire the lovely vintage landscape with the neat rows of grapevines tucked into the steep hills. The start of the trip is pretty spectacular. Porto’s Sâo Bento Station is covered in decorative blue and white ceramic tiles, known as azulejos. The azulejos at the Pocinho station, where there is a bottle shop, depict the grape harvest.

You an experience the pristine grandeur of the Canadian Rockies on the Rocky Mountaineer line. GetAway Travel advisors can attest to the awesome scenery because they took the Journey Through the Clouds trip. Imagine traveling in a comfortable coach outfitted with gigantic picture windows so you don’t miss any part of the scenery. You travel between Vancouver and Banff.

Take a 10-hour rail trip from Cairo to Luxor and get dropped off at the doorstep of the Valley of Kings. The line runs parallel to the Nile River and goes from the delta to Alexandra and past the Aswan Dam.

The Heart of Wales line in the United Kingdom takes you from Craven Arms, England to Llanelli, Wales. The single track runs through the center of the country and takes you over ancient viaducts and through quaint rustic stations.

A trip on the Royal Scotsman starts at Edinburgh’s Waverly Station, takes travelers through the heart of the Scottish Highlands and past some great landmarks. If you want to soak up the ambiance of the British countryside in restored train cars featuring Art Deco touches from the 1920s and 1930s, ride the British Pullman. Tour the countryside and cities and towns like Cambridge, York and Canterbury.

Ready to go full steam ahead on a train adventure? Your GetAway Travel advisor is on board with that!  Reach us at:  (262) 538-2140, e-mail: sue@getaway.travel or e-mail: sue@getaway.travel or paul@getaway.travel