Which is why we’ve rounded up the weirdest and most wonderful train journeys out there, from straw mats on a bamboo track to a coal-powered steam train chugging through the Himalayas.
Battambang Bamboo Train, Cambodia
Enjoy a rollercoaster-cum-train ride in Cambodia
The Battambang Bamboo Train is essentially a warm-weather toboggan ride, powered by a small motorbike engine. In a town called Battambang in the northwestern part of Cambodia, the notorious ‘bamboo train’ is a piece of back-to-basics engineering for thrill-seeking travellers. Perched on straw mats laid across a bamboo platform, you’ll hurtle through rice paddies and over rickety bridges at a speed of up to 40km per hour. Hold on tight with the wind rushing through your hair and try to take in the tropical Cambodian landscape as you speed past. Ramchang is an affordable, orange- and yellow-painted guesthouse in the centre of Battambang.
Puffing Billy, Australia
Dangle your legs out of a steam train passing through the Bush
The opportunity to dangle your legs out the window of an old steam train as you chug through a verdant mountain range makes Australia’s Puffing Billy an unforgettable experience. The route winds through the Dandenong Mountains and the Yarra Valley, past cascades, creeks and lime-green ferns, with sunlight seeping through the tall, thin gum and mountain ash trees. But the most photogenic part of the train journey is probably the Monbulk Trestle Bridge, an old timber bridge that carries the train out of Belgrave and towards Menzies Creek. And it’s only an hour from Melbourne, so pack a picnic for an easy and whimsical afternoon in the bush. Use this highly rated apartment in South Yarra, Melbourne, as your base in the city.
Darjeeling 'Toy Train', India
Darjeeling's 'Toy Train' has been chugging through the Himalayas since the late 1800s
With a shrill whistle, plumes of steam and smoke billowing from its coal engine, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway rumbles along its narrow track through the misty mountains. Affectionately-known as the ‘Toy Train’, this locomotive has been transporting tea and passengers up the steep inclines of the Lower Himalayas since the late 1800s; a feat of engineering at the time that still impresses today. As it makes its way from Darjeeling to Ghum, the highest train station in India, the blue carriages of the train skim buildings and traffic by inches along the old Hill Cart Road. Before opening up to mesmerising views of the terraced tea plantations and snow-capped Himalayas. Stay at the Dekeling Resort, overlooking the Darjeeling Hills and Kanchenjunga Range.
Šargan Eight, Serbia
Take a narrow-gauge railway through remote Western Serbia
This traditional, narrow-gauge railway takes passengers on a romantic journey through rural, Western Serbia’s pine-clad hills and to remote villages. It’s a peaceful trip, with the scenery dramatically shifting from flat, wildflower meadows to sheer, rocky gorges with every bend of the track and each new tunnel. Expect lots of twists and turns as this exciting 2 ½-hour return trip takes you from the village of Mokra Gora to Šargan Vitasi station. The vintage, wooden carriage interiors are almost as pleasing as the feeling of wind on your face as you gaze out the open windows at the unspoiled Serbian countryside. Check into Neva Apartments, the most highly rated accommodation in Mokra Gora.
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, USA
The window views from this heritage railroad are epic
A heritage railroad cutting across some of Colorado’s most epic scenery The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway tracks follow the Animas River through wilderness inaccessible by road. The railway was built in 1882 but steam locomotives are still used today, albeit for tourists keen to take in the utterly phenomenal views. You’ll pass river canyons, pine-covered valleys, waterfalls, snowy peaks and a few elk, deer and moose if you’re lucky. Choose between open-air viewing gondola carriages for breathing in the fresh mountain air, or sit in one of the Historical Narration cars where you listen to on-board narrators in period costume discuss the history of the railroad and the region. The journey takes 3-and-a-half hours each way and you can board either end, so stay at the highly rated Leland House in Durango, or The Hotel Telluride, an hour’s drive from remote Silverton.
