All aboard for something wonderful

JOURNEYS BY TRAIN

See the world, one station at a time.

A cheerful illustrated train full of happy travellers crossing a viaduct beside a lake and mountains

An imaginative AI-created illustration of the adventure ahead.

The journey is part of the holiday

A window seat. A new horizon.
A whole world waiting.

Watch city rooftops give way to open country. Step off beside a Japanese temple town or a European lake. These independent railway adventures connect memorable places with enough time to enjoy them—and a clear plan for where to sleep next.

Where will your next chapter begin?

A Japanese Shinkansen passing Mount Fuji

Shinkansen photograph (2010): tansaisuketti · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Display crop.

14 days · 13 nights · Four bases

Japan for first-time visitors →

Tokyo’s energy, a mountain-inn night in Hakone, Kyoto’s temple streets and Osaka’s food culture. Follow the railway west, with a day in Nara and a practical plan from arrival to departure.

Tokyo → Hakone → Kyoto → Osaka

Discover Japan by train →
Watch the Japan train preview

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Japan · Tokyo–Kyoto Shinkansen corridor

A taste of Japan’s bullet train

A Tokyo–Kyoto first-class Shinkansen video. Our itinerary breaks the journey in Hakone and boards westbound at Odawara; this film shows the longer corridor and a premium seat experience.

Riding Japan’s Famous Bullet Train in First Class | Tokyo to Kyoto Shinkansen 🚄 · Luxury Travel Host. Watch on YouTube ↗

The Chapel Bridge and waterfront in Lucerne
The Chapel Bridge and waterfront in Lucerne. Hurstbergn · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Display crop.

21 days · 20 nights · Four countries

Europe by train: Paris to Rome →

Parisian mornings, Alsatian lanes, Swiss lake views and an Alpine crossing before Venice, Florence and Rome. Seven overnight bases turn a multi-country trip into a journey you can savour.

France → Switzerland → Austria → Italy

Begin the European adventure →
Watch the Europe train preview

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Lucerne → Innsbruck · main Alpine section

Across the Arlberg by Railjet

The Man in Seat 61’s earlier Zurich–Innsbruck journey. It covers the main Alpine section, not the Lucerne–Zurich approach. Check current engineering work and services.

Arlberg Pass: Zurich to Innsbruck by Railjet train · The Man in Seat 61. Watch on YouTube ↗

Watch more European train rides →

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in Colorado

Photo: Perdelsky · Public domain · Display crop.

USA · Explore by state · Choose your own adventure

Scenic train rides across the USA →

Steam through Colorado’s mountain country, ride beneath California’s redwoods or discover a heritage railway closer to home. Our USA collection brings together scenic railways, historic trains and memorable day trips, organised by state and boarding town.

Start with Durango & Silverton, Cumbres & Toltec or Roaring Camp, then explore the railway experiences in your chosen state. Pick a single outing or make several train rides part of a longer American holiday.

A collection of railway adventures—not one fixed itinerary.

Explore USA train rides by state →
Stari Most in Mostar
Stari Most in Mostar. Berthold Werner · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Display crop. Photograph may show earlier conditions.

14 days · 13 nights · Includes bus connections

Venice to Istanbul: a Balkan adventure →

Venetian canals, Trieste’s waterfront and Ljubljana’s river lead towards Sarajevo, Belgrade and Sofia. Choose a Mostar rail excursion, then finish with an overnight train and three nights in Istanbul.

Public trains + three intercity bus stages + one sleeper night. A compact independent journey with clear overnight stops, maps and booking guidance.

Explore Venice to Istanbul →
Watch a Sofia–Istanbul sleeper preview

A traveller’s account, not current timetable or fare advice. Choose Load video to connect to YouTube; nothing plays automatically.

Watch the original video by Let’s Go By Land ↗

Made for curious, independent travellers.

Know the next step

Find arrival stations, overnight bases, suggested sightseeing and maps. Each travel day has space for the parts a timetable leaves out: checking out, finding the platform and settling in.

Travel at your own pace

Use the itinerary as a starting point. Stay longer where you fall in love, shorten a walk when you need a rest, and choose the attractions that mean something to you.

How to choose your first railway adventure

Start with the time you have, then choose a manageable number of overnight bases. Japan’s two-week journey is a focused introduction along a well-established rail corridor. Our three-week Europe itinerary crosses four countries, mixing fast trains with longer scenic travel days. Neither requires you to move hotels every morning.

Before booking flights, read the arrival and departure plan, compare rail tickets, passes and age discounts, and price the full stay. A railway holiday feels freer when the important connections are settled and the smaller discoveries are left open.