February 2025 – Slow Trains to Istanbul

50 Responses

1. One of my most memorable train journeys was through the Swiss Alps on the Glacier Express. Watching snow-capped peaks, deep valleys, and charming villages glide past while the train wound through breathtaking landscapes felt like traveling through a postcard. The slow pace made every moment immersive, from the towering Landwasser Viaduct to the serene Rhine Gorge.

2. The train journey from Newcastle to Edinburgh is a most beautiful one, especially when the sun is shining, and always very enjoyable. But I am about to go on a tour of China, and this includes 4 bullet train journeys, which should be very exciting.

3. An overnight train from Chengdu to Yangshuo in China. It took over 20 hours with no air con and was interesting to say the least!

4. About 10 years ago my husband and I travelled by sleeper train to Venice. There was certainly a wow factor on exiting the station to see the mass of canals. We then had a fortnight’s holiday in lake Garda which wasn’t far from Venice by train

5. In 1966 as an 18year old British Rail employee I qualified for a free pass from York to Oslo to stay with family friends. All arrangements were made by letter as none of us had telephones. The pass was routed York- London – Harwich – Hook of Holland – Copenhagen – Oslo. The last 2 sections being 12 hours each. It was further complicated by a British Rail Strike causing me to leave home in the middle of the night and to sleep on the boat at Hook of Holland to reconnect with the booked seats. In Copenhagen I watched the train for Oslo depart without me as I stood on the wrong platform. Arriving exactly 24 hours late, my friends had returned to meet me and I spent less than 7 days with them out of my 2 week annual leave. The trains going onto the ferry were the most exciting part for me and I have repeated parts of the journey since but with much less tension and stress.

6. Most memorable journey I’ve ever taken by train ? Geneva to Lenk in Switzerland one summer. Fantastic views of Lake Geneva and vineyards followed by mountain slopes and Emmentaler cows.

7. I always enjoy the destination rather than the journey there!

8. The ‘Tren Soller’ is delightful railway link between Palma and Soller in Majorca. Still operated by trains from the early 20th century. A scenic trip of about an hour. Take a tip though and pay the supplement to travel in the first class compartment. I first did the trip in 1969 and then again about 15 years ago. Worth every penny of its fare.

9. So many train journeys all over the world, but the AMTRAK Coast Starlight, which we picked up in San Francisco and ended in Seattle, was absolutely stunning. We were assigned couchettes but everyone in our section of the coach really went out of their way to help each other with drinks, snacks and even allowing total strangers into their couchettes to take pictures of their view. It was an unforgettable 21 hours and one of our favourite journeys.

10. I traveled from Washington DC to Miami on Amtrak. I stopped off for a few days in Charleston and Savannah. Fantastic journey

11. The Jacobite from Fort William to Malaig, a very atmospheric journey!

12. A long distance train journey to Venice was memorable – but not in a good way. I’d long wanted to go there by train, not on the Orient Express but using both high speed and local trains. So when I won a voucher towards a holiday organised by a well-known travel firm (I shan’t say which one) I decided to book with them. I wanted to travel by day so I could enjoy seeing the different landscapes en route; for me travelling by train is all about looking out of the window. We stayed a night in Geneva and I was looking forward to the journey between Geneva and Milan having stressed that we wanted seats with good views, preferably on the left-hand side of the train so I could see Lake Maggiore. However, although we were on the left-hand side my husband and I had been allocated single seats, one behind the other, at the back of the carriage; mine had a restricted view and my husband had no window at all! Four others travelling with the same firm were also at the back of the carriage on the other side of the aisle, but they did at least have a window. I had the feeling the travel firm hadn’t booked the train seats when booking first opened. The return journey by a different route staying overnight in Turin was not much better, again we had restricted views, but at least between Venice and Turin we were on local trains and I was sometimes able to take advantage of vacant seats. We complained when we got home and were offered a voucher to put towards another trip but we didn’t want to travel with them again. I’ve successfully booked independently in the past, using advice from The Man in Seat 61, and would prefer to do that again.

13. My most memorable train journey was from London all the way down to the south of France following in the footsteps of The Bradford Guide. I was so looking forward to going through the alps but after such an early start to that day I nodded off at some point and woke up as the train began to slow, to which I asked my travel companion where we were and they replied that we were in Nantes, I then asked my companion rather grumpily why they had left me to sleep for so long and they said that they knew how tied I was and that I looked so peaceful they thought they would leave me to sleep. I had only missed the part of the journey that I had been so excited for!

14. I’ve travelled on the sleeper train from Plymouth to Glasgow, via Bristol, many times so have missed the ever changing rolling scenery and to continue further into Scotland would be amazing.

15. The unforgettable rail journeys in Norway including the Artic express and the famous Flam is seeing us back again this year to sample some of the trains in Norway and Sweden. This time in the winter for a whole new experience.

16. I’ve always wanted to see Canada by train, hopefully the luxurious Rocky Mountaineer.

17. My most wonderful train journey was a trip from Wales to Wales via Scandinavia. Norway was spectacular and the overnight trip from Narvik to Stockholm was quite memorable as we leapfrogged the enormous iron ore trains. I think a future trip would be nearer home, taking the Caledonian sleeper en route to the Highland railways.

18. My slow experience by train would be to go through cape town and table mountain and end at kruger national park

19. My husband and I traveled to Australia in 2016 and rode on the Kuranda scenic railway through the spectacular Barron Gorge National Park in Queensland Australia.
    It was undoubtedly one of the most spectacular railway journeys you could ever wish to take. Travelling in vintage timber carriages through the world’s oldest tropical rainforest…. Through ravines, past mountains, waterfalls, through tunnels, across man made wooden bridges, the sounds, smells and sights send your senses into overload…. I so need to go back 😫

20. The euskatren from Bilboa to San Sebastian was glorious.

21. Would love to do the Rockies

22. The Watercress line in Hants, is a marvellous experience. steam trains and beautiful scenery.

23. We travelled by train through Switzerland and I spent my whole time looking out the window at the Alps – wonderful.

24. Can only read about exploring distant climes at moment due to family health issue

25. The Ghan across Australia is on my bucket list!

26. Now the children have grown up I am really interested in doing the Rockies by Train but also would love to do the Orient Express

27. A long train journey to Calabria. I spoke a little Italian but at the end of that journey all the people in our carriage were translating English/ Italian. I made new friends.

28. I once took The Canadian train from Toronto to Vancouver. It was a fantastic journey that I would recommend to anyone.

29. As a child on the steam train from Glasgow to Inverness – trying to secure a table to put up in our carriage so my Mum and sister and I could play games.

30. We saw the Bar to Belgrade train from our coach when we were in Montenegro so would love to go on that – or the Glacier Express

31. I love long train journeys, such a relaxing way to travel, though my most memorable one was very stressful, travelling from London home to Copenhagen after my year as an au pair, so still very young and so afraid of missing one of the many stops for changing trains or not being able to find the connecting train on time, that I didn’t sleep at all for over 24 hrs – but I did get home safely and much more cheaply than flying

32. Sounds fabulous – take me there now!

33. I have my sights set on one of the Rocky Mountaineer train routes in Canada. I have driven part of the route but being able to just relax and marvel at the stunning scenery from a more elevated position would be wonderful.

34. We spent 10 glorious days in Istanbul last September and promised ourselves that we would return in 2025! Winning this prize would help us fulfil our promise to ourselves! Help us!!

35. Most spectacular was probably the Kuranda railway near Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
    Many happy memories of train travel to Bavaria/Austria/Italy when I was a child. We didn’t have a car and always went abroad by train for our annual holiday. . As a child, I loved the night travel tucked up in my couchette berth and peering out of the window at the stations we stopped at.

36. The first time I took the East Coast train line from Edinburgh to London which takes in the spectacular coast line before Berwick upon Tweed, the Tyne Bridge, York and Durham and Peterborough cathedrals.

37. West coast of sct

38. Paris-Venice-Sicily.

39. Day trip to Pisa, returning to Florence during our honeymoon. A beautifully hot, late afternoon. We were on the train with extra stops & snoozily enjoyed the stunning landscape view together.

40. A night train from Shanghai to Beijing.
    My husband and me were placed in a bunked sleeping compartment with 2 Chinese school girls. Their parents came in to stare at us. The toilet at the end of the carriage was an experience I never want to revisit.

41. The Lemon Express from Benidorm as so beautiful scenery and a wonderful guitar maker in a small village was fascinating.

42. The Ghan train from Alice Springs to Adelaide.

43. The train from Nice to Monaco, although short is very pretty – especially with the glass roof (if I recall correctly)

44. I’ve yet to take a long rail journey and looking to be inspired. I’ve been returning to travelling overseas after a long gap , rail would be new and I think I’d love it

45. KX _ mGlasgow-Mallaig.

46. In the 50’s we had to travel by train from Cape Town to Johannesburg. It took 3 days and I was only 8. Don’t remember it too well as I had boils on my arms and wasn’t too well!
    You did ask for a memorable journey!!!

47. My most memorable train journey was through the Rockies on an authentic stream train from Silverton to Durango. On the way we had a rock fall that crimped the line and had a wonderful half hour delay where better to stop than half way up the Rocky mountains! Spectacular views and scenery.

48. I want to go on the orient express

49. The Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Calgary in Gold Class, spread over two days with an overnight hotel stay in Kamloops. Wonderful views in the panorama coaches very attentive staff and superb cuisine cooked from scratch in the galley in the coach.

50. My most memorable train journey was taking the Eastern and Oriental Express from Bangkok to Singapore over Christmas. Everything about it was sumptuous and it probably cost and arm and a leg at that time of year, but it was so long ago, I’ve fortunately forgotten.

Comments are closed.