Some of the world’s best rail journeys don’t come with a luxury label or glossy promotion. They slip through valleys, mountain passes, and towns most travelers never mark on a map. What you get is scenery that stays with you and a slower rhythm worth keeping. Here are rides that rarely get the attention they deserve.
Nova Gorica to Jesenice, Slovenia
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The train cuts across the Soča Valley, scales the Julian Alps, and offers a peek into Slovenia’s highland scenery. The line passes Lake Bled and goes through tunnels carved into limestone, as it was originally part of the old Austro-Hungarian Bohinj Railway.
Doğu Express, Türkiye
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The Doğu Express covers over 800 miles of Anatolia in about 26 hours. Locals love it for its wintry scenes and picnic-style socializing in the cabins. It was once a workhorse of migration and service transit, but now feels like a moving living room with fairy lights.
Serra Verde Express, Brazil
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This train snakes through the Atlantic rainforest on one of the steepest rail descents in the world. Expect 30 bridges, 14 tunnels, and more jungle than city. At the end, Morretes offers colonial charm and a local dish called barreado, which is cooked for over 24 hours.
Tazara Railway, Tanzania to Zambia
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The Tazara line runs between Dar es Salaam and Kapiri Mposhi and stretches nearly 1,200 miles. It passes wildlife reserves where lions sometimes nap near the tracks. The line has become a cross-section of East African life, complete with goats on platforms and the occasional elephant grazing.
Colombo to Badulla, Sri Lanka
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Everything on this train moves slowly, and no one’s in a rush to change that. It crawls through jungles, over rivers, past tea estates, and into cloud-wrapped hills. Standing in the open doorway is half the experience, and no one seems to mind when the train leans into turns.
Urumqi to Kashgar, China
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This journey cuts through Xinjiang’s desert terrain, flanked by the Tian Shan Mountains and the red-sandstone Flaming Hills. Stops along the way echo Silk Road history, with Uyghur towns offering glimpses of mosques and lamb skewers. The tracks end near Kashgar’s famed Sunday Market, which smells like cumin and dust.
Mombasa to Nairobi, Kenya
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The Nairobi–Mombasa line runs beside Tsavo National Park, where passengers often see giraffes, zebras, or even elephants from their seats. In a few hours, it carries travelers from the coast to the capital. When the sky clears, Mount Kilimanjaro appears on the horizon, a distant outline rising behind the savannah.
Bangkok to Singapore, Southeast Asia
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The long ride links three countries on a single line, running from Bangkok through Malaysia to Singapore. Out the window, the scenery shifts from rubber groves to thick jungle to crowded towns. At stations along the way, vendors step on with meals packed in banana leaves, a reminder that the train carries daily life as much as travelers.
Beijing to Ulaanbaatar, China to Mongolia
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As the train nears the Gobi Desert, brick buildings fade into sand and silence. At the border, the cars are lifted so the wheels can be changed to fit Mongolian rails, a process that takes hours and gives everyone time to stretch. After that, it’s dunes, camels, and the occasional herder on horseback.
Lake Titicaca to Cusco, Peru
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Peru’s high-altitude rail from Puno to Cusco offers windows into Andean life. The route climbs past stone villages and windswept plains at over 12,000 feet. You’ll pass llama herders in bowler hats, old Incan ruins, and remote outposts that feel detached from time.
The Ghan, Australia
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Running straight through Australia’s interior, the Ghan connects Adelaide and Darwin on a 1,850-mile path through the Red Centre. Watch the landscape change from farmland to desert to tropics without leaving your seat. Some off-train excursions include camel rides or visits to gorges carved by ancient rivers.
The Bernina Express, Switzerland to Italy
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In four and a half hours, the narrow-gauge train swings around glacial valleys and into northern Italy. Panoramic windows make it impossible to ignore the scenery—even if you’re trying to nap. It’s one of the few train lines designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Hokkaido Shinkansen, Japan
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Bullet trains are everywhere in Japan, but the Hokkaido Shinkansen stands out for its engineering. It connects Tokyo to Hakodate by shooting under the sea through the Seikan Tunnel, one of the longest in the world. Staff bow on entry, and food carts glide down aisles.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, Europe
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The train is known for its detail: wood-paneled cars, silver table settings, uniforms that recall another era. Evenings are formal, with dinner served in dining cars that look unchanged from the 1920s. At night, passengers sleep in Art Deco cabins, a reminder that this journey is as much about atmosphere as distance.
The Sunset Limited, USA
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Stretching from New Orleans to Los Angeles, this Amtrak line covers the American South and Southwest in just under two days. It rolls past bayous, oil rigs, cacti, and freight yards. The trip feels like a slow documentary on wheels, capturing the strange beauty of Texas scrubland and Arizona mesas.