A beautifully photographed album of the world’s luxury and local long- and short-distance train journeys. Since reading Closely Watched Trains (Ostře sledované vlaky) by Bohumil Hrabal, I have become inspired by the romantic and sentimental vibes associated with trains and train stations, to such an extent that I now even live by a train station. I must confess, I simply adore this publication. It gives a precise overview of the most magical train routes in the world. The photographs accompanying each train journey are astonishing. You can definitely taste the flavour of each of the routes, which include the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, The Belmond Royal Scotsman, the Glacier Express, El Transcantabrico, the Trans-Siberian Railway, Kyushu Seven Stars, the Eastern & Oriental Express, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, California Zephyr, Hurricane Turn, the Royal Canadian Pacific, Belmond Hiram Bingham, La Trochita, The Blue Train, The Royal Livingston Express, the Tazara Railway, La Micheline, The Ghan, the TranzAlpine and many more.
It is a nice read for long, slow wintry evenings (but be careful: after reading it, you may become inspired to book train tickets straight away!). It could also be an excellent idea for a Christmas present.
Do you like travelling by train? What is your favourite route? Please let me know in the comments below.
Written by Kinga Macalla