The World's Great Train Journeys You Can Book from Australia & New Zealand

Some of the world's best holidays happen at 60 kilometres an hour. Train journeys have quietly become one of the fastest-growing requests at Pack Ya Bags Travel, and for good reason: they combine the scenery of a road trip, the ease of a cruise and the romance neither can quite match. Here are the rail journeys our travellers from Australia and New Zealand ask about most — and what to know before booking.

The icons

Rocky Mountaineer, Canada. Two days of glass-domed carriages between Vancouver and the Canadian Rockies, with every seat facing scenery you'd otherwise only see on foot. It runs April to October and pairs naturally with a Rockies touring holiday.

The Ghan and Indian Pacific, Australia. Sometimes the great journey is at home. The Ghan's north–south crossing of the continent remains one of the world's benchmark rail experiences — and there's no long-haul flight to get to the start of it.

Switzerland's Glacier Express and Bernina line. The engineering is half the show: spiral tunnels, viaducts, and the Alps delivered to your window. Swiss rail passes make this easy to build into a wider Europe itinerary.

The sleepers you haven't considered

Sri Lanka's hill country line. The Kandy to Ella stretch — tea plantations, mist, and the famous Nine Arch Bridge — costs almost nothing and delivers one of the most beautiful mornings in world rail. We build it into most of our Sri Lanka itineraries.

Japan by Shinkansen. Not one journey but a whole way of travelling: city to city at 300 km/h with legendary punctuality. A Japan itinerary built around rail is, for many travellers, the best version of Japan.

Peru's Andean lines. The rail approach to Machu Picchu through the Sacred Valley, and the luxury Andean Explorer sleeper between Cusco and Lake Titicaca, turn transit days into highlights.

Booking a rail holiday: what matters

• Cabin class decides the experience. On overnight trains the difference between seat, berth and suite is the difference between transport and holiday.
• Peak departures sell out months ahead. Rocky Mountaineer autumn departures and Ghan platinum cabins are routinely booked 6–12 months out.
• Trains combine. The best rail holidays pair the train with the destination — Rockies touring after the Rocky Mountaineer, tea country stays around Sri Lanka's hill line.

Your questions answered

Are luxury train journeys worth the money?

If you value the journey as part of the holiday, yes — they replace a flight, a hotel night and a day of sightseeing in one. If you only want to get somewhere fast, take the plane and spend the difference on a better hotel.

Can you book rail holidays through a travel agency?

Yes — and for the marquee trains it's often the practical way, because agencies can package rail with touring, transfers and accommodation, and know the release dates for cabins that sell out.

Browse our Train Journeys collection or ask the Pack Ya Bags team which line suits your next itinerary — we book them for Australians and New Zealanders year-round.

Image: Hendrik Cornelissen / Unsplash