Train travel seems to be on everyone’s list of favourite ways to explore the world. The Ghan and the Indian Pacific have been fully booked out for the last two years. The tilt train that heads to Cairns and the train to Longreach have all been wonderfully popular.

Now we are all thinking of spreading our wings, we are booking overseas train journeys. There are different ways to do this. There are point to point services between towns in Europe which are popular with locals as well as visitors – make sure you book in advance, because I have come across quite a few services recently where the trains are sold out in Europe! Equally there are the trains in North America which stretch the length and breadth of that vast continent. Canada, of course, has the beautiful Rocky Mountaineer, and then there is the Alaskan Railway – both traversing breathtakingly beautiful countryside.

Travelling through Switzerland by train is glorious; their rail network is extensive and operated to precision. I was recently booking people on a wonderful package which includes the picturesque Bernina Express and the Glacier Express, combined with quaint hotels in towns and villages to explore the region. Independent packages to explore Switzerland are anything from a few days to a couple of weeks.

There is something romantic about travelling across countries by rail, so we can help you design your own holiday, linking train journeys with accommodation just about anywhere in the world. At the moment, there are some sales on – book and deposit by 18th November for travel up until the end of 2023 and save up to $500 per couple. The discount varies depending on the duration of your trip so ask us for details.

There are also the wonderful train journeys where you sleep onboard – these tend to be luxurious and you can count on being pampered. Think Venice Simplon Orient Express, which recommenced trips between Paris and Istanbul. Or the Royal Scotsman that explores the Highlands. One I took was the Andean Express – oddly enough, these carriages were designed to travel along the Queensland coast and were built in Ipswich, however when that venture wasn’t successful, it was transported across the Pacific to distant Peru!

Flying from Australia all the way to Arequipa Peru was a feat – it’s a long way with several changes of aircraft. Having said that the trip was well worthwhile, this delightful town reflected its Inca and Spanish Conquistador heritage and was a wonderful place for our family to rendezvous. Arequipa was the starting point for a marvellous train journey along the shore of Lake Titicaca, through the remote and beautiful Andean valleys and on to Cuzco. The Andean Express is a fabulous train operated by Orient Express; this luxury train stops enroute to meet the local farmers; to take a boat ride to the reed islands, where bowler hat-wearing Bolivian women bring up their children. The other regional train is the Hiram Bingham named after the discoverer of the lost Incan city, Machu Picchu – a fabulous trip through the valley from Cuzco.

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