World's 15 Most Scenic Train Rides

Where: Switzerland

may be renowned for the quality and punctuality of its trains, but it's the majestic Alps—craggy and awe-inspiring against the brilliant blue sky—and sweeping chalet-and-cow-dotted green valleys that make the from to such a visual feast.

Fun fact: The train chugs through 91 tunnels and crosses 291 bridges on its seven-hour journey.

Where: Colorado

You’ll climb 3,000 feet and travel 130 years back in time onboard the , a circa-1882 coal-fired, steam-operated train (the locomotives date to the 1920s) that chugs its way at 18 miles per hour (fueled by six tons of coal and 10,000 gallons of water) through the steep mountain passes between and in southwest .

Fun fact: The train is featured in the 1969 movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford.

Where: Peru

The full-day round-trip on the luxurious links two of the top destinations in —the colonial city of and the ancient Inca citadel of —via a winding, scenic journey through the Urubamba River Valley with brunch served on the way there and a four-course dinner on the return.

Fun fact: The 1920s Pullman-style train, richly upholstered and outfitted with fine tableware, is named after the American explorer who discovered Machu Picchu in 1911.

Where: New Zealand

From the garden-loving city of (where you can go punting on the river Avon) to the rugged wilds of (where you can climb the nearby Franz Josef Glacier), the crosses the South Island of in 4.5 hours, offering up vistas of Canterbury plains farmland and the Waimakiriri River, followed by dramatic alpine viaducts leading to Arthur’s Pass.

Fun fact: After Arthur’s Pass, the train heads into the Otira Rail Tunnel, created by blasting though 5.3 miles of solid rock.

Where: Wales

If the name, Great Little Trains of , doesn't charm you all on its own, then a 9 mph, 14.5-mile round-trip ride on the adorable narrow gauge, coal-fired certainly will. Staffed by volunteers, the historic train (locomotives and carriages date to 1865) steams its way through the verdant Fathew Valley from Tywyn on a route originally used to carry slate from the area’s many mines.

Fun fact: It was the Talylyn Railway that inspired the Reverend W.V. Awdry to write the “Thomas the Tank Engine” books.

Where: Canada

As you gain altitude onboard the , a two-day rail journey from the mountain resort town of in Alberta through the majestic Canadian Rockies to the cosmopolitan city of , it’s also quite possible you might gain weight. Splurge on GoldLeaf Service and you’ll enjoy plentiful cooked-to-order breakfasts and lunches, served in the dining car, and unlimited cocktails and snacks served by personable hosts on the observation level. The passing scenery is just as irresistible.

Fun fact: In 2009, The Bachelorette (Jillian’s season) filmed onboard the train.

Where: Arizona

The iconic view may be one of a kind, but the passenger cars on offer insight into many eras of U.S. train travel: coach class cars are vintage 1923 Pullmans while the café car dates to 1952; first class cars are all 1950s era, as are most of the observation/dome cars. No matter where you sit, the route—130 miles (round-trip) of desert from Williams to the —makes for a scenic day trip.

Fun fact: The one-way time of 2 hours and 15 minutes is 45 minutes faster now than when the train debuted in 1901.

Where: Scotland

With a name like , you might expect this exclusive 36-passenger train to be proper—but with textured plaid and polished wood décor straight out of a Highlands country estate it’s downright posh, too. Making journeys from around the , the vintage train passes serene lochs (lakes) and glens, ancient castles, babbling streams, and more pristine green countryside than you ever imagined possible.

Fun fact: Passengers can rent a kilt or have one custom-tailored to wear during the journey.