Traveling by train across a continent allows travelers to see a range of changing landscapes. VIA Rail Canada (viarail.ca) offers passengers on a budget economy class seats, as well as sleeping berths and suites on its transcontinental trains. The Canadian connects Vancouver with Toronto in four days as it crosses the boreal forests of Northern Ontario, the expanse of the Prairies and the scenic Rocky Mountains. In Australia, Great Southern Rail (gsr.com.au) operates the Ghan travels between Adelaide and Darwin over two nights, and the Indian Pacific connects Perth and Sydney along a 2,698-mile route.
Several train operators offer packages that allow travelers to sightsee on trains and at pre-determined stops along the route. Packages may include hotel accommodations and train travel, as well as some additional tours and other amenities such as car rentals. Amtrak Vacations (amtrakvacation.com) provides unescorted, multi-city rail tours in the United States. Similarly, VIA Rail (trainpackages.ca) offers packages with overnight onboard and hotel stays along all its routes, including short getaways in Quebec and Ontario and holiday packages of five days or more, including cross-country packages.
Scenic, independent day trips on trains with specially designed cars allow passengers to admire panoramic views as part of their vacation or a weekend away. In New Zealand, passengers on the TranzAlpine (tranzscenic.co.nz) train between Christchurch and Greymouth see fields and farmland become imposing gorges, mountains and river valleys. In Argentina, the Train to the Clouds (trenalasnubes.com.ar) is a 16-hour excursion that takes visitors to a maximum altitude of 4,200 meters (13,779 feet). Trains with onboard meals travel between Salta and La Polvorilla, passing through villages in the Andes.
Many private rail operators in North America and Europe provide tours that mix history and sightseeing on vintage trains. In the United States, affordable historic train trips often feature steam locomotives and special events, such as holiday-themed and mystery tours. Colorado's Silverton and Durango Narrow Gauge Railroad (durangotrain.com) travels along the Animas River. Travelers can explore the former mining town of Silverton nestled in the San Juan Mountains before returning to Durango. In Switzerland, steam trains travel along a one-hour route with a 25 percent gradient from Brienz to Brienzer Rothorn, a scenic mountain area popular for hiking (brienz-rothorn-bahn.ch).
