All Aboard for Machu Picchu: Since 1924, travellers to Machu Picchu have been arriving by train at the nearby town of Aguas Calientes. You can take the "backpacker' train from Cusco, or board further up the line at Ollantaytambo. From there it is only two hours before you are near the fabled Inca city.
Story by Lee Mylne

On track to save money: In these tough economic times, nothing trills bells as much as a genuine travel bargain.  And while it might be tempting to jump at the super cheap airfares on low budget airlines, there’s plenty of hidden costs attached, such as taxes (often more than AUD$100) and the hassle of getting to and from the airport to your hotel.  Besides, a quick search of the internet will show you that the super low €3 airfares seldom actually fly you where you want to go, when you want to go.  For real flexibility, and real cost savings, there’s no better way to travel in Europe than by train, particularly if you buy a rail pass in Australia before you leave home. Story by Lee Atkinson

Australian rail journeys
International rail journeys

Australian rail journeys

10 Great Australian train trips: Rail travel produces almost 90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile than flying so there's no better way to travel in these carbon conscious days.  In this top 10 guide to the best Aussie train trips we criss cross the country on the mighty Indian Pacifc and Ghan, recpature the romance of steam train travel in Victoria, wind our way through the rainforest in tropical north Queensland and take the cockle train beside the beach in South Australia, and more. Story by Lee Atkinson

The Savannahlander: This is no time to be in a hurry. The grand old lady sometimes called the "silver bullet' travels at a stately 50kph, with stops along the way to sightsee or boil the billy. A classic 1960 Rail Motor, the train travels from Cairns to Forsayth, in north Queensland's Savannah country, once a week.
Story by Lee Mylne

The Afghan’s express: The train trip from Adelaide to Alice Springs, aboard the legendary train known as the Ghan, is one of the world’s great train journeys.
Story by Lee Atkinson

The Inlander: "I was up at dawn...I didn't want to miss a bit of this," a fellow passenger confides to me over breakfast in the dining car, as the ochre-red landscape outside slips smoothly by. The Inlander links Townsville with Mount Isa, a 20 hour journey, much of it in daylight. Story by Lee Mylne

Spirit of the Outback: The train hugs the coast at night, travelling from Brisbane to Rockhampton as we dine and sleep. At dawn it turns west for Blackwater, Emerald, Barcaldine, and finally Longreach. This 1300km journey is an unforgettable way of seeing the Queensland outback in style. Story by Lee Mylne

The Queenslander: For "Queenslander Class" read First Class. Fine dining, a stylish club car, and a bed to climb into at night. Travelling between Brisbane and Cairns (or vice versa) aboard The Sunlander offers options for all budgets - but this is the one I'd choose any time. And if you like, you can put your car on board too. Story by Lee Mylne

Kuranda Scenic Railway: For a day-trip rail journey, you can't beat this one. The train snakes its way from Cairns up the Kuranda range, pausing for breath at Barron Falls on the way. Built by hand over five years in the late 1880s, the track is a monument to the 1500 men who toiled to create it. Story by Lee Mylne

International rail journeys

Faster than a speeding bullet : travelling by rail in Japan is not only fast and fun, but it’s also cheap as chips if you buy a Japan Rail Pass before you leave home. We criss-cross the island of Honshu by shinkashen, Japan’s famously fast and furious bullet train, taking in the sights of Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima along the way, finding out the hard way that in Japan, the trains always run on time. Story by Lee Atkinson

The Train to Varanasi: The train to Varanasi is late. We sit on the platform and settle in, as one delay becomes another. Around us, others are setting up makeshift beds or just falling asleep where they are. We're forgoing the cocoon of the car and driver who have transported us so far on our Indian journey and are braving overnight trains for the next two legs of our trip, travelling “second class” for our first overnight and “first class” – just to test the difference – on our second. Story by Lee Mylne

Rocky Mountaineer: Taking two days to travel between the beautiful seaside port of Vancouver on Canada’s wild west coast, up, over and through the majestic Rocky Mountains to Jasper or Banff and Calgary, the famous glass-domed train makes a great beginning, or end, to an Alaskan cruising expedition. 
Story by Lee Atkinson

Off the rails: In these days of superfast airline travel, much of the romance of undertaking long journeys seems to have been lost.  Train travel is a link back to that time when getting there was just as much fun as being there, when the train journey was itself an experience, with meals and sleep and conversation and scenery. Jump aboard 10 of the world’s greatest train journeys.  Story by Lee Atkinson