Train travel way to see the world

LUXURY: Dining car in the luxurious Orient Express to Venice. PICTURE / GETTY IMAGES

I have just finished watching the TV series Billy Connolly's Tracks across America in which the Scottish comedian/actor travels from Chicago to New York the wrong way round - ie via the US west coast.
This programme coupled with Great Continental Rail Journeys with Michael Portillo, reminded me of the great opportunities rail travel offers to really see countries in a relaxed and leisurely way.
So do you have to travel far for a great rail journey?
The answer to that is no, you can start your rail exploration in New Zealand by taking the Trans Alpine train from Christchurch to Greymouth across the Southern Alps. If you wish to venture further afield why not cross the Tasman and take either the Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin or The Indian Pacific from Sydney to Perth.
On the other side of the world, the UK and Europe offer a wealth of rail experiences.
The UK of course saw the birth of railways, and the number of preserved steam railways there is increasing year on year. But probably the best journey is aboard the steam hauled West Highland line in Scotland from Fort William to Mallaig in the Western Isles traversing the magnificent highland scenery.
Getting from the UK to Europe is a rail experience in itself if you use the Eurostar to Paris or Brussels from the imposing St Pancras station in London. Then you can relive the past glamour of the rail age by taking the luxurious Venice-Simplon Orient Express from Paris to Venice, or the Golden Eagle Danube Express from Budapest to Istanbul.
The longest and probably the most famous rail journey in the world is the Trans Siberian Railway from Moscow to Vladivostock traversing the vast Siberian landscape.
In India why not recapture the pomp and pageantry of the Indian Raj by boarding the Palace on Wheels, truly a journey into the past on a luxury train.
The famous Blue Train in South Africa offers a magnificent journey from Cape Town to Pretoria, or you can venture even further by taking the Rovos Rail trip from Cape Town to Dar-es-Salaam.
Possibly the most rewarding journey from the scenic point of view would be the Rocky Mountaineer, a three or four day trip through the Rocky Mountains in Canada from Vancouver to Calgary.
There are so many more possibilities in Europe, US, India, Japan and South Africa that it would be impossible to mention them all so why not get out your passport and prepare to make tracks across the rail journeys of the world, either as a complete holiday or as part of a travel itinerary.
¦ Colin Thompson is a Freelance Travel Consultant with New Zealand Travel Brokers - colin@nztravelbrokers.co.nz