The Eurostar high-speed train will take you from London to Paris in just two hours and 15 minutes and will travel at speeds of up to 300km/h. The Rovos Rails train from South Africa to Tanzania will take you an epic 14 days and the vintage train will not wheeze past the 60km/h mark.
At first glance, it’s a no contest. But in reality, there is a world of difference between the two. While the Eurostar train is all about efficiency and creature comforts intended to keep you connected, the Rovos Rails train manages to slow down time and takes you to a world where polished mahogany, champagne dinners and high teas are the order of the day.
And that’s how train journeys should be: luxurious, epic and with an old world charm that sings a sonata in steam.
Davos, Switzerland to Tirano, Italy
The Bernina Express must be one of the slowest trains in the world. Travelling at around 30km/h, it is, excuse the pun, a slow coach. But you want it to be slow because that will give you plenty of time to take in the views from Davos to Tirano. And what views. On the way, the Bernina Express will navigate 196 bridges and go through 55 tunnels. The train has a panorama car from where you can stand in awe at the view of St Moritz.
Qinghai, China to Lhasa, Tibet
This route takes train journeys to new heights. Literally so because such are the altitudes reached by the train that you actually need to sign a health registration card before boarding. The train climbs up to 5,000 metres and the temperatures plummet but the views over the Tangula Pass and the Tibetan Plateau are heart-warming.
Pretoria to Cape Town, South Africa
There are a number of luxury slow trains which travel on this route. And what a magnificent route it is. The train will steam past waterfalls and sunflower farms and at night, you can watch the moon shine over the magical African landscape. Watch Table Mountain approach from the observation deck – it’s a view you will never forget.
Seattle to Los Angeles, US
Linking the two greatest cities on the west coast of the USA, the Coast Starlight offers the most comfortable seats in the house as you watch the spectacle of the high Sierra, San Francisco and the Big Sur. And as you dine in all your finery, you can watch mountains, forests, valleys and the great Pacific Ocean go by.
Siliguri to Darjeeling, India
Did you watch The Darjeeling Limited, that beauty of a film starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman? Relive the film on the Siliguri to Darjeeling line, which is a World Heritage Site. Outside the window are lush tea gardens, formidable teak forests and staggering views of the Himalayas.