10 Insanely Gorgeous Train Journeys of India that will make you want to book your tickets right away

There is no better way to explore and experience the diversity, culture and charm of India than through its exemplary train network. The train journeys of India are so romantic that people from all over the world find themselves attracted to it and we know how much it has been immortalized in Indian movies and deeply entrenched in all our childhood memories. From toy trains and narrow gauges to mountain railways and plying under waterfalls, from deserts to thickly vegetated evergreen forests and from the most affordable rides to the most opulent, train journeys in India spread the length and breadth of the country to provide an enthralling experience like no other.

But before you pack your bags, make sure your term insurance is current and up-to-date. Reason? According to an IndiaSpend analysis, the death toll from train derailments in 2016-17 is now the highest it has been in a decade in India. This means an unforeseen event can strike you anywhere, and leave your family high and dry. That’s why, getting a term insurance is the first step towards creating a safe and secure future for your loved ones.

By investing in a term insurance plan today, you are securing your family’s tomorrow. Plus, term plans offer affordable premiums for high life cover. This way you are preparing for life’s contingencies without disturbing your existing financial or travel goals.

To find out more about how much premium you need to pay, look up the premium calculators. And then let your hair loose and enjoy these gorgeous train journeys without an iota of worry in your head.

1) India’s Longest Train Journey - Vivek Express (Kanyakumari to Dibrugarh)



A journey of epic proportions, this Vivek Express train trip is for the serious train travel lover. 4,233 kms, 4 nights, 5 days, 8 states and about 90 hours takes you from the southern tip of the Indian sub continent to the tea estates in the far north eastern part of India and close to the Myanmar border. One of the special train trips in the world in terms of experience, length and duration, this train journey shows you the incredible beauty of India in fast forward mode. Be it the green paddy fields and coconut plantations of Kerala, the dense elephant forests of Alipur Duar, the tea estates of Assam, the mighty Godavari bridge of Andhra Pradesh or the lush Indian countryside of the North East, Vivek express lets you see it all in just one quick trip.

2) Luxury on Wheels - Golden Chariot



Old world romantic charm, regal luxury, sumptuous food, great service, gorgeous destinations and a train trip is what I call a mind blowing holiday. India offers three luxury trains that provide such a holiday – The Maharaja Express, The Golden Chariot and the Deccan Odyssey. Of these, my personal favorite is the Golden Chariot, the train trip that gives you that amazing vacation in South India, its temples and history, its forests and wildlife and its churches and beaches. If you have the money and yearn for a trip of a lifetime in India, this luxury on wheels has to be one of the top picks.

3) The Green Route - Hassan to Mangalore



One of my favorite train routes in India, this train trip gives you a sneak peak into the rich beauty of the Western Ghats. With about 54 tunnels, some 70 odd bridges and 100 plus waterfalls, this train trip meanders its way through some of the lushest terrain of Karnataka, especially its evergreen forests and tropical rainforests. This rail route was closed for a very long while and that allowed me to experience it during a weekend trek from Bangalore, which is how I got to know about it in the first place. In the last few years, this rail route has been modernized and upgraded to a broad gauge and many trains ply this route daily. Opt for a train that crosses the Hassan –> Sakleshpur –> Kukke Subramanya stretch in day time.

4) The Monsoon Special - Konkan Railways

Whether you are going from Mumbai to Goa or from Ratnagiri to Mangalore via Madgaon and Honavar, the Konkan Railways will wow you with the green effect. Traversing the Western Ghats and more specially the Sahyadri mountain ranges, the trains that ply this route criss cross mountains and forests while intermittently providing you stunning views of the Konkan coastline, the Arabian Sea and the surrounding greenery. And during the monsoon season, not only is this route covered in fresh resplendent green, but it is covered in waterfalls and misty clouds giving you a surreal experience.

5) Nilgiri Mountain Railway – Mettupalayam to Coonoor and Ooty



2018 is the year of the Nilgiri mountains as the Neela Kurinji, the flower that gives the mountains its name is going to bloom this year. This flower that blooms once in 12 years will envelop this entire region in blue. Hence, the Nilgiri toy train from Mettupalayam to Ooty is bound to be doubly special as not only do you experience its colonial charm, steep incline, laidback villages and mountain views, but also the view of the rare Neela Kurinji flower that will be blooming all over the various mountain ranges.

6) Himalayan Queen - Kalka to Shimla



A UNESCO world heritage site and one of the more scenic rail journeys of India, the journey from Kalka to Shimla takes you on a narrow gauge for 96 kms while you cross 102 tunnels, 82 bridges and deodar, pine and oak forests. Lovely all through the year, I think the views are best during the winter months when snow covers all the valleys and meadows and may be spring when the first shade of green sneaks out.

7) Darjeeling Mountain Railway Toy Train



Toy trains have that unique quality that it becomes endearing to people of all ages. The Darjeeling Mountain railway toy train is one such example. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this journey takes you from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling via Ghum, one of India’s highest railway stations as you slowly chug along mountain highways, rhododendron forests, pine forests, Buddhist monasteries, tea estates and deep into the Eastern Himalayas of India. In a couple of hours, you are literally transported from regular Indian chaos to a mountain paradise and all this while you are sitting inside of a heritage train with a steam locomotive.

8) Green Villages, Forests and the Dudhsagar Waterfall – Hubli to Madgaon or Londa to Vasco Da Gama



Do you remember the scene from the movie Chennai Express when the train Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone are traveling in stops under a waterfall? This is Goa’s Dudhsagar Waterfall and it is an absolute treat to watch during and right after the monsoons. You can stand under this multi-tiered sea of milk when you travel from Hubli to Madgaon or more specifically from Londa to Vasco da Gama. This train journey will take you through the lush green forests of Goa and Karnataka, the laidback Goan villages and the highlight of the journey, the Dudhsagar Waterfalls, which is located right in the heart of the Mollem National Park in Goa.

9) Desert Queen – Jodhpur to Jaisalmer



It is not often during a train journey that you get to experience sand being blown into your train compartment. Not just into your hair, but also on to your luggage, seats and basically everywhere. Covering vast stretches of the Great Indian Thar desert, the train journey from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer takes you tantalizingly close to sand dunes, the desert villages of Rajasthan and vast open land. Even though, there is not much to see in terms of views, but I think this desert experience is an added bonus while you explore Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, two of Rajasthan’s gorgeous gems.

10) Over the Sea - Mandapam to Pamban to Rameshwaram



Considered to be one of the most dangerous train rides of India, this journey from Tamil Nadu mainland to the island of Rameshwaram is special on many counts. First, you are literally traveling on sea here. Secondly, this sea bridge is India’s second longest rail bridge. And third, this bridge opens up at scheduled times to let ships pass through. If that ain’t special, then I don’t know what is. And the icing on the cake is the sea of blue view.

Note: Some pictures in this article are courtesy of wikipedia.org and used under the creative commons license. Each photo has been linked to its host page on wikipedia.

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Top 5 Train Journeys in Canada

Are you are a fan of train journeys? If yes, then you will dig these top 5 train journeys in Canada, which are home to some iconic journeys in North America and always end up featuring in the top train journey lists across the world.

The Canadian



This train journey allows you to get a feel of Canada’s mighty size while traveling from Toronto to Vancouver across 4,400 km and 4 days of travel. VIA Rail, Canada’s rail organization runs ‘The Canadian’ and this train journey crosses Canada’s mighty cities, pristine alpine forests, beautiful lakes, snow capped rugged mountains and expansive prairie grasslands. This top train journey crosses four time zones on its way from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast.

Rocky Mountaineer



The Rocky Mountaineer is Canada’s flagship train journey and is one of the top highlights during the Canadian summer. There are many train journeys within the Rocky Mountaineer itself and its most popular ones are the ‘First passage of the West’ from Calgary to Vancouver and the ‘Sea to Sky Climb’ from Whistler to Vancouver in British Columbia. These train trips take you through snow capped mountains, glaciers, rivers and canyons. On these trips, you travel by day looking at scenic Canada go by and at night, you stay in a nice cozy hotel in Canada’s rugged countryside towns or at mountain resorts.

VIA Rail, Winnipeg to Manitoba



This train journey organized by VIA rail offers you some of the best attractions of the subarctic, which include polar bears, beluga whales, the northern lights, midnight sun, beautiful northern landscape and First Nations culture. This 1,700 km train journey from Winnipeg to the subarctic region of Manitoba runs all year around, but it is the late Autumn and early Winter months of October and November when you can see the polar bears. This train journey takes two days and you can opt to break your journey.

Polar Bear Express



This train tip in the far north is equally loved by both adults and children. This scenic summer train journey takes you 186 miles from Cochrane in Ontario to Moosonee on James Bay and connects you with the people and landscape of Northern Ontario. It offers a traditional train experience that is off the beaten path and retraces the culture of the First Nations.

VIA Rail, Montreal to Halifax



This train journey, popularly referred to as ‘The Ocean’ joins East Canada’s Montreal and Halifax and it is a great way to sample Canada’s train experience and some gorgeous scenery in a journey that is less than 24 hours. This 1,346 kilometer train ride starts at Canada’s European culture hub of Montreal and ends at Halifax, one of Canada’s thriving port cities that is known for its maritime hospitality.
 
Note: All the photographs in this post have been borrowed from wikipedia.org under the Creative Commons license and each photograph has been linked to that respective page on wikipedia.

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Train Trips for All Tastes

We’re all in such a jolly hurry these days. We tap our feet in the airport queue and prefer to sit in our cars on the ferry so we can drive off immediately. But if you're in accordance with T.S. Eliot, that ‘the journey not the arrival matters’, there surely can’t be a more relaxing way to enjoy the journey than by train. Here’s some trips long and short to start you scheming.

If you fancy…

…28 days on a train: Pride of Africa (Africa)



Photo Courtesy: Pascal Parent, Flickr

You’d better fancy five-star luxury (and associated costs) too, as this train bills itself as “The Most Luxurious Train in the World.” No pulling any punches there! The four week journey includes a luxury air safari and lake cruise, combining to show guests sights like the Victoria falls in Zimbabwe, chimpanzees in Uganda and pyramids in Egypt. Start planning now – the trip departs only once every two years, with the next scheduled for January 2014.

…6 days on a train: Trans-Siberian Railway (Russia)



This is the world’s longest single service railway, around 8,000 kilometres across the barren expanses of Siberia. There are three main lines; the classic trip runs from Moscow to the port of Vladivostok, the other two end in Beijing. You can opt to do it all in one hit, but breaking up the trip will give you a chance to explore forests, plateaus and traditional villages along the way. Winter is a beautiful time of year to take this journey, although keep in mind that temperatures outside will drop to below zero and daylight hours are as sparse as the plains rolling by…

…5 days on a train: Dibrugarh - Kanyakumari Vivek Express (India)



You can’t mention train trips without mentioning India. Trains are the arteries of the country, pumping travellers, stock, pilgrims - just about anyone and anything through its hectic body. The longest trip on the subcontinent is the weekly train from Dibrugarh in the north-east to Kanyakumari at the southernmost tip of the mainland. Sip sugary chai sold by Chai Wallahs regularly walking through the cars and marvel at the chaos of colours whipping past the window.

…4 days on a train: Tren Crucero (Ecuador)



Recently reopened after extensive restoration, the Tren Crucero runs from Ecuador’s port town of Guayaquil up to the highland capital, Quito. Along the way the train undertakes the dramatic feat of ascending from 970ft above sea level to nearly 10,700ft in just 80 kilometres. It does this by navigating several switchbacks up the ‘Devil’s Nose zigzag’, reputably the most difficult railway climb in the world. There's plenty of side trips along the way to help stave off cabin fever, giving you the chance to explore national parks and cloud forests, eat at markets and haciendas and meet indigenous communities.

…3½ days on a train: The Canadian (Canada)



You’ll certainly get a feel for Canada’s sheer size on this trip, but take along a pack of cards. After the train has trekked its way through forests and then the central prairies, the spectacular Rocky Mountains will be a welcome sight and make the seemingly endless trees of Ontario worthwhile.

…3 days on a train: The Ghan (Australia)



The Ghan is named after Afghan cameleers who traversed the route in the late 19th century while helping settlers explore the harsh interior of the continent. The red heart of Australia certainly isn’t hospitable to hikers, but viewed from the comfort of your carriage it’s spectacular. Running up the centre of the continent like a zip, the Ghan will take you from the Adelaide Plains and Flinders Ranges in the south, through the outback town of Alice Springs and to the tropical city of Darwin in the North.

…2 hours on a train: Flåm Railway (Norway)



It’s a big jump down in time and temperature from the Ghan, to a trip that is a mere 20 kilometres. So brief you might think that if you blink you’ll miss it - in truth, you won’t want to blink at all for fear of missing out on the spectacular scenery as the train winds its way past Norwegian fjords, rivers, ravines and tiny mountain villages.

About the author: Susy Peddie is from New Zealand, now based in Berlin, working with GoEuro and taking as many train trips as possible. All the photographs in this post have been picked by her from Flickr – creative commons.

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Trains of Java, Indonesia: Perfect for Budget Travelers

A lot of budget travelers to Indonesia prefer to spend more time in the Java island when compared to the other islands mainly because of its superior public transport infrastructure and the ability to travel long distances for a very small price. Trains and buses forms the bulk to the public transport system while there are taksi (taxi), ojek (motorcycle taxi), becak (3 wheeler cycle rickshaw), bajai (3 wheeler auto rickshaw), angkot (mini van) and more. Out of these, the trains offer the most comfort and are ideal to commute long distances.

During my last 3 weeks in Java, I have taken the train 4 times. I took the Executive class from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, the Executive class again from Yogyakarta to Malang, the Economy class from Malang to Banyuwangi and the Bisnis Class from Banyuwangi to Surabaya. For me, all classes were comfortable even though each journey was a minimum of 6 hours.

The thing to understand with the trains in Indonesia is that the cost of the trains vary with train type and class type. The Executive trains are the fastest, but also cost the most. All the compartments on the Executive trains are the Executive class, which is the highest class. There are no sleeper berths on the trains in Indonesia. All of them are seat type like the airplanes.

The Executive class has individual seats with push back option, pillow, blanket, and lots of leg room (I am a 191 cm guy and I was very comfortable). The Executive compartments are completely air-conditioned. The Bisnis class is also air-conditioned, but the seats are shared and the leg room is slightly lesser. Pillows are provided upon request. There are 2 types of economy class. One is economy with AC and the other is Economy with fan. Both of them are shared seats with very less leg room. Pillows are provided in this class too, but for a price. The cost decreases as you move from Executive to Bisnis to Economy AC to Economy.

Most of the trains have an attached pantry car that serves food. In the Executive trains, pantry attendants come to take personalized food and beverage orders, but in other trains, they just sell the wares. In economy trains, local vendors get into the train at each station and sell the wares. All the train compartments have attached toilets that are always maintained very well. While most of it is squat style toilets, some Executive trains have WC style toilets too.

The Executive trains take the least time to travel between 2 destinations because they either don’t stop at all destinations or stop only for a very brief period of time. They also get premium treatment over the other trains. The economy trains are much slower, but they stop at stations where the Executive trains do not stop. They get much longer than the Executive trains to ply between 2 destinations.

The thing to keep in mind is that in Indonesia, the Executive trains leave from a different station, while the economy ones leave from a different one. To ensure you have a comfortable train journey, carry a jacket and/or blanket with you if you are traveling in an air-conditioned compartment. The trains in Indonesia love to keep the AC very cold. Also, buy water and food as required from a supermarket before entering the train. Even though food is available on the train, it may or may not be fresh and is slightly more expensive than the supermarket.

The best thing about the trains is the ease of booking. One can either book the tickets directly at the train station, online at Kereta API train booking website and/or book at the nearest Indomaret supermarket (you pay 7,500 rupiah more for using this option). Unless it is a holiday, you should be able to book a train ticket one day in advance. Sometimes you can also get the ticket at the train station just before the scheduled departure of the train.

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Traveling by Train in Vietnam

If you are tall, like some luxury in your travels, love the opportunity to stretch your legs, don’t mind to pay a bit more, like the services of a working toilet and like easy access to good food, then you would have definitely tried the trains while traveling in Vietnam. They are a bit expensive when compared to the buses, but the excess cost is totally worth it, or at least that is my very personal opinion.

Here’s how it all started though. I took a night sleeper bus from Mui Ne to Nha Trang, but the sleeper bus was so cramped for me that I decided that I would never take the sleeper bus again in Vietnam and that is why I started taking the trains in Vietnam. The sleeper buses in Vietnam (I call them the capsules) are ideal for travelers on a tight budget and/or for those who have short legs and thus can sleep comfortably.

But, aside from the comfort factor of the trains, I would recommend the trains in Vietnam for 2 broad reasons: one, the ability to meet and interact with the locals and second, the ability to see some of Vietnam’s stunning natural scenery, especially the ride from Danang to Hue, which allows you to see Vietnam’s coastline from on top of a cliff.

Before we go into the details, I would like to help you understand the types of seats/berths one can get in a train in Vietnam. All of these may or may not be available on all trains or routes. There is a hard seat and a soft seat. The soft seat is typically air-conditioned. The seats are the cheapest tickets on the train and is much preferred by the locals (due to less cost) and for short trips by the tourists. The sleeping berths come in hard sleeper and soft sleeper. The hard sleeper is a coupe of 6 bunker beds, 3 on each side, while the soft sleeper is a coupe of 4 bunker beds with 2 on each side. The hard sleeper costs lesser than the soft one, but the interesting thing here is that the lower berths cost the most, while the middle costs lesser and the upper one costs the least. This is because, the berth seats do not allow you to sit during the day and the one with the upper berth ticket has to always be in the upper berth all day or night. This can cause some inconvenience as there is hardly any space for moving around.

Ticket booking is pretty transparent and can be booked easily from the train stations. People speak English in the larger cities, but it can be a little difficult to explain your need in the smaller cities. Thankfully, there are no scams anywhere in the train stations, though as a foreign tourist, you pay a different price for the same ticket, when compared to a local Vietnamese.

I took quite a few train rides in Vietnam – Nha Trang to Danang, Danang to Hue, Hue to Ninh Binh, Ninh Binh to Hanoi and Hanoi to Lao Cai…five in all.Each journey had its good moments. In the hard sleepers, you will definitely come across a local person or family and in the soft sleeper, you will come across a like minded traveler. You will get to see the countryside pass by through the large windows, you will get to experience the narrow corridors, you will see the small markets at each station that the train stops and much more.

A journey to Vietnam is not complete without traveling on its trains. The trains might be a tad slower than the bus, but it saves you the hassle of traffic, is much more safer than the roads of Vietnam, is luxurious if you are old, tall, like to frequently use the toilet or like a good night’s sleep and overall provide a good value for money. I will always take the train whenever I am in Vietnam and I definitely would recommend you to try it or at least the Danang to Hue bit for the sheer natural beauty and spectacular views.

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