Train Journeys That Beat Flights: World's Most Scenic Railway Routes for Indians

I was sitting in the pantry car of an Indian Railways Shatabdi somewhere between Delhi and Chandigarh, eating lukewarm samosas and staring at flat, unremarkable farmland, when my phone buzzed. A friend had just sent a 14-second video from inside the Glacier Express in Switzerland — mountains so absurdly close you could almost lick the snow off them, a curved viaduct disappearing into mist, and a glass of Pinot Noir sitting on a tiny table that somehow wasn't spilling. I looked at my samosa. I looked at the video. And something shifted permanently in my brain about what scenic train journeys world travellers rave about.

That was 2019. Since then, I've chased scenic train journeys world over — from the frozen Siberian steppe to Sri Lankan tea hills where the ticket costs less than a cutting chai in Bandra. And I can tell you this with absolute conviction: for certain routes, taking a flight is the worst decision you can make. You're trading 8 hours of life-changing views for 45 minutes of stale airplane air and a middle seat. Don't do it.

Here are 12 train journeys I've either ridden myself or have obsessively researched for upcoming trips — with real costs in rupees, booking hacks that actually work for Indian passport holders, and honest opinions about which ones are worth rearranging your entire itinerary for. Some of these routes connect to places you might already be visiting. If you're planning a Eurail trip through Europe, half of these rides are included in your pass.

The Glacier Express, Switzerland — The One That Ruined Me

Let's get the most famous one out of the way. The Glacier Express runs between Zermatt and St. Moritz — 8 hours, 291 bridges, 91 tunnels, and one very tall viaduct (Landwasser) that'll make your stomach do things. The train crawls deliberately. This isn't high-speed rail. This is a slow, theatrical performance where the Swiss Alps are the main character and you're just sitting there with your jaw hanging open.

I did this in September 2023 and spent approximately ₹6,800 on a second-class ticket (CHF 75 at the time, plus the mandatory seat reservation of CHF 49). First class bumps you to panoramic seats — bigger windows, more legroom, slightly fancier lunch. The three-course meal they serve onboard costs CHF 45 extra and honestly, it's decent but not spectacular. You're paying for the theatre of eating risotto while a glacier slides past your window.

Booking tip for Indians: The Glacier Express website accepts international cards, but the Swiss Travel Pass gives you a 25% discount AND covers the base fare on some segments. If you're already planning a Switzerland trip from India, budget this ride in from day one. Don't treat it as optional. It's the whole point.

What Nobody Tells You

The right side of the train (heading Zermatt to St. Moritz) gets better views for the first half. The left side wins for the Landwasser Viaduct section. I sat on the right and regretted it at the viaduct moment. Also, the panoramic windows create a greenhouse effect in summer — the car gets genuinely hot by midday. Carry water.

The Trans-Siberian Railway — 9,288 Kilometres of Madness

This one isn't just a train ride — it's a lifestyle choice. Moscow to Vladivostok, 6 nights and 7 days without getting off (though you absolutely should get off at several stops). The Trans-Siberian is the longest railway line on the planet, and riding the full thing makes you part of a very specific, slightly unhinged club of travelers.

I haven't done the full route yet — I did Moscow to Irkutsk (Lake Baikal) in 2024, which took about 3.5 days. Third class (platzkart — open bunks, shared with 50 strangers) cost me roughly ₹5,200 for the segment. Second class (kupe — 4-person compartment) was around ₹11,000. First class exists but feels like overkill when half the experience is the chaos.

The Reality Check

Here's what I mean by chaos. Babushkas selling smoked fish and boiled potatoes at every platform stop. A retired Russian colonel who spoke zero English but communicated entirely through hand gestures and vodka. The samovar at the end of each carriage that dispenses unlimited free hot water — perfect for your Maggi or Cup Noodles (bring both). The scenery alternates between hypnotic birch forests, frozen rivers, and stretches of nothingness so vast they recalibrate your sense of scale.

For Indians: You need a Russian visa (e-visa available for certain entry points since 2023), and booking tickets on the Russian Railways site (rzd.ru) is an exercise in patience — the interface is clunky even in English. Third-party sites like RealRussia charge a ₹3,000-5,000 markup but handle everything. Worth it if your Russian is non-existent.

Sri Lanka's Hill Country Train — ₹50 for the Best Views on Earth

I'm putting this at number three because it might actually be the best value scenic train journeys world has to offer. The route from Kandy to Ella in Sri Lanka costs somewhere between ₹30 and ₹80 depending on class. That's not a typo. For the price of a vada pav in Mumbai, you get 7 hours of tea plantations, waterfalls, colonial-era bridges, and mist so thick it turns the world into a watercolour painting.

The Nine Arch Bridge near Ella — you've seen it on Instagram a thousand times. But sitting inside the train as it crosses that bridge, with the valley dropping away beneath you and locals hanging out of open doors grinning, is a completely different sensation than any photo prepares you for. I took this train twice during a 2-week Sri Lanka trip, and both times felt entirely different because the weather changed the whole mood.

How to Book (Indians Have It Easy Here)

You can buy tickets at Kandy station on the day, but second and third class sell out fast on the 7:00 AM departure. First-class observation car tickets can be booked through Sri Lanka Railways online — ₹300-400 for the reserved seat. My advice? Skip the observation car. Second class unreserved is where the magic happens. Open windows, no glass between you and the mountains, and you'll end up sharing biscuits with Sri Lankan families heading home. That's the train experience.

Scotland's Jacobite Steam Train — Yes, It's the Hogwarts Express

Look, I know calling it the Hogwarts Express is slightly cringe at this point. But the Jacobite steam train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct is, objectively, one of the most photogenic 30 seconds in all of railway travel. The route runs from Fort William to Mallaig along Scotland's west coast — 84 miles, about 2 hours each way, past lochs, mountains, and coastline that looks like it was painted by someone who was showing off.

Tickets cost around £45-65 (₹4,800-7,000) for a return journey and sell out months in advance. I'm not exaggerating — if you want summer dates, book in February. The train runs from April through October, with the best weather (relatively — this is Scotland) in June and July. I went in early September and got rained on for half the journey, which honestly made the dramatic Highland scenery look even more ridiculous.

Pro tip: The viaduct moment happens about 20 minutes into the outward journey from Fort William. Sit on the left side. Have your camera ready. But also — and I mean this — put the phone down for at least 10 seconds and just look at it. You're on a steam train crossing a 100-year-old stone viaduct over a Scottish loch. That deserves actual eyeball time.

Norway's Bergen Railway and Flam — Fjord Country by Rail

The Bergen Railway from Oslo to Bergen is 7 hours of increasingly dramatic Norwegian landscape. You start in a city, climb through forests, cross the Hardangervidda plateau (Europe's largest mountain plateau — completely treeless, slightly lunar), and descend into Bergen through mountains and tunnels. The train passes Finse, the highest station in Northern Europe at 1,222 metres.

But here's the move that turns a good train ride into an absurd one. Get off at Myrdal station and take the Flam Railway down to the fjord. This 20-kilometre branch line drops 866 metres through 20 tunnels, past the Kjosfossen waterfall where the train actually stops so everyone can get out and gawp. The Flam Railway costs about NOK 500 (₹3,900) one way. Combined with the Bergen Railway, you can reach the fjords without ever renting a car.

If you're doing a Scandinavia trip from India, this Oslo-Myrdal-Flam-Bergen route should be non-negotiable. Flying from Oslo to Bergen takes 50 minutes and costs roughly the same. But these scenic train journeys world class routes exist precisely because flying misses everything that makes Norway, well, Norway.

Rocky Mountaineer, Canada — Luxury on Rails Through the Rockies

This one's expensive. Let me just say that upfront. The Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Banff (or Jasper) is a 2-day journey with an overnight hotel stop, and the cheapest GoldLeaf ticket starts around CAD 2,300 (roughly ₹1,40,000). SilverLeaf — still very comfortable but without the glass-dome observation deck — starts at CAD 1,800 (₹1,10,000).

But. Among luxury scenic train journeys world wide, the Canadian Rockies from a glass-dome coach with someone bringing you wine and a three-course lunch while you pass through the Spiral Tunnels and Kicking Horse Pass? It's obscene. The kind of travel experience that makes you briefly forget about EMIs and responsibilities. If you're planning a Canada trip from India, this is the splurge to save for.

Budget Alternative

VIA Rail's "The Canadian" covers Toronto to Vancouver in 4 days for a fraction of the cost — economy seats from CAD 500 (₹30,500). The scenery through Northern Ontario is admittedly boring, but once you hit the Prairies and then the Rockies, it picks up dramatically. Sleeper cabins are available too. Not as luxurious as Rocky Mountaineer, but you're not remortgaging your house either.

Japan's Shinkansen — Speed as Theatre

Not all scenic train journeys world travellers chase involve slow mountain crawls. The Shinkansen isn't scenic in the traditional sense. You're moving at 320 km/h, so landscapes blur past like someone's fast-forwarding a documentary. But the Shinkansen experience itself is the attraction. Precision that borders on obsessive — trains departing within 30 seconds of schedule. Staff who bow as the train passes. And then there's the ekiben (train bento boxes) from platform vendors. And then, somewhere between Shizuoka and Mishima on the Tokaido line, Mount Fuji appears in your window for exactly 11 minutes if the sky is clear.

A 7-day Japan Rail Pass costs about ₹24,000 and covers unlimited Shinkansen rides (except Nozomi and Mizuho). That's absurd value when you consider that a single Tokyo-Kyoto ticket costs ₹10,800 at the counter. I used my JR Pass six times in a week and essentially rode for free after the second trip.

Bernina Express, Switzerland to Italy — UNESCO on Wheels

The Bernina Express does something no other train I've ridden manages — it crosses from German-speaking Switzerland into Italian-speaking Switzerland and then dips into Italy, all in 4 hours. Running from Chur to Tirano, it climbs to 2,253 metres at the Bernina Pass, crosses the famous Landwasser Viaduct (same one you see in every Swiss tourism ad), and descends through Mediterranean-climate valleys into Italian wine country.

Fun fact: the Rhaetian Railway that operates this route is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The entire route. Not a station. Not a bridge. The whole thing. Second-class tickets run about CHF 64 (₹5,900) plus a reservation fee of CHF 14. Eurail Pass holders just pay the reservation. It's shorter and arguably more varied than the Glacier Express, and some people (including me, honestly) prefer it.

Quick Cost Comparison for Scenic Train Journeys World Over

Four More Scenic Train Journeys World Travelers Should Know About

China's High-Speed Rail Network

Not traditionally "scenic" — you're moving at 350 km/h and half the route is through tunnels. But the Shanghai Maglev hits 431 km/h and the experience of going that fast on rails is genuinely surreal. More practically, the Beijing-Xi'an high-speed train (4.5 hours, ₹4,200) passes through dramatic gorge country, and the Chengdu-Kunming line through Sichuan province is being called the "new scenic railway of China." Tickets are laughably cheap by European standards.

Vietnam's Reunification Express

Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, 1,726 kilometres, 33 hours if you ride the whole thing. Most people break it up — the Hue to Da Nang segment (2.5 hours, ₹600-1,200) crosses the Hai Van Pass and is considered the most scenic section. The train hugs coastal cliffs with the South China Sea crashing below. Anthony Bourdain called this stretch one of the most beautiful train rides in the world, and he wasn't wrong.

The Ghan, Australia

Adelaide to Darwin, 2,979 kilometres, straight through the red centre of Australia. This is 2 days of outback — endless ochre desert, kangaroos, and the surreal midnight sky of central Australia. Gold Service starts at AUD 2,500 (₹1,35,000) and includes all meals and off-train excursions. It's Australia's most expensive train, but also its most iconic. The Indian Pacific (Sydney to Perth, 4 days) is the longer cousin.

TGV Through France

Paris to Marseille in 3 hours at 320 km/h. The TGV isn't marketed as scenic, but the descent into Provence — when the landscape shifts from grey Parisian suburbs to sunflower fields and lavender rows — catches you off guard every time. Tickets booked early on SNCF Connect can be as cheap as €19 (₹1,750). That's Delhi to Agra Shatabdi pricing for a ride through the French countryside at jet speed.

Practical Tips for Indian Train Travelers Abroad

Booking and Payments

• Eurail Pass — Covers most European trains including Glacier Express (base fare), Bernina Express, Bergen Railway, and TGV. A 5-day Global Pass costs about ₹24,000. If you're doing 3+ European trains, the math works out.
• Japanese Rail Pass — 7-day pass at ₹24,000 covers all Shinkansen except Nozomi/Mizuho. Buy through authorized Indian agents or online at JRPass.com.
• 12go.asia — Best aggregator for booking Southeast Asian trains (Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand). Accepts Indian cards.
• Seat61.com — The bible for international train travel. Run by one obsessive British guy. Covers every route on earth with booking links.

What to Pack

Packing for scenic train journeys world over requires a different approach than flights. You need entertainment (books, downloaded shows — wifi is spotty on most scenic routes), snacks (the Maggi + electric kettle combo works on Russian trains but is excessive for a 4-hour Swiss ride), layers (mountain trains go through temperature extremes), and a window-cleaning cloth. I'm serious about that last one. Dirty glass ruins photos, and most panoramic trains don't let you open windows.

Photography Strategy

Forget about shooting through glass on your phone — the reflections will kill you. Either use a polarizing filter, cup your hands around the lens against the glass (looks dumb, works great), or time your shots for when the train enters curves (the side windows suddenly show the track ahead). For the Sri Lanka and Jacobite trains where doors and windows are open, you get raw, unfiltered shots. Those are the rides where your phone camera genuinely shines.

Why Indians Are Natural Train Travelers

I don't mean this in a cliche way. I mean that we've grown up with trains as a legitimate, normal mode of long-distance travel. Most Europeans fly between cities. Americans drive. But we — we sit on trains for 18, 24, 36 hours and think nothing of it. That means the scenic train journeys world offers don't intimidate us the way they intimidate someone from, say, Texas, who's never been on a train longer than a theme park ride.

The Trans-Siberian? 6 days on a train? That's basically a Mumbai to Dibrugarh Rajdhani with extra steps. We already know how to sleep on moving trains, eat on moving trains, make friends with strangers in adjacent berths, and stare out of windows for unreasonable amounts of time. We're built for this.

The only real adjustment is cost. Indian trains are absurdly subsidised — ₹2,000 gets you from Delhi to Kolkata in AC 3-tier. That same ₹2,000 buys you approximately 40 minutes on a Swiss regional train. But when you factor in the scenery, the engineering, and the sheer spectacle of these routes, the value equation isn't about rupees per kilometre. It's about rupees per jaw-drop moment. And on that metric, every train on this list delivers more than any flight ever could.

TripCabinet plans entire trips that include these scenic train journeys world over — routes, bookings, accommodation at stops, the lot. If you're the kind of person who'd rather watch the world pass outside a window than stare at the back of an airplane seat, talk to our team. We'll put something together that makes Indian Railways jealous.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most scenic train ride in the world for Indians?

The Glacier Express in Switzerland and the Kandy-Ella train in Sri Lanka are the top two picks for Indian travelers. The Glacier Express costs around ₹6,800-14,000 and offers 8 hours of Alpine panoramas, while the Sri Lankan route costs ₹50-400 and takes 7 hours through tea plantations and misty mountains. Both are genuinely life-changing rides.

How much does the Trans-Siberian Railway cost from India?

The train itself costs ₹5,200-18,000 depending on class and segment (third class platzkart to first class). You also need a Russian visa and flights to Moscow (₹25,000-40,000 from Indian cities). Total trip cost for a 2-week Trans-Siberian journey comes to roughly ₹1.2-2.5 lakh including accommodation and food at stops.

Can Indian passport holders book European trains online?

Yes. Most European train operators accept international credit and debit cards. The Eurail Pass (available to non-EU residents) is the most cost-effective option for multiple rides — a 5-day Global Pass costs ₹24,000. Individual tickets can be booked on national railway websites like sbb.ch (Switzerland), vy.no (Norway), and sncf-connect.com (France).

Is the Jacobite Steam Train in Scotland worth the hype?

Absolutely — but manage expectations. The Glenfinnan Viaduct crossing lasts about 30 seconds. The full 2-hour journey through the Scottish Highlands, past lochs and coastal views, is the real attraction. Tickets cost ₹4,800-7,000 for a return trip and sell out months ahead, so book early through westcoastrailways.co.uk.

What is the cheapest scenic train ride in the world?

The Kandy to Ella train in Sri Lanka wins by a landslide — second class tickets cost around ₹50-80 (less than a cutting chai in most Indian cafes). The 7-hour journey crosses the Nine Arch Bridge, passes through tea estates, and offers mountain views that rival trains costing 100 times more in Europe. For Indians, Sri Lanka is easily accessible with direct flights from Chennai and Mumbai.