Air travel is about getting from point A to point B as fast as possible. Convenient yes, but no one would say it’s romantic. Rail travel, on the other hand, is as much about the destination as it is the journey, especially in the winter when you gaze out at snowcapped mountains through the train carriage’s big windows. On these scenic winter train rides, you’ll trundle through the Canadian Rockies and Swiss Alps, snooze in a snug bunk, and warm up with afternoon tea.
Glacier Express
Route: St. Moritz to Zermatt, Switzerland
“Express” is a bit of a misnomer here. The full ride between St. Moritz and Zermatt takes about eight hours, but you’ll enjoy taking it slow as you pass through the Rhône Valley, into 91 tunnels, and over the Oberalp Pass and 291 bridges along the way. You can hop aboard the Glacier Express with a Eurail pass (seat reservations required) or book a one-way or round-trip ticket directly. Planet Rail has a seven-night Luxury Glacier Express trip (from about US$3,100), which includes seven nights at five-star hotels and travel in the train’s Excellence carriages. Tuck into a five-course lunch with wine, plus afternoon tea, while you take in the late-winter scenery through the panoramic windows.
Book now: from approx. $230 one way; glacierexpress.ch
Amtrak Empire Builder
Route: Chicago to Seattle
As you make your way from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest on Amtrak’s Empire Builder, you’ll travel along a portion of the Lewis and Clark Trail. While this train operates year-round, the passing landscape is prettiest covered in snow. The scenery gets even better as you pass by Glacier National Park in Montana. You can reserve a one-way coach or private room ticket for the 46-hour trip directly through Amtrak. Vacations By Rail also runs a four-night trip (from $1,274), which includes a coach seat (you can upgrade to a private room), with hotels in Chicago and Seattle at the beginning and end of the journey.
Book now: from $163 one way (coach seat) or $604 (private room); amtrak.com
VIA Rail’s The Canadian
Route: Toronto to Vancouver, Canada
Watch some of the most spectacular winter scenery in the Canadian Rockies from the warmth of a train car as you make your way from Toronto to Vancouver on VIA Rail’s aptly named Canadian. For the four-night journey, you can book an economy seat or a room in a sleeper car (the latter sells out far in advance). Vacations By Rail’s Canadian Rockies Winter Adventure package (from US$2,050) has a seven-night package that starts in Vancouver and ends in Calgary; it includes a night in a cozy little room on the train between Vancouver and Jasper National Park and stays at historic properties, including Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.
Book now: from approx. US$360 one way; viarail.ca
The Bergen Line
Route: Bergen to Oslo, Norway
The Bergen Line connects Norway’s museum-filled capital Oslo with picturesque Bergen on a seven-hour train trip through the Norwegian wilderness. While it’s beautiful year-round, the scenery is even more dramatic in winter. You can buy a simple one-way ticket, but you’ll want to book this train ride as part of Fjordtours’ Norway in a Nutshell Winter Tour (from $143), which also includes a short detour on the Flåm Railway (one of the steepest in Europe) and a fjord cruise on the Aurlandsfjord and UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord before connecting back to the Bergen Line in Voss to complete the trip.
Book now: from approx. $32 one way; vy.no
Alaska Railroad’s Aurora Winter Train
Route: Anchorage to Fairbanks, Alaska
Traveling the same route as the Denali Star Train does in summer and fall, the Aurora Winter Train runs every weekend from mid-September to mid-May and offers views of Denali and Alaska’s remote backcountry. You can make the 12-hour journey up to Fairbanks on Saturday and return to Anchorage on Sunday for a quick weekend trip, or you can turn it into a five-night trip with Vacations By Rail’s Aurora Viewing at Bettles Lodge package (from $2,980) that also includes a trip up to the town of Bettles, which is one of the best places in Alaska to see the northern lights.
Book now: from $216 one way; alaskarailroad.com
Related: Alaska Has Some of the Best Northern Lights Views. Here’s How to Catch the Celestial Show.
Tadami Line
Route: Aizu-wakamatsu to Uonuma, Japan
Connecting Aizu-wakamatsu in Fukushima prefecture to Koide in Niigata prefecture, JR East’s Tadami Line runs through 38 mountain stations and along the Tadami River and is particularly spectacular in the snow. In addition to the scenic train ride, you can also visit hot springs and go skiing or snowboarding. It takes a little bit of work to get to this remote part of Honshu, Japan’s main island—about three hours north of Tokyo—but you can do it all by train. Take the Tohoku Shinkansen train from Kyoto to Koriyama Station and then connect to the Aizu-Wakamatsu Station via the JR Ban’etsu West Line. It’s best to purchase a Japan Rail East Pass (Tohoku Area) to cover all three trains to get there.
Book now: from approx. $200 for a five-day pass, jreast.co.jp
Belmond British Pullman
Route: Round trip from London’s Victoria Station
Most of Belmond’s beautifully restored vintage trains take January and February off in Europe, but you can still hop aboard for a handful of day trips from London. Among these is a Moving Murder Mystery, a journey through the Kent countryside on which you’ll enjoy a five-course lunch and join your fellow passengers to solve a whodunit. If you’re an advance planner, consider booking a holiday train ride such as a Christmas lunch journey or a trip to Canterbury to listen to Christmas carols.
Book now: From approx. $725 round trip, belmond.com
Related: The First Luxury Sleeper Train in England and Wales Will Whisk Travelers to Cornwall and the Lake District
This article was originally published in 2018 and most recently updated on February 10, 2025, with current information.
