Trains have a charm of their own - just something about spending hours looking at the villages passing by, sharing life stories and food with co-passengers and anticipating the arrival. Our busy schedules have forced us to switch to air travel, to just enjoy the destination. Train teaches us how to enjoy the journey. Here are the 8 most beautiful train journeys in India to make you fall in love with travelling all over again.
This stretch from Vasco De Gama, Goa to Londa in Karnataka is one of the most impressive train journeys in India. You pass through the beautiful and vintage Goan villages and into the lush greenery of the Western Ghats. The highlight of this journey is the multiple waterfalls that you can spot. It is a wholesome journey as you get to see bits of history and nature and have a comfortable 2.5 hours train ride.
This picturesque 5-hour train journey from Kalka to Shimla, also known as The Himalayan Queen, is one of the most beautiful toy train journeys in India. It passes through beautiful valleys and foggy regions in its 96 km train duration. What is fascinating about this train ride is that it goes through over 100 tunnels and crosses 82 bridges. There are multiple trains that ply this route making it extremely accessible and convenient and the best time to do this journey would be between May to June.
This is one of the most beautiful train journeys in India as it's thrilling and there’s never a point where you would get bored of the scenic view. The journey to Rameshwaram, in Pamban Island, can only be made through the route that this train takes - the Palk Straight bridge. It is built over the Indian Ocean and you can see pristine aqua-blue water on either side.
The ‘Desert Queen’, as the train on this route is called, takes 6 hours to complete its journey through the Thar desert. Your eyes are treated with new and unique views every minute of this journey from the desert to yellow soil to grazing camels to sand dunes and even cacti. As a passenger, you can experience the feeling of going on a desert safari without having to subject yourself to the heat making it one of the best train journeys in India.
This toy train journey is one of the best train journeys in India because of its breathtakingly beautiful route. It goes through different landscapes and altitudes and you can experience different climates as well. It takes you through tea gardens and dense forests and on a clear day, you can even catch a glimpse of the Kanchenjunga. This train is a UNESCO world heritage site and is definitely something your kids would enjoy. It takes around 8 hours to cover this route and we’re sure you will be savouring every moment of it.
Mettupalayam to Ooty is one of the most beautiful train journeys in South India. This 5-hour train ride goes up the Nilgiri Mountain and through pine, oak and eucalyptus forests. It also crosses the steepest track in Asia. The ‘Nilgiri Passenger’ covers 46 km and is the slowest train in India covering the most scenic view - surely an experience of a lifetime.
One of the longest train journeys in India, this Mumbai to Goa journey passes through the majestic Sahyadari range and crosses over the Arabian sea making it the most beautiful route in India. You can see beautiful coastal regions and be surprised by the small rivers and streams. The region has a lot of tunnels but none long enough to obstruct your scenic view. It is definitely one of those train journeys that should be captured in a video and saved forever.
This train journey, although just 1.5 hours long, is one of the most beautiful train journeys in South India. It takes through the beautiful parts of the country down South and the view is decorated with coconut and palm trees. You can also spot paddy fields and dense forests as well as stunning churches and well-maintained temples. This Island Express also crosses over a bridge so you can enjoy watching the water on either side of the train and makes for a lovely moment, especially during sunset.
