10 Iconic Train Journeys Couples Must Experience Before They Retire
Long flights lose their charm with age, but romance on rails never does. These ten train trips swap airport stress for picture-window views, cozy cabins, and local wine shared between two. From Swiss glaciers to Scottish moors and the roar of Niagara Falls, each journey delivers unhurried adventure perfect for couples eager to tick off dream experiences before hanging up their work shoes for good.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
Step aboard Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and watch Venice’s canals slip away as blue-and-gold carriages climb toward the snowy Dolomites. A steward hands you chilled prosecco, a pianist drifts past playing Cole Porter, and candlelit tables serve lobster ravioli. Night hushes the train in deep velvet. Dawn brings warm croissants and misty views of Paris rooftops. By afternoon you roll into London—one night, three nations, endless romance.
Glacier Express, Switzerland
The Glacier Express proves that slow travel can steal your breath. In eight unrushed hours it links Zermatt and St Moritz. Ceiling-high windows frame glaciers, pine valleys, and the famous Landwasser Viaduct. Attendants pour Valais wine and set down nutty Gruyère as bell-clad cows graze outside. Spring is magic: purple asters blanket the meadows and rivers run clear blue. By the Engadin Valley, every peak glows pink, and you’ve fallen for Switzerland.
West Highland Line, Scotland
From Glasgow the West Highland Line heads straight into wild Scotland. Purple moors, mirror lochs, and distant Ben Nevis glide by like movie scenes. The train sweeps across the Glenfinnan Viaduct—yes, the Harry Potter bridge—then hugs a sea inlet toward tiny Mallaig. Open a window to breathe peat smoke and salt air. Finish with a seaside whisky at sunset. In five relaxed hours you’ll collect more rugged beauty than many road trips manage in days.
Douro Valley Railway, Portugal
A vintage steam engine chugs from Régua along Portugal’s Douro River, whistles echoing off terraced vineyards heavy with port grapes. Oak benches creak, musicians squeeze accordions, and sweet wine is poured as hills rise like green staircases. At Tua you step off for tastings at a riverside quinta before the late-afternoon ride back through honeyed light. In just three hours the valley gifts music, history, and golden warmth with every puff of steam.
Grand Canyon Railway, USA
Climb aboard in Williams, Arizona, where the Grand Canyon Railway’s bell clangs like 1901. Vintage coaches cross high desert while musicians spin cowboy songs. Pines thin, cliffs redden, and suddenly the South Rim yawns wider than any photo. Stay until sunset paints the canyon orange and violet, then ride back under a blanket of stars. At forty miles an hour, this rail classic proves big wonders feel even grander when you arrive the old-fashioned way.
Empire Builder to Glacier National Park, USA
Amtrak’s Empire Builder turns a simple ride into an epic postcard. Rolling out of Chicago, endless prairie soon yields to Montana peaks announcing Glacier National Park. Step off for a boat cruise on turquoise Two Medicine Lake, drive the dizzy Going-to-the-Sun Road, and stargaze under ink-black skies. Reboard and sip coffee at dawn as pink light washes the plains. Few U.S. routes pack such sweeping change—and so much quiet wonder—into one timetable.
Cinque Terre Railway, Italy
The Cinque Terre train is Italy’s easiest sampler platter. In under an hour it hops between five cliff-clinging villages: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore. Every tunnel bursts open to blue sea, pastel houses, and lemon scent. Step off for pesto focaccia, reboard, repeat—no parking drama, no steep hikes, just postcards served window-side. Stay for sunset when the Tyrrhenian glows tangerine and fishing boats bob like confetti below.
Caledonian Sleeper, UK
Settle into tartan sheets on the Caledonian Sleeper and let London drift away. A quiet dram in the lounge car signals bedtime as the train whispers north through velvet night. Wake to Highland dawn: misty lochs, spruce forests, shaggy sheep under pink sky. By breakfast you’re in Inverness, rested and ready for castles, kilts, and fresh air. Few journeys prove so neatly that sound sleep and big adventure can ride the same rails in perfect harmony.
Pacific Northwest Roundtrip, USA
Start in sunny Los Angeles and follow the rails to foggy San Francisco, eco-cool Portland, and coffee-obsessed Seattle before looping home. Redwood giants, crashing surf, and lighthouse flashes frame the ride while whales sometimes breach offshore. Spacious sleepers, café-car burgers, and zero traffic make this a road movie without the driving. On the return leg snowy Mount Shasta and marshland sunsets add surprise cameos to an already scenic loop.
Niagara Falls Ultimate Getaway, USA/Canada
Leave New York’s bright skyline at Penn Station and roll north along the Hudson and Lake Ontario toward a deepening roar. At Niagara Falls a misty boat ride drifts beside the thundering curtain; the Skylon Tower spins dinner with 360-degree views, and nightly fireworks paint rainbows through the spray. Fill spare hours with spa soaks and winery strolls, then ride home relaxed. A speedy rail break that proves big drama can fit neatly into a long weekend.
