The Dreamiest, Winteriest Train Trips in the World

Glacier Express — Zermatt to St. Moritz, Switzerland

Photo: Glacier Express

You’d be hard pressed to find any train trip through Switzerland that wasn’t jaw-droppingly scenic, but the king of them all is this eight-hour ride in the Glacier Express between the country’s two biggest resort cities. Each turn on this trip brings you a new, envy-inducing view, and when you’re not steaming across a pristine mountain lake, you’re passing over a Swiss village that looks like it stepped off the cover of a chocolate box.

You’ll pass through the majestic Swiss Alps, gazing out your panoramic dome car at sites like the Rhine Gorge — aka the Grand Canyon of Switzerland — and the Solis and Landwasser viaducts. And for the ultimate indulgence, try Glacier Express’ Excellence Glass, which pairs your views with a multi-course meal, massive leather seats, and an open bar.

Amtrak Vermonter — Washington, DC, to St. Albans, Vermont

Photo: Don Landwehrle/Shutterstock

If you’re planning to visit Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York, or Washington, DC, in the winter, consider taking the scenic route on the Vermonter. Once out of the region’s major metropolitan areas, this winter train ride takes you along the Connecticut River into the Green Mountains, stopping in cities and towns filled with snow-covered colonial churches and faded red farmhouses.

You’ll also have the opportunity to drop in at Stowe, Killington, or any of the state’s other fabled ski resorts, and put yourself in the middle of all that beautiful white wilderness. Or visit Brattleboro and Montpellier, two of Vermont’s largest cities and enjoyable places to spend a weekend.

JR Tadami Line — Fukushima to Niigata, Japan

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The 83-mile trip from Fukushima to Niigata is a little like taking a train through a Japanese snow globe, as the powerful engine chugs through remote Japanese villages whose red tin roofs are blanketed with white stuff. Along the way on this winter train ride, you’ll also cross high, arching bridges over deep forest valleys, adding a dose of Asian engineering to the experience. Unsurprisingly, this journey has the reputation to be one of the most romantic winter train rides in the world.

Rocky Mountaineer– Vancouver, BC to Banff/Jasper, Alberta

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North America may have no more scenic train route than the one running through the Canadian Rockies. The luxe Rocky Mountaineer offers a few routes along this path, each with spectacular highlight you won’t find south of the border. The classic First Passage to the West trip runs two days, starting in Vancouver, stopping in Kamloops and covering thick evergreen forest and lakes, before continuing on to the towering, snow-capped mountains of Lake Louise.

For a higher trip, try the Journey Through the Clouds, which follows the same first leg into Kamloops, then carries on through the highest peaks in the Rockies. If you want to spend a little more time exploring western Canada, opt for the Rainforest to Gold Rush route, which traverses the coastal rainforest up to Whistler before traveling past Fraser Canyon and Mount Robson, and on into Jasper.

Alaska Railroad Aurora — Anchorage to Fairbanks, Alaska

Photo: XUERUI YIN/Shutterstock

Alaska train trips are generally a summertime venture, but rolling through the deep winter wilderness can be a far more spectacular journey. This week-long winter train ride begins in Anchorage and heads north, traveling past Denali and the Alaska Range. You’ll stop in the little village of Talkeetna and try your hand and mushing sled dogs, where you can also opt for a flightseeing tour over snow-capped mountains.

The nights, as you might have guessed, are long. But that just leaves more time for catching the Aurora Borealis when you get to Fairbanks, which are easiest to spot this time of year. Even if you don’t see the northern lights, you’ll get access to Alaskan backcountry seldom reached when it’s cold. Just make sure to pack a good jacket.

Bergensbanen — Oslo to Bergen, Norway

Photo: Marius Dobilas/Shutterstock

Perhaps the world’s most scenic train trip that starts as a commuter train, this six-and-a-half hour winter train ride between Norway’s two largest cities is the best way to see all the country’s scenic highlights. From Oslo, you’ll start your slow climb into the mountains moving past snow-dusted valleys and winding rivers. Snow-packed peaks pop up in the distance as you move ever faster towards their imposing shadows, blasting through some 182 tunnels as you venture through the mountains.

After a long ascent to the highest station at Finse, you’ll ride over fjords, past waterfalls, and through storybook Norwegian villages. The ride ends with a slow, coastal descent into Bergen — which, while not the highlight of the trip, is still a less-visited city that’s worth checking out for a night.

Yellowstone & Yosemite Winter Magic — Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, and back

Photo: Pung/Shutterstock

Combining the coastal beauty of Amtrak’s California Zephyr and the vast desert scapes of its Southwest Chief, this nine-day trip from Vacations By Rail lets you see two of America’s most popular national parks in all their winter glory. You’ll begin in Chicago then cross the plains into Colorado’s Rocky Mountains before stopping in Salt Lake City. From there you’ll take a bus into Jackson, Wyoming, the gateway to Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks, where you’ll spend three days.

Upon returning to Salt Lake City, you’ll re-board the Zephyr and cross the Sierras into San Francisco.

Trans-Siberian Railway– Moscow, Russia, to Beijing, China

Photo: ALEKSANDR RIUTIN/Shutterstock

The Trans-Siberian Railway will take you to see some of the most remote, snow-swept nature scenes in the world. While living in Siberia might be punishment, a train trip through it is not — running from Moscow to Vladivostok with spurs out to Mongolia and Beijing.

In addition the winterscapes of steppes and mountains you’ll also see the Russian Orthodox churches in all their winter glory. And have time to appreciate the architecture of cities like Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk along the way. You’ll also pass by the deep blue waters of Lake Baikal and rumble through the steppes of Gorkhi-Terelj National Park. Just make sure you’ve banked some serious vacation time to do this: This winter train ride can take upwards of three weeks if you go all the way to China.

Empire Builder Snow Train — Chicago, Illinois, to Seattle, Washington

Photo: Mary F Wilber/Shutterstock

Amtrak’s famous Empire Builder might be the best way to see the American West during any season, but the 2,206 mile trip from Chicago to Seattle yields some especially spectacular views in the winter. If you can brave the cold weather in Chicago, board the train there for a magical winter train ride through the snow-covered prairies, where bluffs look out over endless fields of sparkling plains.

From there it’s into the jagged, snow-capped mountains of Montana and northern Idaho, before crossing the colorful Cascades and descending into Seattle.

>Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad– Trego, Wisconsin

Photo: Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad

Anyone who’s ever watched a late-season Packers game might think winter in Wisconsin is nothing but frozen tundra and icicles forming on your nose. But in the cozy confines of the Wisconsin Northern Railroad, you can enjoy the snow-covered landscape of America’s Dairyland, minus the potential hypothermia. This short ride traverses the Namekagon River, part of the St. Croix National Scenic Railway, through rolling hills and meandering waters.

The train also doubles as the country’s only bed and breakfast on the rails. You’ll board the train at night for dinner, then take a brief tour through the woods while you eat before returning to the station. You’ll have the evening to converse with your fellow guests, then wake in the morning to steaming hot coffee in a romantic winter setting.