@tkoola I have three big “Trans” itineraries on my list: -Australian, -Siberian, and -Canadian. I’ve done the Empire Builder from Portland to Chicago and back. It’s also impressive.
@jean As a Canadian I’ve still never done a cross-country train trip, but I really should as it’s stunning. All your choices are excellent, though I’d add in Norway to that list. The Bergen line is unbelievably gorgeous, especially in winter.
@mpmilestogo Oh yes, I remember seeing your pictures and being blown away. So many great trains around the world to choose from quite frankly.
@Pilchuck Oh my. It was painful to see those photos, as that is the train route I’ve traveled the most times.
@Archimage When Elon finds out that we got a lot of hydroelectric power plants, maybe it will! @pimoore
@Pilchuck @mpmilestogo @jean That’s terrible, I still remember seeing pictures when it first came on the news and my first thought being it looked 100% like a speed issue.
@tkoola What would be fun would be to take one of the high speed TGV trains that run in France. During lock-down last year, I been watching cab rides of one that went from Bordaux to Paris. Seeing it slowly accelerate to 300 km/h is thrilling.
@lmika @tkoola @pimoore (and everyone else in this discussion) I think the longest-distance train I've taken was Paris → Barcelona, and I remember it fondly. It was an overnighter but we'd missed our path somehow, so whenI woke up we were hours behind and I just got to watch the spectacular cliff-filled coastline of Catalunya del Nord for a few hours. Incredible. Melbourne-Sydney is also pretty long but not scenic at all, in contrast 😆
@jean I haven't yet done the California Zephyr, but the Empire Builder is just amazing! Easily one of the best train journeys I've ever done.
@lmika yes, that is something I would like to experience. I've been on German ICE and the Chinese equivalent but I don't think they go as fast
@jayeless I had a friend who took the Melbourne-Sydney overnighter and he said he wouldn't do it again. It took 13 hours and he didn't sleep as all due to the noise from the other passengers.
@tkoola I want to experience the world’s longest stretch (297 miles)of straight track across the Nullarbor on the Indian Pacific line. And go stalk @canion in Perth.
@lmika And the Ghan also looks very interesting.
@lmika Yeah, that was basically our experience too. I was able to get some hours' sleep (albeit low-quality) but Vivian wasn't. It's a shame because train travel is a lot more convenient (and was cheaper!) than flying, but the lack of sleep was hard to deal with.
@jean big train trips is on my to-do list when the pandemic reduces a bit. I got stuck on a 2 hour ride between Portland and Albany foe 10 hours during the heat wave but I had a great time for the first 8 hours.
@jean Last time I rode the Indian Pacific I was 3 years old. I still have a few fractured memories of it. I’d love to do it again. You’re also welcome to stalk but fair warning, I’m pretty boring! 😜
@DiplomaticDiva Yep that’s the one I’d love to do, although I’d rather start from say Halifax instead and go the entire distance.
