Train Journeys

Some of Latin America’s greatest scenery rolls past a train window. From switchbacks carved into Andean cliffs, high desert under enormous skies and steppes running to the horizon. A rail journey here is about the ride itself, from characterful heritage lines to full luxury sleepers, usually as one memorable leg of a wider trip rather than the whole holiday.

What to expect on a train journey

There’s a huge range, from a short heritage ride to a multi-day sleeper. At the grand end, the Belmond Andean Explorer crosses the high plains between Cusco, Lake Titicaca and Arequipa in en-suite cabins with a dining car and observation deck. The Belmond Hiram Bingham runs in 1920s-style Pullman carriages from Cusco to Machu Picchu. At the other, there’s the romance of steam and old wooden coaches. Whatever the train, the appeal is the same – sit back and watch the landscape change.

Where to go by train

A few routes stand out. In Peru, the lines to Machu Picchu and the Andean Explorer’s high-plains crossing between Cusco, Lake Titicaca and Arequipa. In Argentina, the Train to the Clouds, which climbs to a viaduct at 4,220m in the mountains beyond Salta, and La Trochita, the narrow-gauge steam train through the Patagonian steppe made famous by Paul Theroux. In Ecuador, the Devil’s Nose, whose zigzag switchbacks drop over 500m down a near-vertical rock face; recently restored and back in service after several years’ closure. And in Mexico, El Chepe through the Copper Canyon, crossing the Sierra Madre between Chihuahua and the Pacific coast. We usually weave one of these into a broader trip.

Planning a rail trip with us

Schedules on some of these lines are limited or seasonal, and a few sell out well in advance, so they take some planning. The timings, the connections and the hotels either side are ours to arrange, so the journey slots neatly into the rest of your holiday. Which railway has caught your eye? Get in touch and we can create the perfect itinerary.