Environmental concerns are prompting travelers to consider the surface
route - and the best means of transport at ground level is undoubtedly
rail. Ultimate Train Journeys: World profiles 30 great train trips
from every inhabited continent, selected by long-time rail fan and
travel writer Tim Richards. Tim's curated selection covers the full
range of rail options, from the humble commuter train to long-distance
night trains with sleeper berths and dining cars, and all journeys are
blessed with great scenery. There's the Coast Starlight (Los Angeles to
Seattle), the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (New Jalpaiguri and
Darjeeling) and The Orient Express (London via Paris to Venice), just to
name a few. Each chapter includes a detailed itinerary, fast facts,
photos and maps. With space to move and no road traffic to get snarled
up in, the real draw of train adventures is that you'll be immersed
within your shifting environment, yet not entirely of it. You can
witness your surrounds at a steady pace, and properly get to know your
travel companions. The old-school ways of travel are fast becoming new
again.