The Journey: The Fine Art of Traveling by Train
Train trips are classic yet very of the moment. Whether a quick escape through the Alps or a getaway from coast to coast lasting several days, this book takes its readers for a ride through beautiful routes on the most exceptional trains with the best interiors. Trains have always been the only truly cultivated way to travel. Today, in the age of budding airlines, never-ending security controls, and sustainability issues, this is truer than ever before. The slower rhythm from departure to arrival, the relaxed glide through the landscape, and the shift between city and country fill rail enthusiasts with great joy and are pleasures waiting to be discovered by the uninitiated. The Journey presents a varied selection of extraordinary travel opportunities by train from around the world. The reader is invited aboard modern high-speed trains, spectacular panoramic railways, dining carriages, rolling casinos, and elegant compartments of historic luxury trains. The book presents the exteriors and interiors of these different trains, their routes, and their defining character. It takes the reader on a journey to breathtaking canyons and romantic landscapes, recounts adventurous travel reports, and describes the history and current developments of well-known trains, including the Napa Valley Wine Train, the Venice Simplon Orient Express, the Japanese Bullet Train Shinkansen, the Glacier Express, the Trans-Siberian Railway, and the El Transcantabrico. Striking images, informative geographical materials, and personal experiences characterize these train adventures, ranging from the quick three-hour trip to the transcontinental journey lasting several days. The Journey also depicts the many other aspects that contribute to the whole experience of a successful train journey; the architecture of old and new train stations as sites for grand emotions, pictures of passing landscapes and travelling salesmen, advice from experienced train travelers on the right reading material, suitable snacks, recommended stopovers, and how to optimize luggage. Train travel is without a doubt one of the best ways to decelerate from our fast-paced daily lives. After all, the journey is also a destination.