Packing up the family and boarding a train to a tantalizing destination is one of the best ways to enjoy quality time and make mountains of memories.
Train travel opens the door to the pages of Harry Potter novels, The Hobbit series, and an Agatha Christie murder mystery. Whether you want to tour Scotland, New Zealand, Italy, or America’s Wild West, there’s a train journey on this list to bring everyone’s wildest dreams to life.
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Not only does this train run between two picturesque towns within Colorado, it has a unique twist around Christmas Time.
While the whole family is ooh-ing and aah-ing through the mountain terrain, a stream of visitors will roll through your car, including elves and Santa himself.
The Grand Canyon Train
If you suspect you have any budding outdoor enthusiasts in your family, you might want to give them the best tour of the Grand Canyon.
Aboard this railway, you’ll gain access to the Canyon in a way you couldn’t achieve via foot or campsite. Mom and Dad will love it, too, with its delightful 1920s decor.
The Sunset Limited
If your babies are now teenagers, more than kiddos, you might enjoy a summer exploring New Orleans and Los Angeles.
The Sunset Limited can take you between these two cultural meccas in the span of two days, opening the door to a wealth of activities both in the bayou and California’s Golden Coast.
Hello Kitty Shinkansen
If you’ve made it as far as California – and have any Hello Kitty fans in the house – you simply must continue over to Japan for a quick ride aboard the cutest bullet train that ever was.
You can hop aboard this fantasy land in Fukuoka in the morning and arrive at Shin-Osaka by noon. While inside, you won’t be able to get enough of the Hello Kitty decor. Snacks and one-of-a-kind selfies abound, making the handful of hours breeze by in no time at all.
Rocky Mountaineer
This is another train journey that provides a spectacular experience for everyone of every age at any time of year.
However, if you can make this your next adventure over summer vacation, you’ll find the kiddos can’t get enough of the glass-domed carriages that offer gourmet meals and kids’ menus.
The Canadian
Sticking with Canada, The Canadian can provide a wondrous adventure across the country, spanning 2,775 miles in five days.
Things start and end in Toronto and Vancouver meaning, once the fun is done on board this adventure of a lifetime, you can also make the most of some time spent in Toronto.
There are oodles of family-friendly activities to be found there, including the Hockey Hall of Fame and more.
The Jacobite
Are any of your kiddos Harry Potter fans? Then, you simply must scoot them over to Scotland sometime. The Jacobite is a train that runs from Fort William to the port town of Mallaig.
But that’s not what the kiddos will love. When you get to the Glenfinnan Viaduct, they’ll instantly recognize the now-famous concrete bridge that was part of the route of the Hogwarts Express.
When you’re done there, see if you can make the journey down to Edinburgh to walk Victoria Street, which is also rumored to have inspired Diagon Alley.
To help you plan that leg of your journey, enjoy this list of 20 things to do in Edinburgh.
Talyllyn Railway
Scotland’s southeastern neighbor, Wales, is another nice option for family-friendly fun. This is just a cute little day trip, spanning 14.5 miles and lasting about 90 minutes.
It’s a wonderful way to introduce the love of trains to the children while taking in Wales’ incomparably rugged landscape.
The Ghan
Australia is a great country to instill a love of deep sea diving. But, when you’re not diving in and out of coral reefs, see if you can spend some time aboard The Ghan.
It traverses the span of Australia, revealing some spectacular sights, including the towering red cliffs of Nitmiluk Gorge and Alice Springs. Perhaps you’ll have a going away dinner at Outback Steakhouse, where everyone can dine on a little Alice Springs Chicken.
The Puffing Billy Railway
Like the Talyllyn Railway, this is a joyful little day journey that could give the train-lover in your party the thrill of their lifetime.
Puffing Billy is stationed an hour outside of Melbourne and eager to take everyone on a journey through the rainforests of Australia. As you sail through thick forests and breeze by bustling creeks, you can look forward to a nice little picnic at any number of stops along the way.
Taieri Gorge Railway
From Australia, see if you have time to take the hop and skip over to New Zealand. This joyful journey is for The Hobbit lovers in your family.
The sights you’ll see are dazzling, even if you’ve never read the books. However, for the enthusiasts in your fam, you must hop up to the open-air platforms when you pass through Taieri Gorge, made famous by the films.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
There are many Oriental Express trains running around the world. But this line, in particular, has inspired several novels and movies.
Most notable is the latest adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, which has a show-stopping cast that includes Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Since Agatha Christie’s books are some of the cleaner forms of entertainment out there for the family today, see if you can all have a read-along, a moviethon, and then step into the narrative yourself aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.
Here’s to the Journey of a Lifetime
Our travels as children are some of the longest-living memories of our lives. Treat your family to a journey across a nation or through the pages of some of your favorite books. It’s something everyone will talk about for years to come.
Whether you’re headed to Canada, Scotland, or Japan, we have a destination guide on deck to help you plan your itinerary to perfection. Happy trails to you and your loved ones!