The world’s nine best affordable, cinematic rail journeys, according to an expert

I’ve visited more than 90 countries, and I have learned that nothing beats a budget train ride. I’ve crossed the Central Asian steppe in Platzkart (a Soviet-era sleeper), ridden trains with miners and backpackers across Australia, and traversed India in crowded carriages. Rail travel is seeing growth in interest among British tourists. The 2026 travel trends report from Abta, the travel association, found that of all those who took a holiday in the previous 12 months, 18- to 24-year-olds have more than doubled their train and Interrailing trips over the last three years, for instance. At the same time, tour operators have added extra flight-free routes and rail holidays. Co-op Holidays, for example, saw a 26 per cent increase in bookings for rail breaks in 2025 and has added more options. You don’t need to book a luxurious (and expensive) train to experience the world’s greatest rail journeys – from an epic ride across tropical Queensland to a twisting journey through the Himalayan footlands, here are my top picks for the world’s most affordable, yet memorable, train journeys. Intercity Notte, Rome to Palermo, Italy End your Italian train journey in the Sicilian capital of Palermo (Photo: Ross Helen/Getty) Yes, you can travel directly from Rome to Sicily by train. This is one for the train geeks, because the Intercity service connecting the Italian capital to Palermo, and including a crossing of the Strait of Messina, is one of Europe’s most unusual rail journeys. Seven hours south of Rome, you’ll arrive at the Calabrian port city of Villa San Giovanni, where your ferry to Sicily awaits. You don’t need to leave the carriage, and you’ll stay in your seat as the train is dismantled and rolled aboard the “train ferry” for the 30-minute crossing. In Sicily, the train is reassembled and continues to Palermo, where you should arrive 11.5 hours after departing Rome. There are several daily departures, including a sleeper service. Advance tickets from €19.90 (£17) via Trenitalia. Shorts Sunrise Express, Tokyo to Takamatsu, Japan Japan’s Sunrise Express travels through Shikoku Island, home of Ritsurin Garden (Photo: Gonzalo Azumendi/Getty) Japan’s most in-demand rail journey isn’t a high-speed bullet train. It’s the Sunrise Express, the island nation’s last public transport sleeper service (there is a luxury train, the Seven Stars in Kyushu that has a seasonal schedule), which offers a slow journey through the lush scenery of south-western Japan, travelling around 500 miles. Departing Tokyo at 9.50pm every evening, the Sunrise Express splits along two branches upon reaching Okayama in the morning. The Sunrise Seto crosses the Great Seto Bridge to Shikoku Island, terminating in the coastal city of Takamatsu at 7.27am. The Sunrise Izumo trundles through Honshu’s green rice paddies as the sun climbs higher, arriving in Izumoshi at 10am. Tickets are released one month before each departure date, at precisely 10am. First and second-class cabins often sell out within minutes, so try Nobi Nobi class instead, where you sleep on the carpeted floor of an open-plan wagon. Nobi Nobi berths cost Y15,000 (approx £72) from Tokyo to Takamatsu. With the Japan Rail Pass (Y50,000, or £240 for 7 days of rail travel), you can reserve Nobi Nobi berths at no extra cost. Tickets available via WestJR or authorised sellers like Sunrise Express Tickets. Belgrade to Bar, Serbia to Montenegro The Belgrade to Bar train winds its way through the Dinaric Alps, one of Europe’s most rugged and extensive mountain ranges (Photo: David Gubler) The Belgrade to Bar train has been weaving its way through the Dinaric Alps since Yugoslavia’s former dictator, Josip Broz Tito, opened the line in 1976. This monstrous work of mountain engineering took two decades to construct, with 254 tunnels and 435 bridges spanning the 295-mile route from what’s now the Serbian capital to the Montenegrin seaside resort of Bar. The Lovcen sleeper departs Belgrade nightly, year-round, with spectacular sunrise views as you near the Adriatic Sea in the morning. Best of all, tickets start from €23.80 (£20.48). Book tickets online via Serbian or Montenegrin Railways. The Bergen Line, Oslo to Bergen, Norway Take a trip on Northern Europe’s highest altitude train line (Photo: Getty) When thinking of epic train journeys, Norway is one of the first places that springs to mind – but it’s hardly the first place you’ll equate with budget prices. With a little luck and savvy advance booking, however, you can score “Lowfare” tickets on the Bergensbanen, the 292-mile journey between Oslo and Bergen. Lowfare tickets start from Nkr359 (£28), and are available 115 days before departure. They’re non-refundable and only valid on specific departures. But for a seven-hour journey on Northern Europe’s highest altitude train line, where you reach 1,237 metres as you cross the Hardangervidda plateau, they’re a bargain. Looking ahead to November, when the high-altitude route between Bergen and Oslo will be draped in snow and ice, Lowfares are widely available to book online. The Spirit of Queensland, Brisbane to Cairns, Australia Soak up some of Australia’s most epic scenery on The Spirit of Queensland (Photo: Getty) Continent-spanning trains are Australia’s most famous rail journeys – but cabins on these luxury services will set you back thousands of pounds. Over in Queensland, however, there’s a far lesser-known journey that won’t put too severe a dent in your savings. The Spirit of Queensland is a roaring 25-hour ride from Brisbane to Cairns. You’ll weave through the towering volcanic plugs of the Glass House Mountains National Park, cross thundering rivers on high bridges, and traverse great swathes of rainforest. Surprisingly, BQuick Rail bed fares – lie-flat beds, similar to business class seats on an airline –start from A$411pp (approx £200, bookable online). For Australia, that’s an absolute steal. Darjeeling Himalayan Express, India Lean into slow travel on the Darjeeling Himalayan Express (Photo: Tilak Haria/Getty) If you only ever ride one Indian train, make it the Darjeeling Himalayan Express. First opened in 1881, this 54-mile railway uses a series of dramatic loops and zigzags to climb over 2,000 metres into the Himalayan foothills of West Bengal. Engineers used a narrow 2ft gauge to navigate the difficult terrain between New Jalpaiguri, which sits at 100m above sea level, and Darjeeling, which soars to 2,200m. The narrow gauge requires smaller engines and carriages, and so the Darjeeling Himalayan Express is better known as the “toy train”. However, it’s hardly an express service. Diesel-hauled trains take seven hours to make the journey, passing tea plantations and stopping at India’s highest altitude stations en route to Darjeeling. Tickets start from Rs1,400 (£10). Book online via Indian Railways. Cairo to Aswan sleeper, Egypt Gaze at the River Nile from the confines of the Cairo to Aswan sleeper (Photo: Abela Train Egypt) Swap the chaos of Cairo for the comparative serenity of Aswan, on one of North Africa’s most memorable train rides. Sleeper trains depart nightly on this 541-mile journey from Cairo’s Upper Egypt Station, with berths starting from $110 (£80). The sleeper cars are for two people and, if you book as a solo traveller, you’ll be paired with another lone traveller of the same gender. It has three types of sleeper cars. The newest and more expensive “elite” sleepers were refurbished between 2025 and 2026, while there are two versions of the standard sleepers (one is its original 1980s design, one updated in the 2000s). Whichever you choose, as the sun rises, you’ll wake to a view of wooden Felucca sailing boats streaming down the palm-lined River Nile. The journey to Aswan, an oasis-like city on the banks of the Nile, takes anywhere from 11 to 14 hours. Book tickets online via Abela Trains. PeruRail Titicaca, Cusco to Lake Titicaca, Peru The Andean Explorer travels from Cusco to Puno (Photo: Getty) Two services run on this route, the PeruRail Titicaca and the Belmond Andean Explorer. Both take in wide views of plains, snow-dusted mountains and grazing alpacas while climbing through the Andes en route to Puno (the stop for the lake). But PeruRail’s version starts from $250pp (£175) compared with $3,900pp (£2,940) for the Belmond train. The latter is an overnight journey with a private sleeping car and bathroom, while PeruRail’s option is daytime only. Yet the experience is far from budget – it includes a three-course lunch, drinks, entertainment and an observation car. Once you arrive, Titicaca is the largest freshwater lake in South America. The Ocean Train, Montreal to Halifax, Canada The Ocean Train begins its journey in Montreal (Photo: Stanley Chen/Getty) Dating to 1904, this sleeper route covers 840 miles, following the Saint Lawrence River before veering east through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia en route to Canada’s eastern-most station for seafood, craft beer and maritime history. There’s a dining car, as well as another car with sofa seats, a takeaway food station and a TV, in which you can socialise with other passengers. A sleeper-plus option includes a cabin for two. Winter may have less colouful scenery and shorter daytime hours, but sleeper tickets start from C$465 (£248) in January compared with prices of up to C$873 (£466) in July.