Great routes by boat and train

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EUROPE

The Swiss Travel Pass includes urban transport and mountain lifts to discover the Swiss Alps

By the Swiss Alps by train

Swiss Travel Pass vouchers allow non-residents in Switzerland to travel unlimitedly using the entire public transport network (train, bus and ship), one of the densest, most punctual and efficient in the world with a total of 29,000 kilometers, for three, four, eight or fifteen days (from 228 euros). It includes urban transport and the entrance to about 450 museums. In the mountain and funicular lifts you can get a 50% discount (except on the Jungfrau train, which is 25%). There are some ski lifts, such as the one on the Rigi mountain or the one on the top of the Schilthorn , which are also included. To use it, just print it and it is not necessary to go through the ticket office before; You can get on the train directly, sit where there is room and show the sheet to the reviewer next to the identity card or passport. The route can start at any point. From the beautiful Lucerne , for example, you can travel by boat to Vitznau and from there to the summit of the Rigi (1,797 meters), one of the most beautiful mountains in the country, aboard a rack railway that makes several stops that allow get on or off the convoy and make a stretch on foot. Another option: from Basel you can travel by train to Zurich and then connect with the line that leads to the Rhine waterfalls , in Schaffhausen. Panoramic trains, such as the Glacier Express , between Zermatt and St. Moritz, or the Lucerne-Interlaken Express run through some of the most impressive landscapes of the Swiss Alps.

enlarge photo Train on the Sava river, in Belgrade (Serbia). BRATISLAV STEFANOVIC ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

The Balkan Express (Serbia and Montenegro)

The railway line linking Belgrade , the capital of Serbia, and the city of Bar , on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro, offers one of the most spectacular train routes in Europe. A scenic journey of almost 500 kilometers and 10 hours that runs through the Dinaric Alps through 435 bridges and 254 tunnels. To better enjoy the landscape, experts recommend sitting on the right side of the car if traveling in the direction of Bar and on the left in the direction of Belgrade. Tickets for the day train cost from 19 euros each way.

The Italian islands of Capote

“We follow the trail of poppies and reach a path that led to a strange and hidden beach. It was enclosed between cliffs, and the water was so clear that the sea flowers and the sudden movements of the fish were visible. ” The quote, by Truman Capote , describes the island of Ischia , in the Bay of Naples , where the writer of A cold-blooded spent the spring of 1949, sharing his stay with visits to the neighboring island of Procida , where Michael Radford filmed the film The mailman and Pablo Neruda . Shipping companies such as Caremar or Snav offer routes to Ischia and Procida from Naples, with fares starting at 10 euros each way.

enlarge photo Waterfall in the Folgefonna national park in Norway. Dace Znotina Getty Images

Heading to the Folgefonna glacier (Norway)

In addition to the classic fjord cruises, from the Norwegian city of Bergen, small line ferries also depart for little-known places that are also discovered with very affordable tickets. For example, to Rosendal (34 euros each way), a beautiful town on the banks of the Hardanger Fjord , next to the Folgefonna National Park , with one of the largest glaciers in Europe.

Croatian paradises

Hvar and Korcula are the two most famous islands, and perhaps the most beautiful, of the almost 2,000 that Croatia has. A highly recommended experience is to cross a section of the Croatian coast on the Jadrolinija line ships, from Zadar , Split or Dubrovnik . The price of tickets between Split and Hvar , for example, is about 5 euros each way.

You can tour the Croatian coast in the ferries of the Jadrolinija company, with tickets from five euros

The Hebrides archipelago (Scotland)

"It was a cold day at the beginning of April, and a million radios were thirteen," the novelist George Orwell wrote (and crossed out) in 1947 in a house on the island of Jura , in the Inner Hebrides (Scotland) . A year later, he finished there what would be his last novel: 1984 , a dark fable about totalitarianism. The route through the Hebrides archipelago begins on the Scottish island of Skye , which can be reached by road from Fort William or by boat from the port of Mallaig. The Caledonian MacBrayne shipping company offers packages to tour the hundred islands that make up the archipelago by combining several

The character of Aran (Ireland)

In 1934, Robert Flaherty won an award at the Venice Film Festival with the documentary Men of Aran , where he showed the hardness of fishermen's life on these three islands ( Inishmore , Inishmaan and Inisheer ) of Northern Ireland. Although living conditions in Aran have improved, its inhabitants retain the untamed character that captivated the filmmaker. Aran Island Ferries has a daily service between the port of Ros a 'Mhíl, about 40 kilometers from Galway , and Inishmore (from 30 euros, round trip).

Asia and Oceania

By bullet train to Hokkaido

The Japan Rail Pass (valid for seven, 14 or 21 days; from 241 euros) is a multipurpose ticket to travel throughout Japan. It offers unlimited access to all the national trains of the JR Japanese railway network, as well as bus, ferry and transfer services from the airports to the center of the main cities. It also covers the route of the Hokkaido Shinkansen bullet train, which links, through the underwater tunnel of Seikan, the island of Honshu , the largest in Japan, with the northern island of Hokkaido , where some of the most remote and beautiful mountain landscapes are found from the country. The exclusive Shiki-shima makes the same journey from Tokyo . A train with capacity for 34 passengers spread over 10 cars, two of them panoramic, and 17 two-floor suites with private bathrooms. It was designed by Ken Kiyoyuki Okuyama , creator of mythical sports cars such as the Ferrari Enzo or the Porsche AG. The interiors, decorated with materials such as washi paper or Japanese cypress wood, are inspired by traditional Japanese architecture. There is a restaurant car with menus from Katsuhiro Nakamura, the first Japanese chef to receive a Michelin star. A whim from 2,000 euros.

enlarge photo Ella's train over the Nine Arches Bridge (Sri Lanka). Marius Dobilas ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

From Kandy to Ella (Sri Lanka)

The train journey from Kandy to Ella , in Sri Lanka, is among the most photogenic. The convoy moves slowly through forests, mountains, waterfalls and tea plantations, on a journey of about six hours through the highlands of the Indian island. It is a route with three daily departures very demanded by backpackers, so it is convenient to book early, especially for the early bird train (the one at 8.47). On the web 12.go.asia you can buy first class tickets for about 18 euros.

Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian

Until 1904, when the 9,288-kilometer railway line between Moscow and Vladivostok was inaugurated, crossing Siberia was a difficult adventure, today reduced to a placid rattle through the Siberian steppes and taiga. Currently, several different railways travel the Trans-Siberian route in a tangle of trains with different numbers, prices, comfort and destinations (the Trans-Siberian has stops in the cities of Irkustk, Krasnoyarsk, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Omsk and Tomsk). The one-way ticket Moscow-Vladivostok in platzkart , the third class - the ideal way to travel for those who want to meet the locals and enjoy life on Russian trains in all their fullness -, costs from 125 euros . Since August 2011, the Transmongolian links the capitals of Russia and China. A 14-day tour with stops and excursions in Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Ulaanbaatar and Erlyan. Specialized agencies such as Icu Viajes or Russia to discover organize adventures of 11 to 20 days in the Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian with prices starting at 1,800 euros per person, including flights.

enlarge photo Tourist reeds in Halong Bay (Vietnam). Nigel Pavitt awl

Photogenic Halong (Vietnam)

There are few places as scenic as Halong Bay, north of Vietnam, with more than 3,000 islands and limestone islets emerging from the sea like a dragon's tail. Reeds of red sails and boats for tourists sail among the islands where families of fishermen live on water in houseboats and boats stranded in the shelter of walls and caves. Companies like Halong Bay Tours or Bhaya Cruises make cruises of one and two nights to see the sunrise in the bay from about 250 euros.

Through the Australian desert in the Indian Pacific and The Ghan

More than 4,000 kilometers of desert separate Perth , on the west coast of Australia, from Sydney , the great city east of the country. The Indian Pacific travels them on a trip of four days and three nights (from 1,450 euros per person) through the Blue Mountains and the Nullarbor plain. Another Australian train, The Ghan, a convoy of locomotives and 42 wagons, takes 54 hours to travel the 2,979 kilometers that separate the cities of Adelaide in the south, and Darwin , capital of the northern territories, with an intermediate stop in Alice Spring s (from 2,213 euros). With more than a kilometer in length, it is also one of the largest passenger trains, although it is far exceeded by its compatriot, the Pilbara mining train, of the BHP company, with eight locomotives, 662 wagons and seven kilometers long.

Tristán de Acuña (United Kingdom)

Only 300 people live in the group of islands of Tristán de Acuña , formed by Tristán de Acuña, Inaccessible and the three Ruiseñor islands. Located in the South Atlantic, it appears in the Guinness Book as the most remote inhabited site. The only means of communication are the three fishing boats that make the crossing between Cape Town (South Africa) and the capital of the archipelago every two months on an epic six-day trip. The price of round-trip tickets, for non-residents, is about 900 euros.

In paraw by Palawan

Tao Expeditions organizes adventure cruises in paraws (traditional boats) through the most beautiful and inaccessible islands of the Palawan archipelago, southwest of the Philippines. There are from day trips (45 euros) to five-day trips for 495 euros (boat, crew and meals included).

Africa

From Zambia to Tanzania on the Mukuba Express

Built in the 1970s to transport copper from Zambia to the Indian coast, the Mukuba Express travels over 1,800 kilometers between New Kapiri Mposhi (Zambia) and the port city of Dar es-Salaam , in Tanzania, on a trip to 46 hours through the savannah where giraffes, elephants and other specimens of African fauna are seen from the window. The price of first class tickets with bunk beds for the entire route between both cities is about 41 euros. Tazara (Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority) also manages tourist trains such as the Selous Reserve , about 200 kilometers from Dar es Salaam, or the luxury Rovos, a safari train that runs between Cape Town (South Africa) and Dar es -Salaam.

Tangany Lake

The trip aboard the MV Liemba , a 1914 German warship immortalized by John Huston in the movie The Queen of Africa (1952), is one of the best experiences the seasoned traveler can find on the continent. Once a week, now without canyons, continue traveling in each direction along the eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika , transporting passengers and goods between the riverside villages of Zambia, Tanzania and Burundi. To live the full experience it is best to embark on the Tanzanian port of Kigoma, three days by train from Dar-es-Salaam (departures on Wednesdays), and make the journey that leads to Mpulungu , north of Zambia, on a trip round trip of five days and 1,144 kilometers (about 105 euros per way in first class cabin). Another option is to make the stretch between Kigoma and Lagosa , gate to the Mahale National Park and its chimpanzee sanctuary (about 36 euros each way).

enlarge photo Boats on the Zambeze River, near Victoria Falls (Zambia). Sergi Reboredo

For the Zambeze (Zimbabwe and Zambia)

After falling through the abyss of Victoria Falls, the Zambeze River continues its course for 200 kilometers until it is dammed on Lake Kariba, a dam of 5,400 square kilometers that divides Zimbabwe and Zambia. The RV African Dream river boat makes nine-day crossings along the Chobe and Zambeze rivers that allow hippos, zebras, buffalo, antelopes, crocodiles, elephants and other wild animals to flock to the shore to be seen from the side. From 5,115 euros per person, with safaris and all-inclusive rates.

The South African Blue Train

The blue train of South Africa offers opulence on rails for a journey of 27 hours and 1,600 kilometers between the cities of Cape Town and Pretoria . In its journey, this five-star hotel crosses some of the most fascinating places in southern Africa, such as the Karoo Desert or the Kruger National Park . In wagons, hardwoods and art deco furniture. Prices exceed 3,000 euros per person.

America

Ecuador's Cruise Train

The old Transandino Railroad, opened in 1908, linked Quito , the capital of Ecuador, with Guayaquil , on the coast, along 450 kilometers. The service, interrupted in 1998, resumed in 2013 for tourism purposes converted into the Cruise Train. The trip can be done in sections, such as the one that links Quito and El Boliche, in the Cotopaxi National Park , or complete: four days through volcanoes, moors and ravines such as the Devil's Nose. The Quito-El Boliche (Cotopaxi) section costs from 68 euros.

enlarge photo Divisadero station, in Chihuahua (Mexico), one of the stops on the El Chepe railway line. Franck Guiziou awl

In the canyons of the Sierra Madre (Mexico)

The Chihuahua-Pacific or Chepe railway, as it is also known, is one of the few passenger trains that remain in operation in Mexico after the decision to leave the railways only for freight. The route ( Chihuahua-Creel-Copper Canyon-Bahuchivo-Los Mochis ) runs between the narrow canyons of the Sierra Madre, the territory of the Tarahumara. You can make a run, but the ideal is to divide it between several scales and take the opportunity to visit the spectacular scenarios that it crosses in its route, especially the Copper Canyon. There are two types of trains: The Chepe Express has daily departures, is designed for tourists and only covers the Los Mochis-Creel route (from 106 euros). The Regional Chepe makes the complete route between Los Mochis and Chihuahua , but only has three weekly departures (from 91 euros).

Alaska Express

Camping in front of a glacier, sleeping in endless forests of birches and fir trees, seeing bears and contemplating some of the most remote mountains on the planet are good reasons to visit Denali National Park in Alaska (USA). The Alaska Rail Road links Anchorage and Fairbanks with stops at places like Healy, gateway to the park, from 129 euros each way.

Amazon crossing

The Spanish chain Iberostar offers crossings along the Amazon and Black rivers from Manaus (Brazil) in the Heritage Grand Amazon , a five-star floating hotel with cabins from 405 euros. Companies like Rivers & Forest Expeditions, Jungle Experiences and Delfin Amazon Cruises offer trips of different duration departing from Iquitos (Peru). During the routes there are conferences and thematic talks by experts on the flora and fauna of the river. From 3,000 euros.

In La Trochita for Patagonia

To recreate the trip that Paul Theroux describes in his book The Old Patagonia Express (1979), you have to get on the narrow-gauge train La Trochita, with six wagons dragged by a 1922 steam locomotive between the towns of Esquel and Nahuelpan , in Argentine Patagonia. Tickets cost 25 euros each way.

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