DENVER–MOAB
Board the Rocky Mountaineer as it hits the Southwest USA
Since 1990, Rocky Mountaineer trains have wound between the lakes and summits of Alberta and British Columbia. They’ve become a Canadian icon, celebrated for the glass-domed observation cars that seem to beam in visions of another world. In August 2021 the company entered the US for the first time with the launch of its ‘Rockies to the Red Rocks’ route, between Denver and Moab; this year it will run its first full six-month schedule (April-October). It’s a wild two-day ride from the cold slab-granite and snowy tops of the Colorado mountains to the Mars-like landscapes of Utah, which are carved into arches and curves only a Surrealist painter could predict.
Make a stop: Overnight stays at Denver, the mid-way resort town of Glenwood Springs and Salt Lake City (which can be added on) all appeal, but Moab is what truly raises the hairs on our necks, an ideal outdoorsy base from which to explore the buttes, mesas, whitewater and rock art of Canyonlands and Arches national parks.
LJUBLJANA–BUDAPEST
Enjoy the slow route through Austria
One of the more intriguing new lines to open in Europe is ÖBB’s service between Slovenian capital Ljubljana and Hungarian capital Budapest. What makes it unusual is that it’s actually longer than lines that already exist (journey time is just less than nine hours). The reason for this – and our delight – is that it takes what is very much the pretty way round, via Graz (Austria), dipping into Styria, a region of thick forests, sparkling pools, green valleys, rocky escarpments and hilltop castles. It’s a magical journey, with views along the Sava River and a route that weaves the
