THE WORLD'S BEST TRAIN TRIPS

Glimpses of local life caught through the window, moments of connection with your fellow passengers, the chance to slow down and watch landscapes unfold with the miles - train journeys are the most memorable way of getting from A to B. From luxury heritage routes to regular services passing through extraordinary scenery, here's our pick of the best

- LORNA PARKES, OLIVER SMITH, KERRY WALKER & FARIDA ZEYNALOVA

ROCKY MOUNTAINEER, US

Best for: Red rocky landscapes & alpine views Route: Moab (Utah) to Denver (Colorado) Journey time: Two days

While some resemble elephantine penises, others are like dizzying whirls of meringue rising from the desert. The one to my left looks uncannily like a piece of fried chicken.

I'm perched on a boulder in Utah's Arches National Park - a seemingly infinite expanse of red-orange sandstone arches and rocks of varying shapes and sizes. A visit to the park-home to the densest concentration of natural stone arches in the world - is part of the 'Rockies to the Red Rocks' itinerary on the Rocky Mountaineer train, a route launched in 2021. It departs from the nearby city of Moab and clicks and clacks its way through hulking canyons, ghost towns and wine regions, ending up in Denver, Colorado. I'm excited for all that awaits me, but as far as passionate biologist and park guide Chris Tull is concerned, it doesn't get much better than where I'm standing right now.