Book Review - 100 Train Journeys of a Lifetime: The World's Ultimate Rides by Everett Potter

My Review

100 Train Journeys of a Lifetime: The World's Ultimate Rides details 100 amazing train rides, with many photos illustrating the trips.

I wanted to read this book because I have a lifelong fascination with trains and railway travel.

I always love National Geographic books because they are so beautifully done, with wonderful photos throughout.  This book is certainly no exception!

The book is divided into six parts:

Europe

Africa & The Middle East

North America

South America

Asia

Oceania

I was particularly taken with the European and North American railway adventures.  The Venice-Simplon-Orient Express is a train journey I have always dreamed of!  I loved the pictures in this section, including the historic cabins that convert from comfortable daytime seating to beds at night.  Traveling on this train would certainly fulfill my Agatha Christie imaginings!   I would want to reread Murder on the Orient Express and rewatch the different film adaptations before traveling.

Several North American trips are intriguing to me.  The California Zephyr is a train trip I would enjoy.  It travels from Chicago to San Francisco -- two cities I would enjoy visiting, as well as enjoying the train travel.

The Crescent is another train journey I have always been curious about.  It travels from Manhattan to New Orleans - both cities that I enjoy and find fun to explore!  It is a 30 hour trip.  

Another train trip that includes New Orleans is the City of New Orleans (inspiration for the Steve Goodman song).  It travels from Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.  This train trip has swivel seats so you can watch the landscape through big windows.

100 Train Journeys of a Lifetime: The World's Ultimate Rides is a lovely, big coffeetable book.  It would be a wonderful gift for a railroad enthusiast ... or a fun book for any armchair traveler.  Highly recommended!

Book Synopsis

Climb aboard the world’s 100 greatest railway adventures with this beautifully curated travel guide from National Geographic.

Filled with unforgettable journeys, including a weeklong excursion through Italy’s wine country and a four-hour sojourn in the Swiss countryside, this illustrated collection will add to your train trip bucket list.

Experience 100 of the most sought-after train rides around the world, from a luxurious trip through the Rocky Mountains to bullet trains that whizz you across Japan.  

This is the ultimate collection for railfans, featuring centuries-old railways, modern and speedy engineering marvels, and trips that take you through bustling cities like Chicago or ancient wonders like Machu Picchu.

Along with where and when to go, 100 Train Journeys of a Lifetime includes inside info on passenger cars (like the best cabins to book or the tastiest meals en route), sidebars on historic stations and jet-setting train trips, and top excursions to take while off the rails.
Throughout, National Geographic highlights the top 100 lines that offer a window to the beauty of our world, including:

• Italy’s Espresso Cadore, a retro sleeper train that whisks you from the ruins of Rome to the ski resort of Cortina in the Dolomites.  
• Norway’s Nordlandsbanen railway, the only train line in the country that takes you to the Arctic Circle for a chance to spot the Northern Lights.  
• South Africa’s Blue Train, which travels 950 miles between Johannesburg and Cape Town.  
• The Ethan Allen Express, a revived route from Manhattan to Burlington, Vermont, along the shores of Lake Champlain. 
• Belmond’s Royal Scotsman, an intimate 40-passenger train (including a spa carriage) that takes you through the heart of the Scottish Highlands.
• The Grand Canyon Railway, with views of the national park you won’t find anywhere else. 
• The Hiram Bingham Orient-Express, a four-hour ride in a 1920s-style locomotive from Cusco through the Sacred Valley to the Inca Citadel. 
• India’s Palace on Wheels, a week-long sojourn from New Delhi to Jodhpur, Udaipur to Agra.

And so much more!