If exploring Australia is on your bucket list for 2024, but you’re strapped for cash (let’s face it, overseas flights are exxy right now) or you’re seeking more eco-friendly travel experiences, then it’s time to hit the tracks. The travel experts from Lonely Planet have just published a list of the world’s 60 most spectacular train journeys, and four are chugging along right here in Oz.
Perhaps the most iconic and recognisable overnight train on Lonely Planet’s top 60 list is The Ghan. For more than 90 years, this luxurious railway line has hosted unforgettable (and extremely Instagrammable) experiences, including the 54-hour (or 2,979km) voyage from Adelaide to Darwin. On board Australia’s elegant answer to the Orient Express, passengers can unwind with a glass of chilled Aussie wine, while tucking into crocodile sausages and taking in the vast landscapes of Australia’s rugged red outback.
If the thought of being stuck on a train overnight sends shivers down your spine, you’ll be happy to hear that three shorter (but equally scenic) railway rides were also named among the world’s best. One such gem is the Kuranda Scenic Railway, a tropical, two-hour trip from Cairns to Kuranda. You hop on and off the vintage locomotive at your leisure (remember it’s the journey, not the destination) to take unforgettable photos at Barron Falls, jungle walk through the World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest or visit the butterfly sanctuary and koala gardens at Kuranda Station.
Lonely Planet also gave a shout-out to the West Coast Wilderness Railway, which is an eight-hour round-trip puffing through the dense rainforest of Tasmania’s west coast – including up the steepest steam hall in the Southern Hemisphere. Additionally, Sydney’s South Coast Line earned its place among the world’s greatest train journeys, spotlighting the three-hour coastal journey from Sydney’s Central Station to Bomaderry.
If this isn’t enough inspo to put your travel plans back on track, then check out our guide to the best overnight sleeper train journeys in Australia.