Spectacular sights, magnificent mountains and a real sense of adventure: from the Rockies to Russia, the Alps to Australia, we bring you five of the best epic train journeys in the world.

The Russian Roulette

For those looking to embark on a journey of a lifetime, when it comes to epic train journeys, there can be only one trip to make: the Trans-Siberian Railway. Covering nearly six thousand miles, the Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest continuous railway line on the planet. With the occasional bandit, corruption and a vast wilderness to contend with, the Trans-Siberian train journey is not for the faint of heart, and is certainly not for those used to life’s luxuries when travelling. However, what it does guarantee is a pure injection of adventure.

Departing from Moscow heading east into the Siberian tundra, travellers embark on a real adventure. Cities such as Irkutsk, deep in Siberia, offer travellers a glimpse of life in the wilderness, while nearby Lake Baikal - four hundred miles long, fifty miles wide and 1,620 metres deep - the deepest lake in the world, holding nearly a quarter of all the fresh water on the planet, is a magnificent sight. After covering the expanses of the Russian tundra the train makes its journey through the economic powerhouse of China, before ending its journey in the bustling Chinese city of Beijing.

The Outback Adventure

Spanning a distance of 4,352 kilometres from Sydney to Perth, Australia’s Indian Pacific Railway makes the trip from London to Glasgow look like a short commute in comparison. Crossing the vast Australian continent, the journey takes three nights to complete in either direction and calls at Adelaide en route. Other notable sights along the route include the beautiful Blue Mountains in New South Wales and the barren, treeless Nullarbor Plains in Western Australia. The main attraction for many who travel this route however, are the old mining towns such as Broken Hill and Kalgoorlie - where intrepid travellers are able to take guided tours of the city’s many brothels! For empty desert scenery and wildlife, this is the best way to travel across Australia without having to keep your eyes on the road for hours at a time.

The Alpine Climb

Closer to home, but offering an equally impressive amount of scenery, is the awesome Alpine railway journey through France, Switzerland and Germany. The highlight of the route is undoubtedly a journey on the Glacier Express narrow-gauge train, which climbs up the Rhône Valley to Andermatt, before snaking and spiralling its way towards the Oberalp Pass, the highest railway point in the Alps at 6,670ft, which, unsurprisingly, offers exceptional views. The more sedate, but no less inspirational, journey to Cologne from Switzerland takes in the vineyards and fairytale castles of the Rhine, too, and is one of the most memorable railway journeys you can make in Europe.

The Rocky Mountaineer

For unparalleled views and a sense of adventure, without any of the hardships travellers are expected to endure on the Trans-Siberian Railway, Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer is an epic railway journey.

Winner of the 2005 World Travel Award for the World’s Leading Travel Experience by train, for mountain views, a sense of the wilderness and beautiful lakes, there is no better way to experience the Rocky Mountains.

There are numerous itineraries available to choose from, but our recommended route would be to travel west from Calgary – the ‘Stampede City’ – through Banff and breathtaking Lake Louise and Jasper, before ending the journey at Vancouver, a destination widely acknowledged to be one of the best cities in the world. View our slide show of photos from the Canadian Rockies, Click Here

The Jungle Look

For a true taste of the Orient there is no better way to travel than aboard the orient express. And while relaxing in luxury, why not undertake one of South East Asia’s greatest train journeys? The journey from Bangkok in Thailand to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia takes three days (2 nights) to complete and is the ideal way to explore South East Asia. Travelling through verdant tropical rainforests, waterfalls and traditional villages, the journey takes in such spectacular sights as the wooden trestle viaduct at Wang Po and the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre, close to the infamous river Kwai, Butterworth and colonial Georgetown. An excursion along the river Kwai and tour of historic Georgetown, guided by a local historian, are recommended excursions, too.