There’s one photo in “100 Train Journeys of a Lifetime” by Everett Potter that should grab most readers’ attention. It’s an aerial shot of the West Highland Line, considered the most scenic train ride in the world. It’s winding its way along an elevated stone bridge, offering dramatic views of the Scottish Highlands.
Look closely and you’ll see that it’s the Hogwarts Express, the rail line used in the Harry Potter movie series as it transported Harry and his friends to their wizardry school. There are 99 just as magical rail routes in this hefty travelogue of photos. It also includes history and vacation ideas from a National Geographic expert on trains and the places they can take us.
The author reminds readers that a train is more than a way to get from point A to point B. Trains offer views of “countless beautiful vistas” and provide windows into new cultures. Potter (no relation to the aforementioned Harry) has honed his eye for the tiniest details on the subject. He notes the style of train cars, the amenities provided, and suggests side trips when one needs to step back on solid ground for a night or two.
His “100 Train Journeys of a Lifetime” is for those who already love traveling by train and are looking for new places to explore. It’s geared to those interested in taking their first trip and now have a wealth of information to get started. It’s also for the armchair traveler and history lover. The book itself makes for a great addition to a personal library or coffee table.
Opening the book, expect to be transported onto 100 of the most popular and stunning train trips that span six continents. The pages provide the kind of inside knowledge that only a “railfan” can provide. Each train trip includes the distance in miles (and kilometers), the length of time from start to finish, how often the trains run, whether twice a week or daily, and dollar signs to indicate the budget required.
Potter’s interest in trains began when he was a child as the grandson of a train conductor; his interest expanded from reading Paul Theroux’s travel books. With an infatuation for the subject established, he traveled train routes in China, Scotland, and Europe. He went on to a 30-year career as an award-winning travel writer for nationwide publications and is the expert on train travel for National Geographic’s Expeditions program.
Resurgence in Popularity
Train journeys, says Potter, offer a unique way to “travel on rails that ascend mountains, cross continents, and may have once linked empires.” Over the years, travelers opted for airline travel with its lower fees and faster travel times.
Riding the rails, however, has experienced a resurgence in popularity. How else can one watch zebras roaming the plains while on a route in South Africa, spend five days crossing the vast Australian landscape, or view Mt. Fuji from Japan’s bullet train? Another argument for taking trains: They are also more efficient, with a carbon footprint measuring “a fraction of what an aircraft produces.”
In addition to Asia, Potter includes train journeys in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, North America, South America, and Oceania. Potter’s enthusiasm for train trips is apparent, but so is his argument for readers to consider their next vacation. There are trips that can be taken in a day or can take weeks. But all, he writes, “are likely to leave an indelible impression.”
Special Train Routes
Among the criteria for his selections are geographic diversity, adventure, excitement, and a fascinating history. For example, South Africa’s Blue Train combines a safari experience, a few nights’ stay at a five-star hotel, and a ride through the country’s diamond mine areas. Onboard luxuries include butler service, plush couches, and scented bath salts. Guests also receive monogrammed towels.
The Reunification Express runs from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi and links North and South Vietnam once again. The military conflicts that took place over the years gave this line a tumultuous history. However, in 1976, after the Vietnam War was over, broken tracks were repaired, and tunnels and stations were reconstructed. Its route takes 35 hours, and passes “ramshackle villages, crescent-shaped beaches, endless miles of rice paddies,” before entering Ho Chi Minh City with its skyscrapers and noisy traffic.
In the United States, we read about the California Zephyr, Amtrak’s route from Chicago to San Francisco. This route captures views of the American West and two mountain ranges—the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada. The train takes the same route as the transcontinental railroad in 1869, which connected the eastern United States with the West.
There is the Napa Valley Wine train that features wine tastings, a multi-course lunch, and stops at two wineries. The Sunset Limited connects New Orleans to Los Angeles, passing through five states, the colorful cities of the Southwest, and the Palm Springs desert.
It’s the Journey
Which train line tops the list for most railfans? It’s the Canadian, which, over the course of five days and four nights, crosses over 2,000 miles between Toronto and Vancouver. Riders pass through the Canadian Rockies, and as they approach the city of Winnipeg, they will see a “skyline that rises like Oz from the plains.”
No story on train travel would be complete without mentioning the famous Orient Express. The original, depicted in Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel, stopped running in the 1970s but was resurrected in the 1980s. It has a new name, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, and brings passengers from London to Paris to Venice in a one-night journey.
With an extensive background in travel storytelling, his love for the subject, and years of riding the rails, Potter proves his point about train travel. His writing is both practical and poetic, whether he’s discussing the best times to travel, what accommodations to choose, or what land excursions to consider.
When riding the Belmond Royal Scotsman, for example, described as a luxurious Edwardian house on wheels, travelers will view the “landscape of shimmering lochs and purple heather, largely devoid of people and ruled by temperamental weather.”
Sometimes the best part of travel is not where you’re going, but the journey itself.
‘100 Train Journeys of a Lifetime: The World’s Ultimate Rides’
By Everett Potter
National Geographic: Oct. 7, 2025
Hardcover, 400 pages
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