Since the opening of the first passenger railway more than 150 years ago, train journeys have evoked an air of romance and adventure, linked with the excitement of new places and the opening up of whole continents. This book explores 30 of the most famous and spectacular routes in the world, from the nostalgic Orient-Express to Japan's high-speed, high-tech "bullet train". An introductory feature charts the growth of the railways, their pioneers and the development of the locomotive. 19 modern-day travellers recount their adventures as they make their way through Mongolia, along the Nile, from coast to coast across Australia, the length of Italy, across America and Canada, into the high Andes, around the Aegean and into the heart of Africa. The story of each route is told in detail, capturing the atmosphere of peoples and places, the enclosed world of the train and the greater landscape beyond the windows. Maps tracing each route snake across the page, and for those tempted to try the routes themselves there is a panel containing practical information and advice.