This Mountainous Journey Was Named the Best Winter Train Route in the World

Japan is world-renowned for its bullet trains, which transport passengers at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. For that reason, when the Japan Railways Group ran a study reviewing popular winter train routes around the world, we took notice.

The study, released by the experts at JR Pass, a rail pass sold by the Japan Railways Group for overseas visitors, analyzed things like TripAdvisor reviews, Instagram hashtags, and snowfall data, to determine the world’s most enchanting train rides. At the very top of their ranked list was the Canadian Rockies Snow Train.

The route alone is bucket-list-worthy. The train departs from Vancouver and heads east toward the Canadian Rockies, a mountain range that is known for its rugged, ice-capped peaks and glacier-fed lakes. Along the way, the train passes through dense forests and narrow river canyons. After one night on the train, you arrive in Jasper, a mountain town set within Jasper National Park and the world’s second-largest dark sky preserve. The park is home to the shrinking Athabasca Glacier, which can be easily visited, along with beautiful (likely frozen) alpine lakes. 

The route ends in Jasper, but most tour companies continue the journey by coach on the Icefields Parkway, one of the most beautiful winter drives in the world. The parkway connects Jasper with Lake Louise and Banff, two sister towns that are set within Banff National Park, Canada’s oldest and most storied national park. In addition to visiting the turquoise, glacier-fed Lake Louise, which is surrounded by high peaks, you can hike the Johnston Canyon Icewalk or enjoy the light show from the Banff Gondola.

From Banff, the trip continues to Calgary, where most travelers end their journey.

In its ranking, JRPass gave the train a score of 8.94 out of 10, calling the route an “unrivaled showcase of Canada’s majestic winter landscapes.” The train trip also has a 4.5-star average rating on TripAdvisor and sees almost 140 inches of average annual snowfall, a key component to the magic of a winter train ride. The Canadian journey includes a night in a private sleeper car, all meals, and access to the train’s viewing areas, which have oversized windows.

Following the Canadian Rockies Snow Train on the ranking were nine winter trains spread across the globe — including three in Japan, five in Europe, and one in the United States. Rounding out the top 5 are Japan’s Stove Winter Train, Colorado’s Pikes Peak Cog Railway, France’s Montenvers Train, and Norway’s Bergen Line.