Top 5 Train Rides Where the Window Is the Whole Point

Trips where you forget your phone exists because the view keeps getting better every time you look up.

1. 1

   Kandy to Ella — Sri Lanka Railways

   Tea plantations, misty hills and open doors you can lean out of. It's slow and cheap, and nothing that costs ten times more beats it.

2. 2

   West Highland Line — Glasgow to Mallaig

   Lochs, moors and the Glenfinnan Viaduct, all for the price of a regular ScotRail ticket. Bring a flask and a window seat on the left.

3. 3

   Bernina Express — Chur to Tirano

   You go from glaciers to palm trees in four hours without changing trains. The Brusio spiral viaduct alone makes the ticket worth it.

4. 4

   California Zephyr — Chicago to Emeryville

   Two and a half days of Rockies, canyons and desert from the observation car. It's the best way to see how huge America is without driving it.

5. 5

   Flåm Railway — Norway

   It's short and steep, and the waterfalls look almost unreal. It's very touristy and still worth it, which says a lot.