10 Best Railroad Journeys in South America

Patagonia Express

Railroads travel provides a fabulous way to see the countryside around the world.  Trains enable travelers to see sights they would miss if traveling via road or by plane. In many cases train travel takes the traveler to a bygone era when travel powered by steam was the height of fashion.

In South America the best train trips travel along the coasts,  gorges, over bridges, along canyons and over the Andes Mountains.  Discover the top 10 train journeys in South America:

10.  Wine Train Chile  – Heritage Railway

The Tren del Vino or Wine Train in Chile combines the romance of train travel with exquisite wine tasting.  The journey begins in San Fernando approximately 2 hours south of Santiago where passengers board a 1913 coal fired steam train for the journey south to the Colchaquac Valley.  The trains cars meticulously restored polished wood and velvet interiors. Passengers are treated to samplings of Chilean red and white wines and cheeses while listening to local folk musicians and a bilingual narration of the trip. Arriving in the Cachapoal Valley the train stops so passengers can tour a vineyard and enjoy a typical Chilean Lunch passengers can decide to return to Santiago same day via bus or extend their stay in the wine region.