Mighty Trains

Grab a seat (and oxygen mask) for a magnificent, dizzying ride up the Andes aboard Peru's legendary Tren Turistico. Reaching heights of over 15,000 feet above sea level, this railway whisks adventurous passengers through bustling Lima, past ancient ruins, and straight towards the clouds. For passengers, it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but for the conductor, crew, and even the train itself, it's a voyage that will push them to the limit as they confront steep inclines, fallen trees, and the crush of a city of 10 million people.

Host Teddy Wilson takes a bucket-list tour across Spain's lush and rugged northern coast aboard the "five-star hotel on wheels" Transcantábrico Clásico. This eight-day, 600-mile trip features jaw-dropping scenery, remarkable excursions, and gourmet meals. But while passengers live in luxury, the drivers and crew must battle extreme weather, challenging terrain, a problematic braking system, and slippery tracks. But no obstacles can keep this team from delivering a first-class experience on one of the most glamorous train rides in the world.

Embark on one of the most expensive and highly sought-after train rides in the world: Seven Stars. A ticket for this luxury sleeper train is so exclusive, passengers have to enter a lottery just to get onto the waitlist, and we will show why as we glide through Kyushu, an island brimming with beaches, hot springs, and active volcanoes. But it's not lava eruptions the train's driver and crew need to worry about this trip; it's an approaching Category 5 super typhoon that has everyone on high alert...and threatening to cut the trip short.

The Belgrade to Bar train takes passengers on a 12-hour Balkan adventure across the majestic Dinaric Alps and through land that was torn by a brutal civil war just decades ago. But through difficult times and terrain, this mighty train has journeyed forth, on its course from Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, to Bar, in Montenegro on the Adriatic Sea. Join host Teddy Wilson on this rugged ride as we cross 435 bridges, snake through 254 tunnels, and skim atop an ancient tectonic lake on this one-of-a-kind, 296-mile train voyage.

There's no better way to explore Vietnam than by rail, aboard the Reunification Express. This three-day adventure from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is a stunning ride, rich in spectacular views of rivers, rice paddies, and dragonfruit orchards and steeped in the nation's war-torn past. Join us as we go behind the scenes to meet the crew, some of whom are literally risking their lives to deliver a great experience and keep passengers safe through rough weather, landslides, illegal crossings, and even hidden death traps.

Two years after being closed to passenger traffic because of a massive earthquake, the Coastal Pacific railway is open again, offering spectacular views of the rugged, eastern coast of New Zealand. This 216-mile journey whisks passengers from Christchurch through the Canterbury Plains, over the beaches of Kaikoura, and past the pink salt plains of Lake Grassmere, en route to Picton. This behind-the-scenes journey follows the team that operates the train and the people who are still repairing the route so it remains safe for years to come.