On the right track

Take the hassle out of plotting routes and booking tickets with our pick of tour operators' top itineraries by train

HIGHLANDS STEAMING THE SCOTTISH

Scotland's West Highland Railway line has captured the imagination of visitors for over a century. It has even gained a new generation of followers thanks to the appearance of the 19th-century Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Harry Potter films. But there's no wizardry here; just a serene, untouched wilderness. McKinlay Kidd's Slowly Along the West Highland Line trip affords the time to soak it all in as you inch the tracks between Glasgow and Oban on the Scottish west coast, before taking boat trips to the Hebridean Islands and the Knoydart peninsula - one of the UK's remotest and quietest spots. A private tour of the Isle of Skye completes the experience. McKinlay Kidd (mckinlaykidd.com). Year-round (best AprOct); nine nights from £1,745pp, including ferry travel.

WILDLIFE AND WINELANDS IN SOUTH AFRICA

The highlight of Trailfinders' Western Cape & Wilderness by Luxury Rail tour is undoubtedly the days spent aboard the Pride of Africa train. Owned by private railway operator Rovos Rail, its sumptuous wood-panelled coaches and period Edwardian features speak to an era of rail travel when dining carriages, leather-backed chairs and fine china were de rigueur and it was all rather genteel. Visitors chug out of Cape Town, then rattle through winelands and mountains before crossing the vast semi-desert of the Karoo to visit the continent's diamond capital, Kimberley. Four nights at the luxurious Ulusaba Safari Lodge in Sabi Sand Reserve are the icing on the cake, as you leave the tracks behind to spot the 'Big Five' on safari.

Trailfinders (trailfinders.com). Year-round; 14 nights from £7,529pp, including international flights.

HIT THE TRACKS IN SPAIN