There's also an undeniable romance to this particular form of 'slow travel', although if you find yourself on board a Japanese bullet train speeding along at 200 mph the epithet 'slow' might not really apply.

We know the finest rail routes - many involving stupendous feats of tunnel and bridge engineering - in our favourite destinations around the world and can talk you through which elegant compartments to book on the most luxurious trains. Settle back, watch beautiful scenery drifting by, order a drink from the passing waiter and enjoy travel at its most civilised.