The acclaimed travel writer journeys by train across the Americas from Boston to Patagonia in this international bestselling travel memoir. Starting with a rush-hour subway ride to South Station in Boston to catch the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago, Paul Theroux takes a grand railway adventure first across the United States and then south through Mexico, Central America, and across the Andes until he winds up on the meandering Old Patagonian Express steam engine. His epic commute finally comes to a halt in a desolate land of cracked hills and thorn bushes that reaches toward Antarctica. Along the way, Theroux demonstrates how train travel can reveal “"the social miseries and scenic splendors” of a continent. And through his perceptive prose we learn that what matters most are the people he meets along the way, including the monologuing Mr. Thornberry in Costa Rica, the bogus priest of Cali, and the blind Jorge Luis Borges, who delights in having Theroux read Robert Louis Stevenson to him.

Experience 60 of the world’s greatest and most unforgettable train journeys, from classic long-distance trips like Western Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer and Darwin to Adelaide’s The Ghan, to little-known gems on regular commuting lines. We’ve always had a soft spot for trains. We know the moment a train pulls out of a station bound for somewhere fantastic is when the adventure truly starts. Amazing Train Journeys is the culmination of asking more than 200 travel writers for their absolute favourites. Some are epic international adventures, others short suburban routes along stunning coastline. There are incredible feats of engineering, trains that snake their way through mountain peaks, and even those which have achieved Unesco World Heritage status. Each profile contains practical information including ticket options, timetables and stops, plus inspiring photos and illustrated maps. Journeys include: Africa & the Middle East: Johannesburg to Cape Town (South Africa) Andimeshk to Dorud (Iran) Bulawayo to Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) The Americas: The California Zephyr (USA) Perurail’s Lake Titicaca Railway (Peru) The Serra Verde Express (Brazil) Asia: The Darjeeling Toy Train (India) The Reunification Express (Vietnam) Beijing to Shanghai by High-Speed Rail (China) Europe: The Glacier Express (Switzerland) Belgrade-to-Bar Railway (Serbia & Montenegro) London to Fort William on the Caledonian Sleeper (UK) Oceania: South Coast Line (Australia) The TranzAlpine (New Zealand) The Northern Explorer (New Zealand) About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we’ve printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You’ll also find our content online, on mobile, video and in 14 languages, 12 international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.