From the coast to the Andes by train

If rail travel for you is more than just a means of transport, this stupendous route from the coast to the Andes at over 4700m will be a unique and thrilling experience. You will need to be acclimatised - though oxygen is available on the train, and the views by themselves are breathtaking, as the track switchbacks up through the slate greys and leached beiges of a savage desert landscape. The renovated carriages have huge picture windows and an al fresco observation platform. This is not picture-book tourist scenery - tiny, bleak mining settlements crouch in the folds of stark, dusty mountains, plagued by biting winds. But you reach La Galera, the highest station in the world outside Tibet, and the countryside and villages around Huancayo make a peaceful stay at the end of your journey. Our Comment This trip is not for the faint-hearted, but will delight rail enthusiasts and those who seek to explore remote corners of the High Andes. In July 2007, Product Manager Isabelle Mazille put the train journey to the test, you can read about her adventures here.