11 of the world's best high-speed train journeys

Barreling across borders and zooming between cities, high-speed rail has come a long way since the first bullet train jumped across Japan in 1964. Exciting new high-speed routes – generally considered those that can reach a minimum of 200–250km/h (124–155mph) depending on the track type – are under construction in California, Cairo and beyond. Meanwhile, Mexico and Chile have recently inaugurated 160km/h (99mph) higher-speed rail services, bringing better connections to South America. 

Thankfully, swapping much-loved slow, scenic train trips for one of the world’s best high-speed rail journeys doesn’t need to mean sacrificing panoramas or experiences. Instead, it’s an excellent way to maximize your vacation time, indulge in modern onboard amenities, or get a whirlwind window into a country’s landscapes – all while traveling in one of the most environmentally friendly ways.

1. Tokaido Shinkansen, Japan

Route: Tokyo to Osaka
Best bit: Savoring an ekiben (bento boxes for trains) against a momentary panorama of snow-crowned Mt Fuji
Distance: 515km (320 miles)
Duration: 2 hours 16 minutes 

No high-speed train journey is more lauded than Japan’s Tokaido Shinkansen. Inaugurated over 60 years ago for the 1964 Summer Olympics, the world’s first bullet train – linking futuristic Tokyo with foodie-favorite Osaka via Kyoto – remains the superstar of Japanese journeys.

Now rocketing up to 285km/h (177mph) on the newest Nozomi trains (a supplement to those included in the Japan Rail Pass), this ride is about acceleration rather than appreciating scenery. Still, peeking at Mt Fuji if it’s a clear day – book a right-hand side seat when heading west – is indelible.

For the complete Shinkansen experience, buy an ekiben at the sprawling, subterranean Tokyo Station before boarding to enjoy rice, seafood, tempura and more onboard, as trolley services were recently discontinued.

2. YHT, Istanbul to Ankara, Türkiye

Route: Istanbul to Ankara
Best bit: Relishing the scenery around the Gulf of İzmit and Lake Sapanca
Distance: 561km (349 miles)
Duration: 3 hours 44 minutes 

Few high-speed rail journeys deliver an all-round experience, but Türkiye's Yüksek Hızlı Tren (YHT), linking Istanbul with the capital Ankara, ticks all the boxes. Sea, mountain, vines and lake scenes? You bet. Hitting maximum speeds of 250km/h (155mph)? Yep. Onboard entertainment and complimentary snacks? Book business.

You could even claim some continent-crossing bragging rights if you take one of the direct morning departures from Bakırköy, on Istanbul’s European side, via the Marmaray Tunnel deep below the Bosphorus Strait. Still, connecting at Söğütlüçeşme Station – located on the city’s Asian side – is usually more straightforward.

Just a few hours later, having glimpsed the Osmangazi Bridge across İzmit's Gulf, spotted shimmering Lake Sapanca and zipped through tunnels, you’ll pull into Ankara, the hub for Türkiye's expanding high-speed rail network and starting point of the unhurried, epic Dogu express. 

3. Frecciarossa, Milan to Venice, Italy

Route: Milan to Venice Santa Lucia
Best bit: The suspense building for the grand finale: crossing the Venetian lagoon and getting your first peek of the Floating City
Distance: 260km (161 miles)
Duration: 2 hours 27 minutes

Italy's high-speed, country-crossing Frecciarossas (Red Arrows) are a winner. Films are available on the own-device entertainment portal, onboard catering is (expectedly) decent, and fares are fair.

Admittedly, the Milan to Venice route doesn’t utilize the newest trains with executive class swivel chairs. Nor is it one of the fastest train routes sprinting through endless, viewless tunnels – at least, until a new dedicated high-speed stretch opens in 2026. But it’s impossible not to love. 

Firstly, you’ll depart from the monumental Milano Centrale, one of the world’s most staggering stations. Secondly, there are periodic panoramas: occasional vineyards, looming Alpine mountains, and a short but sweet Lake Garda glance. But it’s that first Venice glimpse (look to the left) as you cross the Venetian Lagoon that takes the prize – especially as moments later, you’ll be stepping out of the station straight into the real-life canvas of the Grand Canal.

4. AVE, Madrid to Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Route: Madrid to Santiago de Compostela
Best bit: Gawping at the vivid Galician Massif while crossing 38 viaducts between Ourense and Santiago de Compostela
Distance: 548km (341 miles)
Duration: 3 hours 2 minutes

Taking the train in Spain is always a good idea. Second only to China for high-speed network scope, Spain’s sustainable trains – Renfe's Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) trains are powered by renewables – have myriad daily connections from Madrid to southern Spain.

However, my favorite darts across the more arid interior into the unapologetically green landscapes of Northwest Spain en route to Santiago de Compostela. Long gone are the days when you’d need to spend a month hiking the Camino de Santiago from Madrid; traveling up to 300km/h (186mph), the journey, complete with cafe and wi-fi, flies by. 

The last 30 minutes are especially swoony-worthy, gazing out on low-slung, lush mountains from towering viaducts. Prefer to complete your pilgrimage on foot to claim the Compostela certificate? Disembark in Ourense, dotted with thermal baths, to tackle the one-week, final 100km (62 miles) of the Camino on foot. 

5. Afrosiyob, Uzbekistan

Route: Tashkent to Bukhara (and Khiva, later in 2025) 
Best bit: Sharing anecdotes with fellow travelers as you briefly barrel across the desert into Bukhara
Distance: 590km (367 miles)
Duration: 4 hours 11 minutes 

Traversing a trio of storied, ceramic-clad Silk Road cities – Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara – Uzbekistan’s Afrosiyob achieves speeds of 250km/h (155mph). A far cry from the month-long odysseys that camel-riding traders of old would have embarked on, traveling across Uzbekistan by train is now seamless, comfortable and furnished with all modern features – particularly if you upgrade to spacious VIP class.

While the journey’s panoramas can become monotonous, camaraderie and conversation are usually plentiful. Later in 2025, the Afrosiyob should extend to further-flung Khiva, slashing the desert-crossing time to arguably the country’s most enchanting, but often skipped, Silk Road city.

6. Fuxing (sleeper) train, China

Route: Hong Kong to Beijing
Best bit: Settling in and scanning the brilliantly green rice fields and hills on the Guangzhou to Changsha stretch
Distance: 2440km (1516 miles)
Duration: 8 hours 10 minutes (or 10 hours 28 minutes by high-speed sleeper)

Home to the world’s most extensive high-speed rail network, it’s unsurprising that the world’s longest high-speed train journey is China’s Guangzhou to Beijing line.

More impressive still is the speed. Rocketing along at 350km/h (220mph) in parts, the route – which can be started from Hong Kong – uses state-of-the-art Fuxing trains for both the daylight and world-first high-speed sleeper service, which, as of January 2025, only takes a couple of hours longer than the daytime counterpart.

Along the southern stretch, the countryside views are hypnotizing. Even though long journeys can get tedious, the vast distance delivers assorted vistas ranging from urban sprawl to mountain-backed rural villages. Feel like a siesta? Book yourself a lie-flat business class seat.

7. Eurostar, France and England 

Route: London to Paris
Best bit: Sipping a cup of tea beneath the English Channel, semi-oblivious to the fact you’re sometimes 75m (246ft) below sea level
Distance: 492km (305 miles)
Duration: 2 hours 17 minutes

Traveling across an international border by train is exciting. But traveling under an international maritime border by train deep underwater? Somewhat mind-boggling. Sadly, for those who dreamed of riding through a giant, fish bowl-like underwater tube as kids, the actual 50km (31-mile) Channel Tunnel used by Eurostar and Le Shuttle (a vehicle-carrying train service between Folkestone and Calais) is essentially a deep, dark pipe. 

Still, there’s something extraordinary about dashing between central London and Paris point-to-point quicker than it would be by plane. Plus, with the return of Eurostar Snap in late 2024 offering random time-allocated discount tickets, it’s again possible to enjoy a last-minute flexible trip for less.

8. Al Boraq, Morocco 

Route: Tangier to Casablanca
Best bit: Daydreaming as you flit across fertile flatlands on board a double-deck train
Distance: 323km (201 miles)
Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes 

Sprinting from Tangier, surveying the Strait of Gibraltar, to cosmopolitan, Atlantic-lapped Casablanca at speeds up to 320km/h (199mph), the Al Boraq train has sliced journey times between some of Morocco’s major northern cities. It’s also a handy onward flight-free travel option from Europe, with ferries linking Spain’s Tarifa with Tangier in one hour.

While the panoramas aren’t particularly journal-worthy, the speed and comfort of the modern double-deck trains – Africa’s first high-speed railway – can’t be faulted. And with multiple daily connections, booking a split trip to sample a street food lunch in Rabat’s Medina or even making it to Marrakesh on a connecting train before sunset is viable.

Book a first-class ticket, and you’ll also get lounge access inside the spacious, contemporary stations, complete with complimentary snacks, to upgrade your experience.

9. THSR, Taipei to Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Route: Taipei to Kaohsiung
Best bit: Flying through central Taiwan’s fertile farmlands in less time than it takes to devour a biàndang (train bento box)
Distance: 345km (214 miles)
Duration: 1 hour 34 minutes 

Taiwan's sole but serious high-speed rail line (THSR) springs across the island’s flatter west from north to south, bridging Taipei’s mighty skyline with the southern city of Kaohsiung. Along the way, a whirlwind of verdant rice fields whizz by the window, enhanced by the railway's predominantly elevated position. 

Like Japan, Taiwan’s Shinkansens are well-equipped, with wi-fi, vending machines and even 180-degree adjustable seats. Preorder or bring a biàndang, tuck in, and you’ll have crossed the island before you know it.

10. ICE, France and Germany

Route: Paris to Berlin
Best bit: Watching the significant shift of scenery while dining in the Bordrestaurant – pairing your meal with a French wine or German beer
Distance: 1100km (684 miles)
Duration: 8 hours 8 minutes 

Newly launched in December 2024, the Paris to Berlin InterCity Express (ICE) service is one of the hottest European rail tickets for 2025. Linking the French and German capitals on a largely high-speed daytime route (some sections use conventional railway lines), the journey zooms from Paris to Strasbourg before crossing the border into Frankfurt and continuing to Berlin.

While it’s not quite flight-rivaling yet, it’s a welcome alternative to the sleeper service. Traversing a handful of principal rivers and landscapes ranging from Alsace vineyards to dense forests, it’s a delightful day to ride the rails and read a book.

11. Shanghai Maglev, China

Route: Shanghai Airport to Longyang Road
Best bit: Watching the speed rise rapidly on the digital display, knowing your carriage is now levitating
Distance: 30km (19 miles)
Duration: 8 minutes 10 seconds

Swift, record-setting, and revolutionary, the Shanghai Maglev – which uses electromagnets to levitate above the tracks, reducing friction – instantly claimed the title of the world’s fastest-operating commercial train when it launched in 2003.

Back then, and until a few years ago, it would regularly attain 431km/h (268mph) during the brief journey. Sadly for speed-seekers, the Maglev seldom travels above 300km/h (186mph) these days, adding an extra 50 seconds to the original trip.

Still, it’s an incredible one-time experience and a glimpse into the not-so-distant future of rail travel as China and Japan continue to develop and test ultra-high-speed maglevs, paving the way for some rail journeys to one day be faster than flying.