There is a moment, shortly after an Australian long-distance train leaves the platform, when the city gives up trying to follow.
The warehouses thin out. Suburbs loosen their grip. A last row of roofs slips behind the window and the horizon begins to widen. In the lounge, someone orders a glass of South Australian wine. In the dining car, tables are being laid. In your cabin, the gentle percussion of wheel on rail settles into the background.
Then Australia begins to reveal its scale.
Not the Australia compressed into a flight map or reduced to a list of icons, but a living sequence of country: mountain and mallee, vineyard and gorge, goldfield and coastal forest, tropical green and desert red. The change is gradual enough to understand. You do not simply arrive somewhere different. You watch one Australia become another.
That is the real appeal of The Ghan, Indian Pacific and Great Southern. They are not three versions of the same holiday. Each follows a different line through the national story.
The Ghan travels through the centre, joining Adelaide and Darwin across the outback spine. The Indian Pacific crosses the entire continent between Sydney and Perth. The Great Southern turns toward the south-east, bringing together coast, culture, food and wine during the Australian summer.
Choosing between them is not only a question of route. It is a question of which Australia you most want to meet.
A note on Country: These rail journeys cross the traditional lands and waters of many distinct Aboriginal peoples. Their connections to Country began long before the railway and continue today. Travellers should approach cultural experiences with respect and seek out stories shared with the permission and participation of Traditional Owners.
Australia is too large to understand from a departure lounge
Flying is efficient. Rail is revealing.
From the air, the distance between Adelaide and Darwin is a few hours and a line on a screen. On The Ghan, it is almost 3,000 kilometres of changing climate, colour and history. Sydney and Perth may look neatly connected on a map, but the Indian Pacific takes you across 4,352 kilometres, through the Blue Mountains, Broken Hill, South Australia, the Nullarbor and the Western Australian goldfields. On the Great Southern, Brisbane and Adelaide are joined not by the shortest possible line but by a summer journey through coastal New South Wales, regional landscapes, cities and food-producing country.
This is why the train itself is only part of the experience.
The landscape is the moving set. The dining room is where the day is discussed. The lounge becomes a temporary neighbourhood. The Off Train Experiences turn distant names into places you have walked through, tasted or heard explained by someone who knows them.
Long-distance rail also creates a rare kind of time. There is no security queue to repeat each morning, no daily repacking and no need to drive. Meals arrive. Your bed is prepared. The next landscape comes to you.
The practical luxury is not simply polished service. It is permission to pay attention.
Three trains, three ways to read Australia
| Journey | Core full route | Typical full-route duration | Operating character | The story it tells | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ghan | Adelaide to Darwin, or reverse | 3 to 4 days northbound depending on travel year; 4 days southbound on The Ghan Expedition | Seasonal, with dates varying by year | Australia’s north-south spine, from South Australian country through the Red Centre to the tropical Top End | First-time outback visitors, dramatic landscape changes, Red Centre and Top End extensions |
| Indian Pacific | Sydney to Perth, or reverse | 4 days east to west; 5 days west to east | Operates through the year on published departures | A complete transcontinental crossing between two oceans | Travellers fascinated by scale, rail history, the Nullarbor and coast-to-coast journeys |
| Great Southern | Adelaide to Brisbane, or reverse | 3 days northbound; 4 days southbound | Summer season, generally December to February | Australia’s south-east through food, wine, cities, ranges and coast | Travellers who prefer a greener, coastal and culinary journey |
Planning note: The direction matters. It can change the duration, stops, meals and Off Train Experiences. The 2027 northbound Ghan is also longer than its 2026 counterpart, with a four-day, three-night program. Always compare the exact departure year and direction rather than relying on a general train description.
The Ghan: the long red line through the heart
The locomotive is unmistakable. Red against red earth, it carries the camel-and-handler emblem that has become part of Australia’s travel imagination.
The Ghan’s modern route runs 2,979 kilometres between Adelaide and Darwin. In geographical terms, it joins the temperate south with the tropical north. In emotional terms, it feels like a passage through the interior.
Leave Adelaide and the ordered green of the south begins to recede. The country opens. Soil tones deepen. The Flinders Ranges introduce the ancient architecture of inland Australia. Around Alice Springs, the MacDonnell Ranges lift from the plain. Farther north, the palette changes again. Spinifex and red ground begin yielding to savannah and tropical growth before Darwin.
The train’s name carries a deeper history.
From the 1860s into the early twentieth century, Muslim cameleers and their camel teams made long-distance transport possible across parts of inland Australia. The collective label “Afghan” hid a far more diverse story. Men came from Afghanistan, Baluchistan and regions of what was then north-western India and is now largely Pakistan. According to the National Museum of Australia, at least 2,000 cameleers and more than 20,000 imported camels were involved in this inland transport era.
They carried food, water, mail, tools and building materials into country where wheeled transport often failed. Their work supported towns, pastoral stations, telegraph construction, exploration and early railway development. The Ghan’s camel emblem should therefore be understood not as an exotic decoration, but as recognition of people whose labour helped connect the interior.
The first Ghan service reached Alice Springs in 1929, using the old narrow-gauge line. That route was notorious for heat, floods, delays and improvisation. A new standard-gauge alignment reached Alice Springs in 1980. The long-promised connection to Darwin was completed in 2004, finally allowing The Ghan to travel from Australia’s south to its north.
Today, it is an all-inclusive experiential journey, but the sense of distance remains.
Northbound or southbound?
This is the first major decision.
The northbound Legendary Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin is a journey of expansion. The country becomes drier, redder and more remote before turning tropical. For 2027, it becomes a four-day, three-night journey, with experiences in a South Australian wine region, the Flinders Ranges, Marla, Alice Springs and Katherine. That added day makes it a substantially more immersive itinerary than the shorter northbound format offered in 2026.
The southbound Ghan Expedition from Darwin to Adelaide is also four days and three nights. It begins in the Top End, calls at Katherine and Alice Springs, and continues through the remote siding of Manguri for a full-day Coober Pedy experience. A dinner beneath the stars at the historic Alice Springs Telegraph Station is one of its signature moments.
Neither direction is “better”. They tell the story differently.
Choose northbound if you like the idea of the landscape building toward the tropics, particularly if Darwin, Kakadu, Litchfield or a Kimberley cruise follows. Choose southbound if Coober Pedy and the longer expedition format are priorities, or if you want to continue from Adelaide into South Australia, Kangaroo Island or another great rail journey.
And one important correction to a common assumption: The Ghan does not stop at Uluṟu. It travels through Alice Springs. Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa require a separate road or air extension, although selected scenic-flight upgrades may sometimes be offered from Alice Springs. A well-designed Red Centre itinerary normally adds several nights rather than trying to treat Uluṟu as a quick detour.
Indian Pacific: a continent from window to window
If The Ghan explains Australia vertically, the Indian Pacific reveals its breadth.
Its name comes from the oceans at either end: the Pacific beside Sydney and the Indian beside Perth. Between them lies 4,352 kilometres of mountain, outback, vineyard, saltbush plain, gold country and vast sky.
The first hours from Sydney are already a reminder that the journey will not be visually simple. The train climbs through the Blue Mountains, where sandstone escarpments and forested valleys interrupt the city’s momentum. Then comes Broken Hill, an outback city shaped by mining and art. South Australia introduces a different rhythm of food and wine. Beyond it lies the Nullarbor, one of the great psychological landscapes of Australian travel.
People often describe the Nullarbor as empty. From the window it quickly becomes clear that “empty” is the wrong word.
Its detail is subtle: bluebush, saltbush, limestone country, immense skies, working rail infrastructure and isolated settlements that once depended on the railway. Light changes its scale by the hour. At night, distance from major cities can make the sky feel startlingly close.
The railway itself is a national engineering story. The Trans-Australian Railway between Port Augusta and Kalgoorlie opened in 1917, but different track gauges elsewhere meant passengers still had to change trains several times to cross the continent. Only after standardisation created an uninterrupted route did the newly named Indian Pacific make its inaugural journey in February 1970.
More than 10,000 people reportedly welcomed that first train into Perth.
The route also contains the world-record railway straight. Across the Nullarbor, the Trans-Australian line runs dead straight for approximately 478 kilometres. It is an extraordinary piece of geometry, but its meaning is larger than a record. It represents the determination to connect two coasts across country where water, supplies and maintenance demanded constant ingenuity.
That human story survives in memories of the Tea and Sugar Train. For decades, a weekly supply train served railway workers and isolated communities along the line. It carried groceries, household needs, banking services, livestock and, at times, a travelling cinema and Christmas car. It was not glamorous, but it was essential. Its final run took place in 1996, and preserved vehicles can be seen at the National Railway Museum in Port Adelaide.
East to west or west to east?
The Sydney to Perth Coast to Coast journey is currently four days and three nights. Published 2027 programs include Broken Hill, Adelaide, Cook and Rawlinna.
The Perth to Sydney Mighty Nullarbor journey is currently five days and four nights. The extra time supports a different sequence, with published 2027 experiences including Kalgoorlie, Cook, the Barossa region, Broken Hill and the Blue Mountains.
That difference is not a technicality. It changes the shape of the holiday.
East to west can feel like a steady release from the Pacific city into increasingly spacious country, ending beside the Indian Ocean. West to east gives you an additional night and a longer unfolding of the continent before the sandstone and forests of the Blue Mountains announce your return to the coast.
If the full crossing does not fit, sectors between Sydney, Adelaide and Perth are also available. A shorter sector can be excellent, but it is not a compressed version of the whole journey. The Nullarbor belongs to the Adelaide-Perth side. The Blue Mountains and Broken Hill belong to the Sydney-Adelaide side. Choose the section for what it actually contains.
Great Southern: summer along the south-east
The Great Southern is the youngest of the three. Its inaugural Adelaide to Brisbane journey departed on 6 December 2019.
It does not have The Ghan’s near-century of legend or the Indian Pacific’s nation-building origin story. Its strength is different. It shows what a modern Australian rail journey can become when the route is designed around season, regional dining and time off the train.
The Great Southern operates during the Australian summer, generally from December to February. Its 2,885-kilometre route connects Adelaide and Brisbane through south-eastern Australia, with direction-specific experiences in places such as the Grampians, Canberra, Coffs Harbour, the Hunter region, Melbourne and regional Victoria.
The landscape is greener and more populated than the great outback crossings. There are ranges, farms, vineyards, beaches and city skylines. The train’s kangaroo emblem and warm orange identity suit a journey that feels sociable, relaxed and distinctly summery.
Northbound or southbound?
The Adelaide to Brisbane East Coast Adventure currently takes three days and two nights. Published programs include the Grampians, Canberra and Coffs Harbour. It suits travellers who want a compact journey with a strong mixture of landscape, national culture and coast.
The Brisbane to Adelaide Coastlines and Capital Cities journey currently takes four days and three nights. Published 2027 programs include beachside dining in Coffs Harbour, the New South Wales region with options such as the Hunter Valley or Port Stephens, and time in Melbourne or regional Victoria before arrival in Adelaide.
The southbound journey is longer and especially attractive to food-and-wine travellers. The northbound direction is shorter, varied and neatly links South Australia with Queensland.
A Brisbane to Melbourne option also appears on selected 2027 schedules. This is a useful reminder that routes evolve. The right advice should be based on the year you intend to travel, not on a brochure or review from several seasons ago.
What life on board actually feels like
Promotional photographs naturally focus on polished cabins and plated dinners. They rarely communicate the rhythm of the train.
Your day tends to divide into four kinds of time.
There is window time, when the landscape holds your attention without demanding anything from you. There is table time, with regionally influenced meals and Australian wines. There is lounge time, when strangers begin exchanging stories and the train develops its own temporary community. Then there is off-train time, when the scale outside the window becomes somewhere tangible.
The atmosphere is social, but it does not have to be busy. You can talk in the lounge, read in your cabin, or watch the horizon. Many guests dress a little more elegantly for dinner, although smart casual clothing is the official recommendation and formal wear is not required.
At night, the train keeps moving for substantial parts of the journey. The sound and movement are part of sleeping on rail. Some people find the motion soothing; light sleepers may prefer earplugs. Sensible shoes help when walking between carriages, particularly while the train is moving.
Meals, beverages and a selection of Off Train Experiences are generally included on these journeys, according to service level and itinerary. Optional upgrades, souvenirs and selected premium experiences may cost extra. Dietary needs including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free can usually be accommodated when advised in advance.
Limited Wi-Fi is available in lounge areas, but it depends on mobile coverage and can disappear in remote country. Treat connectivity as a convenience, not a promise. It may be the rare holiday on which the view is genuinely more interesting than the inbox.
Which cabin should you choose?
Cabin choice affects far more than where you sleep. It determines personal space, bathroom arrangements, bed configuration, dining environment and, in premium categories, transfers and additional service.
| Cabin or service | Day and night setup | Bathroom | Best for | Important consideration |
| Gold Single | Private compact seat by day, single bed by night | Private in-cabin vanity; shared shower and toilet at the end of the carriage | Solo travellers who value privacy and price efficiency | Single cabins are limited and can sell early |
| Gold Twin | Three-seat lounge by day; upper and lower berths at night | Compact private ensuite with shower, basin and toilet | Couples, friends and most first-time guests | One guest must be comfortable using the upper berth |
| Gold Premium Twin or Suite | Contemporary cabin; Twin converts to bunks, Suite provides a little more room and a three-quarter double with upper berth | Compact private ensuite | Guests wanting upgraded dining, lounge access and contemporary styling | Availability varies by train and departure |
| Platinum | Spacious lounge by day; double or twin beds at night | Larger private ensuite with separate shower | Travellers prioritising space, ground-level beds and elevated service | Limited inventory and a higher fare |
| Aurora or Australis Suite | Top-tier residential-style rail accommodation | Private ensuite | Special occasions and travellers seeking the most spacious experience | Offered only on selected trains and departures |
Gold Twin is popular for good reason, but the bunk arrangement matters. Platinum can be a better functional choice for travellers who do not want to climb to an upper berth, even before the service enhancements are considered.
Guests with mobility requirements should not rely on cabin names alone. Gold Access Cabins are designed for wheelchair users and travellers with low mobility, but there are only a small number per departure and a fitness-to-travel assessment applies. The accessibility of Off Train Experiences also varies. Discuss actual mobility needs before paying a deposit so the cabin, platform assistance and experiences can be considered together.
This is one of the places where a specialist adds real value. The least expensive available cabin is not automatically the best-value cabin for the way you need to travel.
Twenty curious questions about The Ghan, Indian Pacific and Great Southern
1. Why is it called The Ghan?
The name is a shortened form of “Afghan Express” and honours the cameleers associated with opening transport routes through inland Australia. The modern camel-and-handler emblem preserves that connection.
2. Were all the “Afghan” cameleers from Afghanistan?
No. “Afghan” became a broad colonial label. The cameleers came from several regions, including Afghanistan, Baluchistan and north-western parts of British India that are now largely within Pakistan. Their backgrounds and identities were more diverse than the collective name suggests.
3. Did camels build the railway?
Not literally, but camel teams carried supplies, equipment, water and materials that supported exploration, telegraph and railway work. They were crucial to inland logistics before reliable roads and motor vehicles.
4. Does The Ghan go to Uluṟu?
No. The train calls at Alice Springs, not Uluṟu. Allow several extra nights for a proper Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa extension. Selected scenic-flight upgrades from Alice Springs may be available, but they are not a substitute for staying in the national park region.
5. When did The Ghan finally reach Darwin?
The Alice Springs to Darwin rail link enabled the first complete Adelaide-Darwin Ghan journey in 2004. The named service had first reached Alice Springs in 1929, so the full north-south ambition took generations to realise.
6. Why is the Indian Pacific called that?
It connects cities beside the Pacific and Indian oceans: Sydney in the east and Perth in the west. The wedge-tailed eagle emblem represents the enormous span of the journey.
7. How far does the Indian Pacific travel?
The full Sydney-Perth route is approximately 4,352 kilometres. It is one of the world’s great transcontinental passenger journeys.
8. Does it really travel on the world’s longest straight railway track?
Yes. Guinness World Records lists a 478-kilometre straight section of the Trans-Australian Railway across the Nullarbor. “Straight” does not mean perfectly level, but the line does not curve over that extraordinary distance.
9. What does “Nullarbor” mean?
The name draws on the Latin words nullus and arbor, meaning “no tree”. The plain is not lifeless or completely bare. Its vegetation includes hardy shrubs and grasses adapted to a vast limestone landscape.
10. What was the Tea and Sugar Train?
It was a supply service for railway workers and remote settlements along the Trans-Australian line. Over the years it delivered far more than tea and sugar, including food, household goods, banking and health services, livestock and entertainment. Its last journey was in 1996.
11. Is the Great Southern an old heritage train?
The carriages draw on Australia’s long-distance rail tradition, but the Great Southern route itself is new. Its first Adelaide-Brisbane journey ran in December 2019, making it Australia’s newest major long-distance experiential train.
12. Why does the Great Southern operate in summer?
Its identity is built around the south-east’s summer landscapes, coast and outdoor dining. The seasonal schedule also complements the operating pattern of The Ghan, whose Top End route is affected by the tropical wet season.
13. Why are the journey times different in each direction?
These are curated rail holidays rather than identical transport services. Timetables are designed around rail access, daylight, regional stops, dining and Off Train Experiences. The reverse journey can therefore include a different night count and itinerary.
14. Do the trains stop, or do you stay on board the entire time?
They stop for included Off Train Experiences and operational needs. Guests may explore only through the scheduled program and cannot simply disembark at any regional stop. Journeys can end at selected major points sold as bookable sectors.
15. Do you sleep while the train is moving?
Yes, for much of the journey. Cabin lounges are converted into beds during evening service. Expect a recognisable train soundtrack and some movement.
16. Does every cabin have a private bathroom?
No. Gold Twin, Gold Premium and Platinum cabins have private ensuites, with size and layout varying. Gold Single cabins have a private vanity but use shared shower and toilet facilities at the end of the carriage.
17. Are food and drinks included?
Meals, Australian wines, beers, spirits and non-alcoholic drinks are generally included on The Ghan, Indian Pacific and Great Southern, according to service level. Optional excursion upgrades, souvenirs and some special purchases are additional.
18. Is there Wi-Fi and mobile reception?
Limited Wi-Fi is offered in the Outback Explorer Lounge and Platinum Club, but it relies on mobile coverage. Long remote sections may have little or no connection. Download reading, music and essential documents before boarding.
19. How much luggage fits in the cabin?
Less than many hotel rooms. Current guidance recommends one small cabin bag per guest, with a small personal item and specified additional hand luggage depending on cabin. Larger bags are checked into the luggage car and cannot be accessed until the destination. Pack medications, clothing and everything needed on board in your cabin bag.
20. Which Australian train is best for a first journey?
Choose The Ghan for the classic outback transformation, the Indian Pacific for the greatest sense of continental scale, or the Great Southern for coast, culture and summer dining. The best first journey is the one that supports the rest of your holiday rather than forcing the rest of the holiday around a famous train name.
The honest comparison: which journey is right for you?
| If you most want to experience… | Start with… | Why |
| The Red Centre and Top End in one narrative | The Ghan | The shift from southern country to desert and tropics is unmatched |
| A true ocean-to-ocean crossing | Indian Pacific | It delivers the strongest sense of Australia’s width and the drama of the Nullarbor |
| Food, wine, cities and coastal scenery | Great Southern | Its summer itinerary gives more emphasis to the populated south-east |
| The longest single itinerary | Indian Pacific west to east | The current full Perth-Sydney program runs five days and four nights |
| Coober Pedy and an outback expedition | The Ghan Expedition southbound | The published route includes a full-day Coober Pedy experience via Manguri |
| A shorter introduction to experiential rail | Great Southern northbound | Three days and two nights gives a varied but compact journey |
| A solo cabin at the most accessible entry level | Gold Single on any of the three | It provides a private sleeping space, although bathroom facilities are shared |
| A special occasion with maximum cabin comfort | Platinum or selected suites | More space and enhanced service can matter greatly over several nights |
What travellers often get wrong
The most common rail-planning mistake is choosing the train before choosing the holiday.
The name is famous, the photographs are persuasive, and a departure appears available, so the train is booked first. Only afterwards do the harder questions emerge.
How will you reach the departure city? Is there enough time to recover from an international flight? Does the direction include the experience you assumed it did? Can both guests manage an upper berth? Is a connection booked too close to the scheduled arrival? Does the journey finish in a city you genuinely want to explore?
A better sequence is:
- Decide what you want the whole Australian holiday to feel like.
- Choose the regions that matter most.
- Select the train and direction that joins them naturally.
- Match the cabin to your sleep, space and mobility needs.
- Protect the journey with sensible pre- and post-train nights.
Official guidance recommends staying overnight before a same-day flight connection after the train. Long-distance rail shares a working network and arrival times can change. That extra night is not wasted. It is what turns a vulnerable connection into a relaxed finish.
Availability also needs perspective. Popular dates, Gold Single cabins, Platinum cabins and suites can sell well ahead. Waiting may not produce a better fare if it removes the only cabin that suits you. Equally, booking the wrong direction simply because it is available can compromise the trip.
The goal is not to secure any cabin on an iconic train. It is to secure the right journey within a well-built holiday.
Build a complete Australian story around the rails
The railway is strongest when it becomes the spine of a larger itinerary.
The Ghan with the Red Centre and Top End
Begin with Adelaide’s markets, food and nearby wine regions. Travel north on The Ghan, then stay in Darwin and add Kakadu, Litchfield or a Kimberley cruise. Alternatively, leave the train at Alice Springs on an eligible sector and continue through the West MacDonnell Ranges to Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa.
For the southbound Expedition, begin with several nights in Darwin, Katherine or the national parks, then travel through Alice Springs and Coober Pedy to Adelaide. From there, add Kangaroo Island, the Barossa or the Indian Pacific.
Explore The Ghan Expedition from Darwin to Adelaide or the expanded Legendary Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin in 2027.
Indian Pacific from harbour to Indian Ocean
Start with Sydney Harbour and the Blue Mountains, cross the continent, then stay in Perth and Fremantle. Rottnest Island, Margaret River and Western Australia’s Coral Coast can extend the journey from great rail crossing to complete west-coast holiday.
Travelling in reverse allows Perth to provide the spacious opening chapter and Sydney the energetic finale. The additional west-to-east night also appeals to travellers who want more time on board.
If time is tighter, the Sydney to Adelaide Harbour to Vineyards sector or Adelaide to Perth Under the Milky Way journey can be integrated into a longer road, cruise or city itinerary.
Great Southern with Australia’s summer cities
Pair Adelaide with the Barossa, McLaren Vale or Kangaroo Island before travelling north to Brisbane. From Queensland, continue to the Scenic Rim, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast or a Great Barrier Reef connection.
Southbound, begin in Brisbane, enjoy the longer four-day rail itinerary, then use Adelaide as the gateway to South Australia. Selected schedules also allow a Brisbane to Melbourne journey, which can lead naturally into the Great Ocean Road, Tasmania or a wider Victoria itinerary.
Compare the Great Southern from Adelaide to Brisbane and the longer Brisbane to Adelaide journey.
Can you combine the trains?
Yes, and Adelaide is the key junction.
The Ghan and Indian Pacific are frequently paired, creating a journey between Darwin and Perth or Sydney with time in Adelaide between trains. The Great Southern can also be connected to other rail journeys when seasonal dates align.
But the timetable puzzle should be solved before flights are booked. A robust combined itinerary accounts for operating days, direction, minimum connection time, hotel nights, luggage and the possibility of schedule changes. This is exactly the kind of trip where one carefully built booking is more valuable than a collection of individually attractive reservations.
Why plan it with Journeys Down Under?
The train operator can sell a rail journey. Journeys Down Under can design the holiday around it.
That difference matters when your trip includes international or domestic flights, private transfers, city stays, self-drive touring, cruises, guided experiences or more than one train. It matters when one traveller prefers the upper berth and the other cannot use it. It matters when your ideal Off Train Experience has physical requirements, or when a seasonal service needs to connect with a fixed-date cruise.
Journeys Down Under is a locally based, Australian family-owned travel agency specialising in tailor-made journeys across Australia and New Zealand. Our role is not to push every traveller toward the most expensive cabin or the most famous route. It is to ask the questions that prevent an expensive holiday from becoming the wrong holiday.
Where do you want the journey to begin emotionally, not only geographically? Which landscapes would you regret missing? How much space do you need to sleep well? Would you value another night on the train, or would those days be better spent at Uluṟu, in Kakadu or beside the Indian Ocean?
Once those answers are clear, the itinerary becomes much easier to build.
Your Australian rail journey starts with one decision
The Ghan, Indian Pacific and Great Southern all promise a remarkable journey. They do not promise the same one.
Choose the red heart and tropical north. Cross a continent from ocean to ocean. Follow the summer south-east through ranges, cities, vineyards and coast. Or let us connect more than one into a larger Australian story.
Tell us your preferred travel period, the regions you most want to see, your cabin priorities and the kind of pace you enjoy. We will compare the directions and current availability, then design the rail journey and the holiday around you.
Start planning your tailor-made Australian rail holiday
Call 1800 299 495 within Australia or +61 7 5234 9411 internationally and locally.
Email enquiries@journeysdownunder.com.
Because seeing Australia by train is unforgettable. Seeing the right Australia, in the right order, is what makes the journey yours.