A few weeks ago we set out on a virtual adventure to find the most beautiful train stations in the world. Our imaginations were set adrift by the romance of train travel and we were left daydreaming about frolicking in exotic indoor botanical gardens, dancing with whirling dervishes, and having high tea in colonial era waiting rooms before catching the Orient Express to Constantinople. The more we learn about one of the greatest ways to travel the world, the more we can’t believe that this enchanting mode of transport was predicted to be replaced by what was supposed to be a sexier, more efficient alternative: air travel. If you’ve flown anywhere lately you know that the airport experience today is a far cry from the much more civilized approach to globe-trotting represented by the drop dead gorgeous constructions we’ve rounded up here.
To fuel our new obsession with traveling by train, we decided to expand on our original list with the help of you, dear reader. After an overwhelming response, we’ve picked our ten favorites from the stations nominated by you to be the most beautiful in the world. Click through to see what made the cut, and feel free to add more of your favorites in the comments below.
Antwerp Central Station — Antwerp, Belgium
Image credit: Angel Villalba, Monique
30th Street Station — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Image credit: SkyscraperPage, City Profile, Jazz Guy
Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique — Maputo, Mozambique
Image credit: Rikki
Gare de Liège-Guillemins — Liège, Belgium
Image credit: Convictie, Gerhard Lucke
Union Station — Washington D.C.
Image credit: Union Station, The Bright Lights of Muleshoe
Kuala Lumpur Railway Station — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Image credit: williewonker, yongdesign
Flinders Street Station — Melbourne, Australia
Image credit: Flagstaff Fotos, Peter Glenane via ArchitectureAU
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus — Mumbai, India
Image credit: PravasiToday, Localyte, A Letter from India
Kyoto Station — Kyoto, Japan
Image credit: Laszlo Ilyes
Milano Centrale — Milan, Italy
Image credit: Wired New York, Anna’s Ambles