The Best Railroad Travel eBooks of All Time

An illustrated travelogue that brilliantly captures artist and illustrator Emma Fick’s epic train journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway—from Beijing through Mongolia to Moscow—including more than 200 watercolor illustrations and handwritten text that includes cultural and historical information as well as invaluable travel tips. In May 2015, on a trip through the Baltics and Scandinavia, artist and illustrator Emma Fick and her boyfriend (now husband) Helvio discovered a worn copy of the Trans-Siberian Handbook at a secondhand shop in Helsinki.

Many travelers from around the globe had used the guide to journey on the longest train ride in the world. Emma and Helvio took their find as a sign to embark on their own adventure on the legendary railway that has captured the imaginations and curiosities of many travelers and explorers since its construction a century ago. A year and a half later, with Trans-Siberian Handbook in hand, they boarded the train in Beijing. Their odyssey was just beginning. Border Crossings is the chronicle of their unforgettable 26-day, 8-city journey across Asia to Moscow. Emma offers a concise history of the railway and in vivid, visual language, takes you across a vast landscape of rural villages and bustling urban centers, through open food markets brimming with delicacies and a snowy mountain wilderness dotted with clusters of gers—nomadic homes. Emma’s detailed observations and lush descriptions, accompanied by detailed colorful illustrations, bring this remarkable journey of discovery and adventure—the landscapes, food, people and cultures—to life. Experience drinking salty milk tea, eating shoe sole cake (fried cakes shaped like shoe soles piled high and topped with milk curds and hard candies), and riding camels in Mongolia. In Russia, wander through a snow-draped countryside filled with stands of birch trees, explore the wonders of freshwater Lake Baikal—the source of omul, a ubiquitous and beloved fish delicacy—go ice fishing, and take a self-guided tour of Moscow. With its hand-drawn maps, its wealth of illustrations of every aspect of the experience—from sleeping quarters on a train to the highlights of a monastery or the details of a memorable meal, Border Crossings is an invitation to experience new destinations and cultures first-hand—to travel the Trans-Siberian Railway as never before, whether you’re a nomad looking for a new vacation destination, an armchair traveler, or just culturally curious.

A laugh-out-loud train journey across Europe with a travel writer who should know better. Inspired by the budget InterRail trips of his youth, veteran travel writer Jules Brown thought he'd try and visit 9 cities in 9 countries in 9 days. Sadly, that wasn't his only mistake. It soon turned into a hot and steamy adventure (no, steady on, not that kind) by rail across Europe, taking in Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Liechtenstein, Zürich and Milan. A tale of relaxing train rides to famous tourist destinations and guidebook sights? Not so much.

All aboard for an offbeat travel adventure with a very funny writer seriously in danger of losing his cool. Readers love Not Cool: Europe by Train in a Heatwave. 'I laughed out aloud so much that I scared the cat' (5 stars) Amazon reviewer. 'I don't generally enjoy 'humorous' travel books. This book was different. It has been crafted by a travel writing professional who knows how to (a) travel and (b) write.' (5 stars) Amazon reviewer. 'What captivated me from the start was the author’s style of writing and sense of humour.' (5 stars) Amazon reviewer. 'This is the kind of travel writing I love – full of charming moments, unusual sights and a writer who is determined to discover what really makes a place unique. ' (5 stars) Amazon reviewer. 'It was a joy to read a travel book by a travel writer who can actually write well. Couldn’t put the book down.' (5 stars) Amazon reviewer. 'The title and subtitle were irresistible to me. I love books like this which take you along, without all the stress and sweat!' (5 stars) Amazon reviewer. 'While I began reading this book for a good travel laugh, I came out having had a much deeper reading experience than expected.' (5 stars) Goodreads reviewer. 'Jules’ travel writing is funny, inspiring, quirky and always engaging' – Mark Ellingham, founder of Rough Guides and publisher of Driving over Lemons.

Midnight train rides, head-on freight collisions―there is never a dull moment when it comes to trains. Take a look at America's biggest railroads and meet the thunderous personalities who operate them. In Last Train to Texas, author Fred W. Frailey examines the workings behind the railroad industry and captures incredible true stories along the way. Discover how men like William "Pisser Bill" F. Thompson swerve from financial ruin, bad merger deals, and cutthroat competition, all while racking up enough notoriety to inspire a poem titled "Ode to a Jerk.

" Bold, savvy, and ready for a friendly brawl, the only thing louder and more thrilling than these men are the trains that they handle. Come along with Frailey as he travels the world, one railroad at a time. Whether it's riding the Canadian Pacific Railway through a blizzard, witnessing a container train burglary in the Abo Canyon, or commemorating a poem to Limerick Junction in Dublin, Ireland, Frailey's journeys are rife with excitement and the occasional mishap. Filled with humorous anecdotes and thoughtful insights into the railroading industry, Last Train to Texas is an adventure in every sense of the word.