World’s best rail journeys

Bastia to Ajaccio, Corsica

Corsica has 144 miles of narrow-gauge track, built through mountains over 22 years in the late 19th century. That enterprise, which took an incredible 22 years, has resulted in one of Europe’s most dramatic railways, with 32 tunnels and 52 bridges and viaducts, including one, the Pont du Vecchio, designed by Gustav Eiffel. The most spectacular stretch is between Corte and Bocognano, following the Gravona valley through gorges and past the spectacular 70-metre Bride’s Veil waterfall. Another line, from Ponte-Leccia to Calvi, hugs the north-west coast from L’Ile-Rousse.