Our Story
My name is Jim Louth, and I am the owner and founder of Undiscovered Destinations, which includes the rail travel brand, Adventures by Train.
Firstly, thank you for your interest in this extraordinary trip – a unique opportunity to travel around the world flight-free, primarily by train. I’d also like to take this chance to share a little about myself and how my extensive experience travelling the globe by rail inspired the creation of this remarkable journey.
My love for rail travel started in childhood. My father, like his father before him, was a railwayman. Thanks to the job’s perks, he had access to ‘free passes,’ which we used to explore the UK from Land’s End to John o’Groats. By my early teens, our adventures extended beyond Britain to far-flung destinations like Yugoslavia and Greece.
After finishing school, I followed in the family tradition and joined the railway myself. By then, I had already caught the travel bug and went on exploring the world, often by train. By my mid-20s, I had embarked on unforgettable journeys, including a week-long train trip through Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), coast-to-coast adventures across the US and Canada, and even a flight-free odyssey from Japan to the UK via the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Later, and now working for the highly respected travel agency Trailfinders, my passion for travel took me to every corner of the world. I was drawn to off-the-beaten-track destinations such as Bangladesh, Sudan, and North Korea, which eventually inspired me to start Undiscovered Destinations. In 2024, the company proudly celebrated its 20th anniversary.
It was only natural that my lifelong passion for rail travel would lead to the creation of Adventures by Train, a collection of unique escorted group tours that allow travellers to explore the world in an authentic and sustainable way.
Through Adventures by Train, I aim to share my lifelong love of rail travel and the unique sense of connection it brings – to the landscapes, cultures, and people we encounter along the way. This trip represents the culmination of decades of exploration and a deep appreciation for the journey itself, not just the destination.
I hope you’ll join us on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure and experience the magic of slow travel and discovering the world by train.