The Chepe is one of the great train journeys of the Americas, running 655 km from Los Mochis on the Pacific coast up through the Sierra Madre to the high plateau city of Chihuahua. Trains depart Los Mochis in the early morning so passengers can watch the dramatic descent into Copper Canyon in daylight — the engineering is extraordinary, with the track corkscrewing through tunnels and out onto bridges suspended above thousand-metre drops.
There are two service classes: the tourist Expreso and the more basic Regional. The Expreso stops at the main viewpoints including Divisadero and Creel and is the better choice for first-time riders. The full journey takes around 15 hours; most travellers break it up with overnight stops in Creel or El Fuerte. Book tickets well in advance for the October–November high season when demand peaks.