Photo by Cate Gillon/Getty Images PARIS - OCTOBER 21: A general view of the Gare Du Nord, Paris on October 21, 2007 in Paris, France.
If you travel a lot, you're probably going to be in a lot of train stations on the way to your destination. But train stations can be destinations themselves.
The best ones have expansive, stunning architecture, are easy to navigate, and are just plain efficient. Philadelphia's 30th Street Station is a work of classical architecture worthy of the city's history. Atocha Station in Madrid has a jungle amid the brick-and-concrete city. The walls of T-Centralen in Stockholm form a roving work of art.
Here are 36 railway stations to visit in your lifetime.