Unique transportation: funiculars, trams and gondolas

Planes, trains and automobiles aren’t the only forms of transportation.

There are other fun and unique ways to get from point a to point b, and some of them involve physics, cables, and great feats of engineering.

These travel attractions typically carry people to world-famous tourist attractions and come in the form of funiculars, trams and gondolas.

Traveling in a vehicle suspended above the ground with nothing but cables holding you up has to be a fairly intriguing journey.  What goes up, must come down.

Take a look at some unique transportation: funiculars, trams and gondolas.

Victoria Peak Tram

The Victoria Peak Tram in Hong Kong was opened in 1888 and takes visitors through and above Hong Kong’s hillside neighborhoods and ends at a popular urban overlook – Victoria Peak.

Peak-to-Peak Gondola

Two hours north of Vancouver in British Columbia you can find Whistler’s Peak-To-Peak Gondola. It has the longest free span (1.88 miles) and the greatest vertical height (1,427 feet) of any gondola. The lift provides an 11 minute ride between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains – a trek that used to take over an hour.

Valparaiso, Chile, funiculars

There are 27 hills surrounding a bay in Valparaiso, Chile and funiculars were a practical way to get people around. More than two dozen funiculars were in service throughout history but currently there are less than 12 currently running.

Pittsburgh Inclines

In the US, funiculars are called inclines and the Pittsburgh Inclines are the most known in the USA. In the 19th century, 19 inclines were in service, now only 2 still operate rising 400 vertical feet above the ground.

Fløibanen

Fløibanen in Bergen, Norway is a funicular that climbs Floyen, a 1,050 foot peak in 5 minutes. It opened in 1918 and carries over 1 million riders each year. It is the only one of its kind in Scandinavia.

Christchurch Gondola

The Christchurch Gondola in New Zealand to the 1,460-foot summit of Mount Cavendish. Each gondola holds 4 passengers and takes 5-10 minutes to reach the top.

Festungsbahn

Festungsbahn in Salzburg is a funicular built to help reach Hohensalzburg Castle, a 1,000 year-old medieval fortress castle. The funicular travels 322 vertical feet up to the castle.

Lookout Mountain Incline

Lookout Mountain Incline in Chattanooga, Tennessee carries visitors up a 72% grade for a view of the Chattanooga Valley and seven states.

Sandia Peak Tramway

The Sandia Peak Tramway just outside of Albuquerque, N.M. climbs 2.7 miles in length and 3,819 feet vertically to reach the 10,378-foot summit of Sandia Peak.

Roosevelt Island Tram

The Roosevelt Island Tram is a commuter tram that crosses the East River from Manhatten to Roosevelt Island. The tram’s 2 cars carry 110 passengers each and it takes 3 minutes to cross the 3,100 foot distance.

Have you ever been on a tram, funicular or gondola?

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