In keeping with the area’s locomotive heritage, this fast food joint is housed in several train carriages at Barstow Station on Route 66. The old cars have been repurposed into dining carts, giving visitors a taste of train travel in mid-20th-century California – with added fries.

Ever wanted to eat McDonald’s on a plane? It might not be 38,000 feet up but this McDonald’s in Taupo, on New Zealand's North Island, has a decommissioned DC3 as part of its restaurant. The plane previously carried passengers for South Pacific Airlines of New Zealand during the 1960s and was also a crop duster. Climb aboard for a Big Mac with a side of history and excitement.

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Walking through the old town of Lijiang, China, you might not spot this McDonald’s. It blends almost seamlessly with the other buildings in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors can take in the traditional Nakhi architecture, quaint stone bridges over rivers and mountains in the distance before refuelling with a Big Mac. 

In among historic buildings, fine dining restaurants and designer shops on Rue Saint-Lazare sits this McDonald’s branch. Full of charm and character, it’s strategically placed to draw in tourists who usually flock to the area for its history and shopping. French McDonald's franchises also offer a more luxe experience inside – ingredients are locally sourced, coffee is served in mugs and burger buns can be swapped out for ciabatta.

The unique setting of this McDonald’s restaurant came down to money. Located in Hangzhou, in the former home of the late Taiwanese leader Chiang Ching-kuo, it caused some controversy when it opened. Activists had called for the cultural heritage site to be converted into a museum but it was leased to McDonald's because maintenance costs needed to be covered. Its interiors are decorated with posters about Chiang’s life in respect.

Previously known as the ugliest building in Rotterdam, this McDonald’s restaurant is now one of the most stylish fast food locations in the world after a sleek makeover. Once in line for demolition, it’s been renovated in a minimalist style with a glass-panelled front, statement white spiral staircase and perforated golden façade.

With over 110 McDonald's restaurants in Las Vegas, it's no surprise there are six different franchises on the Las Vegas Strip alone. This particular branch, located in 3475 South Las Vegas Boulevard, is notable for its giant golden arch looming over other fast food joints nearby.

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Located in fashionable Krasnaya Polyana – home to countless ski resorts in the Caucasus Mountains – it's easy to mistake this McDonald's location for an Alpine restaurant. Near the Russian city of Sochi, the resort played host during the 2014 Winter Olympics. This temporary McDonald's opened for the event and has now turned into a much-loved permanent feature.

One of the seven 1960s-themed McDonald's to have opened in France, this franchise in Bordeaux sports a vintage look on the outside. Inside, diners are welcomed with mismatched chairs, black and white ceramic floor tiles and turquoise benches.

When plans emerged in 2016 to open a McDonald's franchise opposite St Peter's Basilica, the spiritual home of the world's Roman Catholics in Rome, it was met with harsh criticism from many. Some even dubbed the venture the "McVatican". However, the branch opened a year later and McDonald's responded by saying that "this restaurant has been fully adapted with respect to the historical environment". It has partnered with a local charity to distribute meals to homeless people in the area too. 

To get more than just a burger from McDonald’s, its Yangshuo outpost comes with added mountainscapes and a few special items. Here diners can order Sichuan double chicken burgers, spicy McWings and German sausage double beef burgers which are only sold in China, while looking out to the glorious peaks and waterways.

Three of Georgia's McDonald’s restaurants are in Tbilisi and two are standouts. At first glance, this might look like an observatory or a planetarium, however, the easily recognisable McDonald's logo is unmissable. The building blends in with the traditional Georgian architecture around and offers great views of the city from the top floor.

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Built in 1795 as a farmhouse, then converted into a 19th-century Georgian mansion, this historic building in Long Island is now a McDonald’s. The fast food chain had originally planned to knock it down and build a standard restaurant in its place but after uproar from locals, the burger joint decided to renovate it into the classiest McDonald's in the state.

The Birch House in George Town, Penang used to be an office for a tin smelting plant in 1908. The mansion was eventually abandoned until a property group bought it in the early 2000s. The building was set to be demolished to make way for a modern office building, however, thanks to local activists, it's still standing and now houses a 24-hour McDonald's.

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A hotel in the 1930s, this Macca's (as Australians call it) is much loved in Melbourne thanks to its quirky exterior. The Art Deco building has a retro dining room and neon lights that glow at night, adding to its charm.

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The oldest operating McDonald's restaurant is also a very nice one to look at, with a retro Americana vibe. Opened in 1953, it was the third McDonald's restaurant at the time and deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It's now one of the main attractions in southeast Los Angeles.

Read more: America's most historic fast food joints