The most beautiful train journeys through Europe
We can and should embrace other modes of transportation. Voila; the train! A great alternative to see more of the world while avoiding the hurried crowds. Moreover, a scenic train journey proves the cliché that the journey is just as important as the destination.
In Portugal, the Douro Valley track takes you through the Douro Valley or the Portuguese wine country in three hours. It is recommended to get off here and there for a tasting along the way, if only to be able to see the historic steam locomotive you are riding in from outside. During the journey, local musicians beat tambourines, strum guitars and ruffle the keys of an accordion in their hands. The Glacier Express takes you through a beautiful white world from Zermatt, Switzerland to St Moritz and if you want to fly first for the train journey of a lifetime, book a return trip to Japan for the journey between Tokyo and Osaka. And there's more...
Is Interrailing on your list for next summer? Well, we have a top tier number here good-looking Destinations are waiting for you. The train stations are especially popular here, but the cities… phew, you really can't miss them. Chugchuk, let's quickly visit these gems.
In this article you will find what we consider to be the best Interrail route
Why female-friendly train travel? The answer is simple. We all yearn to slow down. No rush, no crowds, no overflowing inbox. Just peace. At the same time, that gnawing urge to see, taste, and feel the world continues. But in a way that feels right, preferably slowly, consciously, and purely. At that intersection lies slow travel: travel where not only the destination matters, but also the journey. Train travel fits perfectly into this. Large windows, even larger views, a good book on your lap, and time for yourself. The landscape passes by in slow motion. And sometimes, just sometimes, the journey itself is even more beautiful than the destination.
And so we created an article full of female-friendly train journeys through Europe and beyond
Fill up the car and... jetzt geht's los; Of course there are advantages to going on a winter sports holiday by car, but there are certainly advantages too winter sports by train: you don't have traffic jams, winter tires, or snow chains. And most importantly: winter sports aren't exactly a sustainable hobby (snow cannons, snow groomers, environmental impact, and of course, the lifts), and if we're going anyway, it's best to offset sustainability with the journey itself. Your journey to your destination is responsible for 70% of the emissions from your entire holiday. So taking that train gets you results!
Just across the Swiss border lies the historic area BaselWith the express train from Amsterdam, you can board the train in the morning and arrive in the bustling city in the afternoon. Plenty of time for work and plenty to see along the way. More of a night train fan? These also depart from the Dutch capital.
In this case, you can choose between an overnight stay in a 2-, 4-, or 6-person compartment. For privacylovers we recommend the 2-person coupe, but for the adventurer we recommend one for more people. Basel is a (relatively) pricey city, but with... Basel card you travel free of charge by public transport. You can also use this card to rent a bicycle at the station for a small price. A nice windfall for the wallet.
Is it a castle? Is it a luxury hotel? Is it a… train? Yes, and what kind! This restored train from the 20s by far the most luxurious train we ever saw. Do you want to know which train it is? Belmond British Pullman. This train makes luxurious day trips (you can visit various highlights in one day) and short trips within England, such as to Bath or Canterbury. The interior takes you back to the Golden Age. Historic upholstery, antique inlays and vintage lighting. Not a bad place for brunch, afternoon tea, lunch and/or musical entertainment.
Compared to the gem of a train mentioned above, the night train falls short SNCF under the category: basic and minimalist. You sleep in a sleeping cabin with six or four people and share two toilets and 'refresher cubicles' with them. Very nice: everything is clean. Good to keep in mind: there is no food and drink on the train, so you have to provide that yourself. After a few snacks you fall asleep - while toddling - and the next morning you arrive in Occitania fresh and fruity.
This connection between the Serbian capital Belgrade and the Montenegrin port of Bar is famous among train fans and for good reason. You travel with the old Eastern Bloc wagons over 476 kilometers of track with about 250 tunnels and more than 400 bridges. The Mala Rijeka viaduct is the highlight of the trip. Here you cross a huge valley at an altitude of 200 meters.
You can make beautiful train journeys in Spain. That's a good thing, because Spain is such a wonderful holiday destination. Good food, culture, architecture, beach, city and so on. One of the nicest routes is to start in Bilbao and go to Oviedo and then finish the trip with a visit to Santiago de Compostella.
With the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express you travel from Venice to London.
The world's most famous train service, the Orient Express, has now been redesigned by Belmond to recreate the golden age of travel. It is pure luxury on board this train. Everything decorated in Art Deco. For lunch you can order lobster and prosecco while you travel through the Italian Dolomites. After a cocktail in the bar, you can go to bed before waking up the next morning in Paris with breakfast, including hot coffee and freshly baked croissants.
Are you in Norway? Then this train journey is highly recommended. You travel by train through southwestern Norway: The Flåm Railway or the Flåmsbana in Norwegian. You travel between the towns of Myrdal and Flåmen and this ensures a... picture-perfect prospect. The pity of this trip is that it is only 20 km. The special thing is the height difference during the journey. You rise almost 900 meters in height. It is touristy, but yes: that is of course not for nothing.
A fun way to travel around Ireland? One guess… the train. The journey from Rosslare to Galway is highly recommended. The first part of the journey takes you past a landscape with waterfalls and then you travel towards the capital of Ireland. In between you can make a pit stop in an Irish pub before continuing your journey towards Galway. There you see Cliffs of Moher you know those spectacular cliffs that are at least two hundred meters high.
This shuttle service, usually packed with high school students, shoppers and sandal-wearing grandpas including baguettes, runs along the French Riviera and takes you to the seaside resort via the French Riviera Cannes . You know, the city filled with palm trees and Ferraris.
This double-decker bus drives along the edge of the blue Ligurian sea and then on to Nice and Monaco, you continue to see the ocean the entire journey until you arrive at the Italian hills.
This train journey departs from Glasgow Queen Street and heads north-west via the River Clyde before the train off-piste winds and you end up in Scottish nature, so few roads and hardly any cars. Do you want to know what you see here? Especially valleys, slopes and lakes surrounded by birch trees. Not long after Tyndrum the train makes a nice turn around the horseshoe bend at the foot of Ben Doran before heading towards Fort William. Towards the end of the journey you will pass one of the most recognizable parts of the trail run in the world: the Glenfinnan Viaduct at the top of Loch Shiel.
The Douro Valley train journey – This three-hour journey through the Douro Valley is so worth it. You travel to the Portuguese wine country to see exactly where grapes are harvested. Of course you will stop along the way to taste a few things. The train has good looks: polished wooden benches, the windows can be opened wide and every now and then this historic steam locomotive hisses and blows. Along the way you will also pass the wide River Douro from Régua via Pinhão to Tua and back and local musicians play on tambourines, guitars and accordions.
The Presidential Train – Of course the title says it all: we are talking 'bout the presidential train, the crown jewel of the Portuguese railways, in which kings, presidents, heads of state and popes sat. Boarding in the city Porto (highly recommended anyway!). You stop at the famous Quinta do Vesuvio estate known for its port for – of course – a tasting before heading back to Porto.
Cinque Terre is known for the most beautiful walks. Walk from one Italian village to the next. You can also visit the five Liqurian villages from the train, highly recommended it is. The train runs from Levanto to La Spezia with stops at Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. The looks you encounter along the way are handsome, handsomest. Hilly tunnels, cute ones Italiaanse villages, terraced vineyards and of course the sea. This train journey at sunset is also highly recommended.
