For UK travellers looking for a new way to explore the continent, Europe’s railways offer some of the most rewarding journeys.
Top routes departing from incredible holiday hotspots have been recommended, with excellent onward connections and scenery that unfolds at a gentle pace.
Speaking to GB News, founder & CEO of travel platform tickadoo, Francis Hellyer, shared the top routes to consider when travelling through Europe.
Three options stand out as must-dos for UK tourists looking for culture and incredible views.
The Bernina Express route transports travellers through a winter wonderland at this time of year | GETTYBernina Express, Switzerland to Italy
Hellyer said: "This route is showing off, frankly. It has glaciers, spiralling viaducts, and alpine light that makes everything glow. Then you descend into Tirano, and suddenly there are palm trees and pasta. Two seasons in four hours."
The Bernina Express is one of Europe’s most spectacular rail journeys and, crucially, one of the easiest to enjoy.
Running from Chur or St Moritz down to Tirano in northern Italy, the train climbs to over 2,250 metres before looping its way back down via the UNESCO-listed Landwasser and Brusio viaducts. Panoramic carriages mean nothing is missed. Expect frozen lakes, vast glaciers and storybook villages out the window.
It pairs perfectly with a Swiss city break or an Italian lakes holiday. One moment you’re in pristine alpine Switzerland, the next you’re stepping off into Lombardy sunshine.
TRAVEL INSPIRATION
Flåm Railway, Norway
British tourists can combine this with a Norwegian fjords cruise or a fly-and-rail itinerary from Oslo or Bergen. Holidaymakers can expect to see roaring waterfalls, deep ravines and mountains that feel untouched by time.
Hellyer said: "It is 20km of engineering audacity, with waterfalls close enough to feel the spray, valleys that look prehistoric. Norway being completely Norway."
Short but astonishing, the Flåm Railway is often described as one of the steepest standard-gauge railways in the world. It climbs from the Aurlandsfjord up to the mountain station of Myrdal, carving through tunnels and sheer rock faces along the way."
The Cinque Terre Local Line is a great option from Italy
|CINQUE TERRE LOCAL LINE
Cinque Terre Local Line, Italy
Hellyer said: "Skip the tourist trains and take the rattly local one through all five villages. Windows down on older carriages, sea air drifting through, Italian life happening at every tiny station. Pure joy."
Italy’s Cinque Terre is famous for its pastel villages clinging to cliffs above the Ligurian Sea, and the humble local train is the best way to see them. Running between La Spezia and Levanto, the line connects Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore in quick succession.
This is slow travel at its most satisfying. No coaches, no stress, just hopping off for seafood lunches, swims and sunset strolls.
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