The train eases out of the station with a lurch that feels familiar, the platform sliding away as the wheels find their rhythm on the rails. Outside the window, a patchwork of fields and forests unrolls at a pace that lets you see every detail, a church spire in a valley, a child waving from a garden gate, a river that runs parallel to the tracks for miles before curving away. Train travel in Europe is not just transport. It is a way of seeing, a meditation on motion that connects cities and countries with a grace that flying cannot match. These are the journeys that belong on every rail traveller’s list.
In This Article
Glacier Express: Zermatt to St Moritz, Switzerland
The Glacier Express is the slowest express train in the world, taking eight hours to cover 291 kilometres between Zermatt and St Moritz. The train crosses 291 bridges, passes through 91 tunnels, and climbs over the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 metres. The carriages have panoramic windows that extend into the roof, giving passengers unobstructed views of the Alps. The dining car serves Swiss cuisine with regional wines, and the journey includes a complimentary glass of sparkling wine. First class tickets cost around 180 euros, and second class is around 100 euros. The route passes the Rhine Gorge, known as the Swiss Grand Canyon, and the Landwasser Viaduct, a curved stone bridge that leads directly into a tunnel in the cliff face. The train runs year round, and winter journeys offer views of snow covered peaks that seem close enough to touch.
West Highland Line: Glasgow to Mallaig, Scotland
The West Highland Line runs from Glasgow to the fishing port of Mallaig, covering 264 kilometres through some of the most dramatic landscapes in Scotland. The journey takes five and a half hours and passes through the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, over Rannoch Moor, and past the Glenfinnan Viaduct, made famous by the Harry Potter films. The viaduct arcs over the glen with 21 stone arches, and the steam service, the Jacobite, runs in summer months. The train crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct at a height of 30 metres, and the view of Loch Shiel from the windows is worth the journey alone. The line continues to Arisaig, where the white sand beaches face the Small Isles, and terminates at Mallaig, a working fishing port with excellent seafood. Standard tickets cost from 50 to 80 euros one way. The Jacobite steam train costs more at around 65 euros but offers a heritage experience.
Bernina Express: Chur to Tirano, Switzerland and Italy
The Bernina Express crosses the Swiss Alps from Chur to Tirano in Italy, a journey of 122 kilometres that takes four hours. The train climbs to 2,253 metres at the Bernina Pass, the highest point on the European rail network, without the use of cogwheel assistance. The train passes the Morteratsch Glacier, the Lago Bianco, and the Brusio Circular Viaduct, a spiral bridge that allows the train to lose height in a tight space. The panoramic carriages offer 360 degree views through large windows, and the open air observation car is available in summer. The journey descends from Alpine snow to Mediterranean palm trees in the space of a few hours, passing through Alpine meadows, pine forests, and terraced vineyards. The train runs year round, and open carriages with sliding windows are available for photographers. A first class ticket costs around 70 euros.
Nightjet: Vienna to Rome, Austria to Italy
The Nightjet sleeper train service operated by Austrian Railways connects Vienna with Rome overnight, covering 1,000 kilometres while you sleep. The train departs Vienna in the evening and arrives in Rome the following morning, passing through the Austrian Alps and the Italian countryside in the dark. Sleeper compartments range from shared couchettes to private cabins with en suite showers. The cost of a private cabin for two people starts at around 150 euros, which effectively saves a night of accommodation. The train includes a dining car where you can have dinner before bed and breakfast in the morning as the train approaches Rome. The Nightjet network also connects Vienna with Venice, Milan, Paris, and Hamburg, making it Europe’s most extensive sleeper train network. The romance of falling asleep in one country and waking in another, with a croissant and coffee arriving at your compartment door, is the essence of European rail travel.
The Flam Railway: Myrdal to Flam, Norway
The Flam Railway is a 20 kilometre branch line that descends from the mountain station of Myrdal to the fjordside village of Flam. The journey takes one hour and drops 863 metres in elevation, passing through 20 tunnels and alongside waterfalls that cascade down the cliff faces. The Kjosfossen waterfall is so powerful that the bridge carrying the train is constantly drenched in spray. The train stops at the waterfall for photographs, and in summer, a dancer dressed as a huldra, a mythical Norwegian forest spirit, performs on the rocks beside the falls. The journey is steep, with a gradient of 5.5 percent, making it one of the steepest standard gauge railways in the world. A return ticket costs around 60 euros. The views of the Flam Valley, with its green hillsides, waterfalls, and the Aurlandsfjord in the distance, are among the most beautiful in Norway.
Which rail journey calls to you? The Alpine panorama of the Glacier Express or the Scottish moors of the West Highland Line?
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