• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • FAQ
  • Meet the Team
  • About TLE
  • Advertise
SUPPORT FREE INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Travel Guides

Europe’s most scenic rail journeys

With Londoners spending a third of their lives travelling underground (well that’s what it feels like), holidays by rail is a welcome break from the norm. More than being booted off a plane that’s in the vicinity of an airport, rail journeys give a sense of a destination – and in many cases their snapshot […]

Shilpa Ganatra by Shilpa Ganatra
August 16, 2015
in Guides, Travel

With Londoners spending a third of their lives travelling underground (well that’s what it feels like), holidays by rail is a welcome break from the norm.

More than being booted off a plane that’s in the vicinity of an airport, rail journeys give a sense of a destination – and in many cases their snapshot is pretty immense. Here, Railbookers have put together some of Europe’s most scenic routes – because travel is about the journey as much as the destination.

1. Swiss Lakes and Mountains

Switzerland

Switzerland is a veritable treasure trove of scenic rail journeys. In the summer months the verdant pastures roll lusciously from the edge of the tracks into the horizon, in the winter the country unfolds like a veritable Narnia. Travel from Montreux to Interlaken on the Golden Pass Line. Rise up over Lake Geneva, gaze in awe at the Swiss Riviera, plunge through a mountain tunnel and coast through resorts like Gstaad and Châteaux d’Oex. Hit the high point (over 1,274 metres) before Zweisimmen and snake through the Simme Valley. Perhaps stopover in Interlaken and take a trip to Europe’s highest railway station at the summit of Jungfraujoch.

2. Norway in a nutshell

Norway

RelatedPosts

10 of the best things to do in Cleveland, Ohio

Labour to make rail fares pledge as 2.7% price hike revealed

Hotel Review: Mama London

The 20 best things to do in Quebec in 2020

This is a route with no ‘off season’: snow-dusted in winter, set ablaze by autumn hues, verdant and sleepy in the spring and sparkling in the summer. Norway in a nutshell combines the Bergen Railway, the Flam railway, the Aurlandsfjord, the Nærøyfjord and the Stalheimskleiva road. Hard to pronounce, easier to enjoy, the route is possible in a day but turning it into a holiday with a night or two in Oslo is well worthwhile. From Oslo it is full steam ahead over the Flam railway, descending deep into the fjord along the world’s steepest regular-track railway line. You drop 861 metres in an hour as the panorama shifts from gran d mountains to sparkling waterfalls – it’s a short journey, but there won’t be a second to take your eyes off the window!

3. London to Fort William

Fort William

Arrive at Euston after work one evening, doze off after a wee dram of whiskey and wake up the next morning across the border. It is civilised, time-effective and harks back to a different, more romantic era. And then there is the scenery. Fall asleep traversing London’s suburbia and wake up seemingly in the middle of nowhere, the sun glinting through the blinds and deer bounding past the window. After exploring Fort William, the real treat begins. Often voted one of the world’s most picturesque rail journeys, you will catch glimpses of crofter’s cottages, tiny churches, the pristine coastline and deep green mountain panoramas, before crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct famous for its starring role in the Harry Potter films.

4. Germany’s Rhineland

Rhineland

Catch the train from London to Brussels and change onto a high speed train to Cologne before delving into the German countryside. Board a train winding down the Rhine Valley through luscious greenery to Koblenz, abundant with palaces, churches, fountains and a real ‘old world’ charm. Cruise down the river or take a daytrip to historic Rudesheim, before heading up the Moselle. The tracks are paved through the heart of the Rhineland-Palatinate and trace the river banks along the Moselle Stretch from Koblenz to Trier – Germany’s oldest city – which boasts a UNESCO-listed Cathedral and a picture perfect market square. After you have explored, continue on to the fairytale landscapes of Luxembourg to complete your holiday.

5. Munich to Verona via the Brenner Pass

Garmsich-Partenkirchen

Combine some of Europe’s most stunning cities with rail travel as scenic as any of Europe has to offer. The Bavarian capital of Munich plays host to every delightful Alpine cliché imaginable, which of course means you will find the finest surrounding mountain passes. There are fast trains that will take you from here to the Austrian skiing capital of Innsbruck, but why sacrifice scenery in favour of time when you are on holiday? Skirt around the bases of the Alps, meander past glittering lakes and glide through the resort town of Garmsich-Partenkirchen on the regional train instead. Lap up the snow dusted, mountainous views before taking to the tracks once more, this time past the vineyards and mountains of the Brenner pass to Verona.

Support free independent investigative journalismSupport free independent investigative journalismSupport free independent investigative journalism
Shilpa Ganatra

Shilpa Ganatra

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending fromTLE

  • All
  • trending
Jeremy Corbyn is the most smeared politician in history

Jeremy Corbyn is the most smeared politician in history

The story of how the Conservatives crippled the country

The British Government has ruined my life

SWNS Pictures of the Year 2015 - One hundred of the most compelling images on the SWNS wire this year as chosen by our picture editors. Refugees from Syria leave Glasgow Airport in five coaches in heavy rain, November 17, 2015, from where they will be dispersed to their new homes within Scotland. See SWNS story SWREFUGEE: The first charter flight carrying Syrian refugees arrived in the UK yesterday (Tues) as part of the Government's resettlement scheme. Around 100 people were transported by plane from refugee camps in the Middle East, travelling from Beirut in Lebanon to Glasgow Airport. Many have been described as vulnerable and some had stayed in camps for up to four years. Landing in Glasgow at 3.30pm yesterday afternoon, the first arrivals were expected to be resettled by local authorities across the country, including Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Lift The Ban petition reveals staggering cost to UK economy of asylum seekers being banned from working

Latest from TLE

Tories distract from sick 4-year-old on overstretched hospital floor by inventing assault

Tories distract from sick 4-year-old on overstretched hospital floor by inventing assault

Set For Life Results – Thursday 4th July 2019

Set For Life Results Monday 9th December 2019

Chucs Cafe Kensington

Restaurant Review: Chucs Café, South Kensington

Conservative Party election campaign launch is already off to a bad start

Boris Johnson threatens BBC with ‘looking at’ abolishing licence fees

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

Address

TLE,
International House,
24 Holborn Viaduct,
London EC1A 2BN,
United Kingdom

Contact

Editorial enquiries, please contact: jack@thelondoneconomic.com

Commercial enquiries, please contact: advertise@thelondoneconomic.com

SUPPORT

We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism.

DONATE & SUPPORT

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech & Auto
  • About TLE
  • Meet the Team
  • Privacy policy

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.