travel
‘An unforgettable train ride through deep gorges, canyons and mountain peaks’: readers’ favourite European rail journeys
Vintage locomotives, alpine classics and a dramatic urban ride feature in your memorable train journeys. Tell us about a favourite family summer holiday – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucher.
TL;DR
- The Bergensbanen and Flåmsbana in Norway offer dramatic scenery, crossing high mountain plateaus, descending to fjords, and featuring steep inclines with waterfalls.
- A journey from Vienna to Zagreb traverses Alpine scenery, Balkan charm, and passes through Graz and Zidani Most, offering views of lakes and farmland.
- The Treno Natura in Tuscany uses vintage steam engines for a scenic trip through the countryside, including vineyard walks.
- Germany's Buckower Kleinbahn is a historic narrow-gauge electric railway run by volunteers, offering a route through rolling hills to the spa town of Buckow.
- The Montreux to Interlaken line in Switzerland winds through vineyards and pine forests, offering glimpses of mountain crests, alpine pastures, and valleys.
- The Belgrade to Bar train route is noted for its slow pace, dramatic scenery through gorges and canyons, numerous bridges, and views of the Adriatic coast.
- A cross-country train trip from Pescara to Rome traverses the Apennines, featuring mountain passes and changing scenery.
- A French railway line to Switzerland passes through the Jura foothills, connecting to the watchmaking towns of Le Locle and La-Chaux-de-Fonds.
- Le Train Jaune ('The Yellow Train') in the French Pyrenees offers spectacular views and suspension bridges on its route to high altitudes.
- Porto's metro D line provides an urban rail experience, emerging to skim rooftops and cross the Eiffel-inspired Dom Luís I bridge.