10 Great European Train Trips (PHOTOS)

Train travel in the Old World maintains a certain mystique for many travelers - and it's little wonder: With scads of culture, 47 countries packed into a region slightly larger than the U.S., and exhaustive tracks that go everywhere from the plains of Spain to the eastern fringes of Russia, Europe is tailor-made for riding the rails. Check out ShermansTravel.com's favorite train trips in Europe, which encompass the most quintessential experiences.

Text, captions and photos courtesy of ShermanTravel.com, adapted from "Top 10 Train Trips in Europe" by Molly Fergus.

 

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Best Hotel-Like Train: Overnight to/from Spain on Elipsos Train-Hotel

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Substituting a hotel stay with overnight travel saves valuable time and funds on tight vacation schedules, but the sacrifice is often a rocky night’s sleep in cramped spaces and little energy to explore the next day’s destination. Spain’s Elipsos Train-Hotel lines, however, succeed in making an overnight trip on the tracks appealing, practical, and downright relaxing. The sleek trains’ premier compartments claim many of the accoutrements of modern hotels (en suite showers, free morning newspapers, complimentary breakfast), and all-level tickets offer cozy sleeping quarters, complimentary magazines, and access to the on-board restaurant and bar. Although the tracks cross four international borders (France, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland), ShermansTravel is partial to the simplicity of the nonstop, 14.5-hour Barcelona to Milan voyage (first-class, one-way rates from $125), which departs year-round from Barcelona’s Estacio de Franca in the evening and pulls into Milan’s Centrale station just in time for the morning’s first cappuccino. Elipsos

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Substituting a hotel stay with overnight travel saves valuable time and funds on tight vacation schedules, but the sacrifice is often a rocky night’s sleep in cramped spaces and little energy to explore the next day’s destination. Spain’s Elipsos Train-Hotel lines, however, succeed in making an overnight trip on the tracks appealing, practical, and downright relaxing. The sleek trains’ premier compartments claim many of the accoutrements of modern hotels (en suite showers, free morning newspapers, complimentary breakfast), and all-level tickets offer cozy sleeping quarters, complimentary magazines, and access to the on-board restaurant and bar. Although the tracks cross four international borders (France, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland), ShermansTravel is partial to the simplicity of the nonstop, 14.5-hour Barcelona to Milan voyage (first-class, one-way rates from $125), which departs year-round from Barcelona’s Estacio de Franca in the evening and pulls into Milan’s Centrale station just in time for the morning’s first cappuccino.

Elipsos

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Comments

[IhrePapiereBitte]

09:44 AM on 10/22/2010

I remember that not so long ago America had a border to border, coast to coast rail system that was certainly worth the price of a ticket and then some. Not anymore unfortunately, Good Morning America, wake the hell up!

[Silver How]

07:49 PM on 10/23/2010

I agree. I wish...

[peter777]

11:58 AM on 10/25/2010

It appears more and more that America will not wake for this election. With the party of No ascending, there is no way public infrastructure will improve. It will only get worse. Hopefully, America wakes up in 2012.

[matson]

09:19 AM on 10/22/2010

Belgrade Serbia to Bar in Montenegro on the Adriatic coast. Second deepest canyon in the world. Spectacular drops, long tunnels and earthy Balkan smokers drinking slivovitz on the train. A bit primitive and less than posh, but the real deal and definitely an experience to be remembered. A classic for younger people who can deal with less than luxury accommodations.....and really cheap!!

[UrbanAddictiondotcom]

08:55 AM on 10/22/2010

The Royal Scotsman and The Orient Express are my absolute dream trips to take. I love reading the comments of people who are knowledgeable about these trips.

[NewHavenCountyCT]

08:45 AM on 10/22/2010

$13K to go on the Royal Scotsman - OUCH!

I don't see that happening anytime soon.

[tr88]

07:33 AM on 10/22/2010

Thru the Alps between Zurich and Milan. Lake Como/Lugano are spectacular.

[moop]

06:51 AM on 10/22/2010

Best daily work commute has to be Greystones in Wicklow to Connolly Station in Dublin, Ireland. On the first half of it the train line snakes around a cliff face over looking the irish sea, really fantastic when the sun is coming up.

[David Rozgonyi]

05:01 AM on 10/22/2010

I have to say I used to love taking the trains in Europe, but the prices are so unfavorable compared to airfare that I just can't feel happy about it. And if I want to see the countryside and go slow (which is most of the time), I'll take the motorcycle or our 1977 VW camper bus and REALLY see the countries. The bike works out cheaper than anything else, especially camping. So, I love the history, but just like I'd love to take a transatlantic steamer as a commuter option, the price difference is too much. Which is a shame!

[KIVPossum]

09:06 AM on 10/22/2010

You don't ride trains because of the price. Ride them because they are trains!

[KIVPossum]

04:27 AM on 10/22/2010

Love European trains. These are mostly efficient luxury trains. I actually enjoy the cattle-car trains in east Europe, Russia, and Asia. There's actually one that runs across Ukraine into Moscow that has a 3rd class car with 1 meter square wooden cubicles stacked 4 high as sleeping compartments.

My two favorite rides were the Trans Siberian and the Silk Road rail from Novosibersk across the Stans to the Caspian Sea.

[Cinnamonape]

01:48 AM on 10/22/2010

Most interesting train ride is the Padang-Sawahlunto trip in Sumatra, Indonesia. Starts on the coast through sedate rice fields and little villages...then heads up a canyon using a furnicular "three rail" system on an amazing grade (17 miles and a mile up) past waterfalls, over hundred foot trestles, and through jungle. At the top of the pass two volcanos loom over you, then you descend to a crater lake, passing traditional villages, through another canyon and a mile long tunnel to the coal-mining town of Sawahlunto. That town is like a little Dutch "gingerbread" town with interesting Dutch 19th century buildings, gardens, forested hills and an impressive minaret built from a massive (former) cooling tower.

The railway carried coal to the coast by the Dutch. During WW2 Padangt was targeted by Allied submarines so the Japanese used POW and Indonesian slave-laborers to extend the railway 200 miles east through the jungles. The rails still exist in parts, bombed-out trestles crossing raging rivers, two meters paths dynamited through limestone canyons w/Grade-5 rapids below and cascading forest above. Rumors are some prisoners escaped, hiding in the caverns along the river. Locals rose up against the Japanese after being punished for feeding POW's on this forgotten "death railway". Sadly that portion of the railway isn't maintained and it's more of a jungle trek. The portions to Sawahlunto has weekly runs using old Dutch locomotives and carriages-mainly for local tourists.

[hark]

11:41 PM on 10/21/2010

How do you sent just an ordinary email on these articles? Does everyone have to belong to some narcissistic organization to share anything nowadays? I can't even log-in to Huffpost anymore without jumping through Facebook hoops and whatever else they shove at you.

Do people really want to spend their entire lifetimes just twittering each other with vapid messages about their humdrum lives? When do they have time to actually do something that might be worth twittering about? The word itself says it all about modern American culture, or our excuse for it.

[ShootFire]

11:59 PM on 10/21/2010

You can't... no...no..I don't know.

[commentsareus]

12:12 PM on 10/22/2010

you can log on through huff post, just click on more log on options or a little arrow.. and more options come up, including huffpost.

[RhiannonRings]

11:13 PM on 10/21/2010

How pricey are these excursions, roughly?

[David Rozgonyi]

04:59 AM on 10/22/2010

Transsiberian is quite cheap, especially if you go platskarny. A whole lotta fun, too. Be prepared to drink with some very friendly people, though. :)

[pot roast]

11:11 PM on 10/21/2010

Heidelberg to Cologne via Koblenz.
Most of your journey is along the beautiful Rhine with a village at every valley and castle/fort standing guard above.

[TomJoad1965]

11:48 PM on 10/21/2010

That was the first vacation and first train ride ever. Me and my brother rode the train up hiked most of the way back down and stayed in many of the castles. I was 20 years old after one year in the Army, first time I was out and about in a year. Had a busted ankle, but I was in such good shape I still climed the Cologne Cathedrel to the highest spire, and hiked with a full pack.
Man it's great to be young with time and money.

[TomJoad1965]

11:56 PM on 10/21/2010

xcuse de spellen i mint too spill chek.

[CologneCitizen]

03:04 AM on 10/22/2010

I did a similar trip when I was younger, staying in youth hostels on the way. Beautifull sights all the way. Good to hear you also were on top of the Cologne Cathedral in my home town. According to a recent survey it is the most popular building in Germany.

Greetings from Cologne, Germany.

[TomJoad1965]

11:59 PM on 10/21/2010

You've made one comment and have two fans.
I've got to get in on that!
fan # 3

[700rpm]

09:38 PM on 10/21/2010

Can anyone suggest a good overnighter out of Paris? To Anywhere!

[mamacat]

06:37 AM on 10/22/2010

Back when I was in college, I purchased a Eurailpass good for unlimited first class travel anywhere in Western Europe, except Britain and Switzerland. It was only a few hundred American dollars for three full months of travel. Sometimes I went to one of the train stations, near Paris or any other large city, and just jumped on something that was going overnight, anywhere, and arriving sometime the next day. It could mean going to Spain, sometimes in meant going to Germany or Denmark. It's all good, and it saved me the hassle of finding a hostel.
Meeting people on the trains was a lot of fun. If I told you who I met, you would think I was making it up, so I won't say.

[InnerThetan]

09:38 PM on 10/21/2010

20 some odd years ago we took a lovely trip on the Rheine Express. We left the Netherlands and travelled the length of Germany, through Austria and into Switzerland. It was magical and I'll never forget it. We met some great ppl. from all over the world, but one person from America sticks with me. He spent every summer after his retirement travelling the European trains alone. His wife was not interested. So sorry for her loss.

[Silver How]

07:53 PM on 10/23/2010

I woulda taken her place!

[3 magi]

09:36 PM on 10/21/2010

Bought a Swiss Rail 21 day Pass one summer...many happy times....gorgeous country.