Train travel is liberating – and not just from traffic jams and airport queues. Besides the pleasure of watching landscapes unfold, it frees the mind to wander in a way all too rare in today’s world. Passing scenes outside the window spark a reverie of thoughts, reminiscences, and conjectures. It makes you feel that the holiday has begun when you board the first train, not when you finally leave the airport.
It’s the most relaxing way to travel, especially when someone else is in charge of the planning, with the next hotel or cultural attraction already arranged in advance. Using trains as the prime means of travel to explore countries with good services has been one of the fastest-growing sectors in tourism – and it helps the planet, too.
The CEO of Great Rail Journeys, Dave Riley, says that “more travellers are choosing to slow down and savour the experience, embracing itineraries that truly allow them to connect with their surroundings. Great Rail Journeys has seen a 40 per cent year-on-year increase in European bookings since January, with the scenic Italian Lakes and exceptional flavours of Provence proving particularly popular.”
Riley is not the only one feeling optimistic. Maria Cook, general manager of Ffestiniog Travel, says: “2025 has signalled continued growth in rail travel demand. Ffestiniog Travel is seeing a sustained growth in rail holiday bookings throughout 2025, especially for escorted group tours – reflecting a continued appetite for immersive, responsible and expertly guided train journeys.
“With over 50 years of experience specialising in global rail tours, we have seen both returning and first-time travellers increasingly choose rail as their preferred mode of discovery – especially in regions where navigating complex networks independently can be daunting.”
It’s full steam ahead, then, for escorted rail adventures. We’ve picked 10 of the best journeys across the continent, each offering a hassle-free way to see some of Europe’s most spectacular locations.
Find the perfect route
- Tuscany
- London to Ajaccio
- Ljubljana to Pristina
- Avignon, the Rhône and Provence
- Cities of Poland
- Into the Arctic Circle
- Provence
- Wernigerode
- Strasbourg to Tiefencastel
- Istanbul to Budapest
Tuscany
A grand tour
Italy ’s most iconic region is a joy to discover by train. Set off from London to Turin (with a change in Paris) for your first night, before heading to the spa town of Montecatini Terme, your base for the week. From here, a funicular can be taken to Montecatini Alto for spectacular views over the valley.
Local trains are used to visit Tuscan cities and towns, beginning with a day in Florence for a guided tour of such architectural treasures as the Ponte Vecchio and the cathedral, whose dome by Brunelleschi is still a construction puzzle. Lucca can be explored on foot or by an easy ride along the ramparts by bike. The tour continues to Pisa for its astounding tower and the city’s marble white Duomo and medieval old town.
Following the final day in Siena, famed for its shell-shaped piazza and cathedral with statues by Michelangelo and Donatello, a coach takes the party back to France for a night on the Côte d’Azur before the train back to London via Paris.
Great Rail Journeys (01904 521936) offers the nine-day Simply Tuscany tour from £1,499pp, including all rail and coach travel, luggage transfers and eight nights’ four-star accommodation, with monthly departure dates until October 13 and multiple departures in 2026.
Tuscany travel guide
London to Ajaccio
The splendour of Corsica
Eurostar and TGV are used to reach Lyon for the first night before continuing to Nice for two nights, allowing a trip inland by narrow-gauge train along the steep-sided craggy valley to Digne-les-Bains.
Corsica is reached by ferry to Bastia, the northern terminus of the island’s mountainous main line which offers views denied to all but intrepid walkers. The railway includes some spectacular engineering, including a viaduct by Gustave Eiffel across the River Vecchio and a tunnel almost 4km long before the descent to the southern terminus at Ajaccio, birthplace of Napoleon.
Nights are spent in the seaside resort of Calvi, served by a branch railway, as well as Bastia and Ajaccio, giving plenty of time to use the railway to explore the island. A coach tour takes in the picturesque Cap Corse promontory with mountains rearing out of the sea along its western shore.
The return is by ferry to the naval city of Toulon where a night is spent before moving on for a final night in Lille and back to London.
Ffestiniog Travel (01766 512400) offers this 14-day tour from £3,195pp, including all rail and coach travel and accommodation on a B&B basis. Departs September 2.
Corsica travel guide
Ljubljana to Pristina
A ride through history
Expect a fascinating lesson on Europe’s colourful past on this tour of seven countries. It begins in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, where there’s a full day of soaking up the lively, small-town atmosphere, before taking the train to the Croatian capital, Zagreb.
After a walking tour of the city’s Austro-Hungarian architecture, the waterfalls in Plitvice Lakes National Park are the setting for a picnic lunch, before a ride south through spectacular mountain landscapes to Sarajevo, for an insight into the beginnings of the First World War and the siege of the city in the 1990s.
You’ll also see scenic Mostar and the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, before admiring the scenery between Podgorica and Belgrade. The time in the Serbian capital includes an excursion to Novi Sad, where the Petrovaradin Fortress dominates the city, and the final days are spent visiting North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, where parts of the fortress date from the 6th century. The ancient Macedonian city of Heraclea, Lake Ohrid for a boat ride, and Kosovo’s capital, Pristina, are among the highlights.
Responsible Travel (01273 823700) offers the 16-day Balkans trip from £2,909pp, including all rail and coach travel, expert guides, excursions and accommodation in local guest houses. Departure on August 30. Flights not included.
Avignon, the Rhône and Provence
Roman history in France
The historical influence of Italy is pervasive in this tour of southern France, taking in the country’s papal city and some of the finest structures left by the Romans. The Eurostar to Paris and first-class travel by TGV delivers you to Avignon as the base for the tour. The first excursion is by boat down the Rhône to Arles, where Roman and medieval buildings surround its narrow lanes and the Unesco-listed Roman arena once held 20,000 people to watch the games.
Van Gogh moved to Arles in 1888 in search of vibrant colours and light, and his time in the city – and the 300 works he produced while there – are commemorated by a walking route.
A day is spent exploring Avignon, another visiting picturesque surrounding villages, and a morning is devoted to artisan food producers. The final day takes in the famous Pont du Gard aqueduct and the medieval town that provided the source of its water, Uzès, where there is a tasting of Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines.
Great Rail Journeys (01904 521936) offers the seven-day Avignon, the Rhône & Provence tour from £1,649pp, including all rail and coach travel, and all accommodation. Multiple departure dates from August 8.
Provence travel guide
Cities of Poland
Cafés and waterways
The reconstruction of Warsaw’s Old Town, helped by Canaletto’s paintings, is one of Poland’s greatest architectural achievements, and the tour begins with an exploration of its charming streets. A free afternoon allows you to choose which of the city’s many museums to visit.
A train takes you to Wroclaw, known as the ‘Venice of Poland’ for the waterways that thread the 12 islands on which the city is built. A free day might take in the vast circular painting of the 1794 Battle of Raclawice, the Japanese Garden, royal palace or a boat trip along the Oder.
The old capital of Poland, Krakow, is reached by another train journey. The city was spared wartime destruction, helping the picture-postcard narrow streets, grand buildings and al-fresco cafés to earn World Heritage Site status. Local guides provide insights into the city’s rich history and the architecture of the cathedral and royal castle.
A day is devoted to one of Europe’s most astonishing places – the Wieliczka Salt Mines, another World Heritage Site where a 400-year- old chapel is found 300 metres underground alongside chambers large enough to take the Eiffel Tower. After a late afternoon visit to the setting for the film Schindler’s List , dinner is traditional Jewish fare accompanied by Klezmer music with its expressive melodies.
A final free day is an opportunity for an excursion to the haunting site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp or to see more of Krakow before the end of the tour.
Explore (01252 240700) offers the Highlights of Poland tour from £1,195pp, including all rail travel, accommodation and guides. Four departure dates until September 20. Travel to Poland not included.
Into the Arctic Circle
A Scandinavian odyssey
After flying into Stockholm, this 17-day tour begins with a guided tour of places that have been centre-stage in the city’s 750-year history, from the palace of the Swedish monarchy to the City Hall where Nobel Prizes are awarded. The astonishing 17th-century warship Vasa and its museum shouldn’t be missed on the free afternoon. Reached by train, Ostersund has been made a Unesco City of Gastronomy for its local sustainable food, inspired from longstanding culinary traditions.
Trains on the Inlandsbanan up the spine of Sweden thread through vast pine and birch forests and deliver you, by connecting coach, to a Sami village to learn about the Indigenous people’s lives, culture and reindeer before moving on to Arjeplog. After more Sami experiences, you move on by coach to Bodo beyond the Arctic Circle for a journey by train over the Nordlandsbanen to Verdal for a stay in the historic village of Stiklestad.
After two nights in Trondheim, where the cathedral begun in 1070 was finally completed in 2001, the tour takes the Rauma railway through the beautiful Romsdalen valley and on by coach and ferry to Geiranger for a fjord cruise.
A coach drive through spectacular scenery, pausing to visit a stave church, ends at Flåm for another cruise and ride over one of the world’s steepest railways. After two nights in Bergen, you take northern Europe’s highest main-line railway through desolate mountain terrain to Norway’s capital. For over 60 miles, the railway is above the tree line, with few signs of human life. After a day exploring Oslo, flights are taken back to the UK.
Great Rail Journeys (01904 521936) offers the 17-day Ultimate Norway, Sweden & the Arctic Circle tour from £4,099pp, including all flights, rail and coach travel, and all accommodation. Multiple departure dates from July 25 with flights from London Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow.
Provence
A walking break
The base hotel in the thermal town of Gréoux-les-Bains is reached from London by Eurostar and TGV. The hotel is a member of the Châteaux Demeures de Tradition and the Relais du Silence groups and prides itself on sourcing ingredients from producers within a 20km radius.
Over the next six days, guided walks ranging from four to 9.5 miles and mostly reached by coach explore the countryside that has inspired many painters. They take in wooded limestone plateau, ancient abbeys, botanic gardens, remote pilgrimage chapels, Roman roads, old canals and numerous picturesque villages.
An easier or harder option is offered for each day and there is a free day for relaxation or further suggested walks.
HF Holidays (020 3974 8865) offers the seven-night A Week in Provence tour from £1,799pp, including all rail and coach travel and half-board accommodation in a four-star hotel. Various departures to September 20.
Wernigerode
Entering the Christmas spirit
No country does Christmas markets like Germany. This tour is based in Wernigerode, an enchanting market town of timber-framed houses and the headquarters of a network of historic narrow-gauge railways, reached by Eurostar from London to Brussels and a connection to Hanover for a final coach journey.
A highlight is the summit of the Brocken, which became a tourist destination after Goethe set a scene in Faust on the mountain. The steam locomotives make a thunderous ascent of the steep gradients – stand on one of the open-balcony coaches to take in the scent of pine resin as the line threads through forest.
Excursions take in Quedlinburg, a Unesco World Heritage Site for its 1,500 timber-framed houses, and a guided tour of Goslar. Besides its Christmas market, the town hosts a museum of dioramas populated by figures made of tin from the nearby Rammelsberg mine, another World Heritage Site.
A day at leisure is an opportunity to travel the Selketal Railway through the snow-frosted scenery of the valley or explore the neo-Gothic castle that dominates Wernigerode.
Great Rail Journeys (01904 521936) offers the six-day Harz Mountains Christmas Market tour from £1,299pp, including all rail and coach travel, and all accommodation. Multiple departure dates from November 30.
Strasbourg to Tiefencastel
Peaks and passes
The Glacier Express is one of Europe’s finest railway journeys for its stupendous scenery and the quality of the train, with its panoramic windows and audio commentary.
A Eurostar and TGV whisk you to Strasbourg for the first night before moving on by train to the prettily sited village of Tiefencastel for six nights.
The journeys over the next few days include the equally spectacular Bernina Express, over the highest rail crossing of the Alps at Ospizio Bernina at 2,253m (7,329ft) and the railway to the ski resort of Arosa, where there is plenty of time to explore Lake Obersee and Chur, Switzerland’s oldest town.
You can also visit Bergun to see the museum telling the remarkable story behind this rare World Heritage Site railway or drop in at the restored art nouveau hotel, Kurhaus Bergun. On free days, use the Swiss Travel Card for a 50 per cent reduction in fares. The return to London is via a night in Basel.
Great Rail Journeys (01904 521936) offers the eight-day Glacier Express All Inclusive from £1,799, including all rail and coach travel, half-board accommodation, wine and beer and a Swiss Travel Card. Multiple departure dates until October 2 and multiple departures in 2026.
Istanbul to Budapest
En-suite luxury
For those who don’t fancy waddling down the corridor of a sleeper train at 2am in search of the bathroom, then the Danube Express Golden Eagle may be for you. The smart en-suite cabins accommodate a total of just 50 passengers; there are comfortable sofas in the lounge car, and meals in the restaurant car are served in a single sitting.
And, of course, touring this way means you return to the same cabin every night rather than constantly packing and unpacking for hotels. Among the itineraries spanning 10 central and eastern European countries, Castles of Transylvania begins in Istanbul’s historic Pera Palace Hotel (ask to see the room used by Agatha Christie), with a tour of the city’s highlights.
From here, the seven-day tour includes the medieval castle in Bulgaria’s ancient capital at Veliko Tarnovo; the 19th-century Peles Castle in Sinaia, Romania, and Bran Castle in Brasov, forever linked with Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Budapest , Hungary’s timeless capital, is the final flourish.
Golden Eagle Luxury Trains (0161 928 9410) offers the seven-day Castles of Transylvania tour from £9,395, including excursions, tips, en-suite on board and five-star pre- and post-tour accommodation. Departs November 2 and three in 2026. Excludes flights.
Budapest travel guide
The article was first published in April 2023, and has been revised and updated.
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