TraveLuxe

Riding the Rails

One of the best ways to move through Europe is on the train. Rail Europe?s network extends through Western and much of Central and Eastern Europe, and provides an easy, relaxing option for traveling throughout the continent. The trains are comfortable and clean and offer both traditional seating in two classes – first and second – along with sleeper options for longer routes.

High speed trains such as the AVE in Spain or the Eurostar which travels between Paris, London and Brussels shorten the journeys further, making it an even more competitive alternative to air travel. For those who view train travel as part of the journey and not just a way to get from one destination to the next, there are plenty of options. Trains through parts of Switzerland and Austria, for example, travel along the alps, transforming the ride from a means of transportation to an opportunity for enjoying the natural beauty of these destinations.

So where can you travel by train in Europe? Virtually everywhere! Here are some suggested itineraries via train travel:

Brussels, Paris, London
As mentioned above, the train is a fantastic way to travel among these three cities and their surrounding areas. Here is just one itinerary option:

-Fly into Paris
-Take the train right from Charles de Gaul airport into Brussels. The journey is approximately 1 hour and 22 minutes.
-Spend two to three in Brussels. You can also visit the surrounding towns of Brugges, Ghent and Leuven, all via train from Brussels.
-Train to London from Brussels. The ride is just under two hours
-Spend three to four exploring London and the surrounding area.
-Train from London to Paris (just under 2.5 hours) and spend three to four days exploring Paris before flying home.

Parisians and tourists enjoying the Tuileries Gardens

For more information on what to do and see in these three cities, visit our London, Paris and Belgium destination pages on the Chimera Travel website.

Italy
Train is a fantastic way to get around Italy. A country infamous for its driving, train travel allows visitors to safely and seamlessly head from one city to another. The itinerary below hits most of the most popular Italian cities along with a few additional stops along the way.

-Fly into Venice and spend two to three days there
-Train to Bologna (about 2 hours 10 minutes) and spend one to two nights there
-Train from Bologna to Florence (about 40 minutes)
-Stay two to three nights in Florence, with at least one trip to the surrounding wine country (From Florence, you can take day trips by train to Pisa and Siena.)
-Train to Rome (about 1 hour 30 minutes) and spend 3 days in Rome
-Depart from Rome or extend your trip down the coast to towns such as Sorrento, Amalfi or Positano (this can only partly by train, however unless you want to take the much slower local commuter down the coast).

One of Bologna, Italy's narrow streets

Central Europe
-Fly into Prague and spend three or four days here
-From Prague, train to Budapest (this is about a 7 hour ride, so enjoy the scenery).
-Spend three days in Budapest
-Train from Budapest to Vienna (just under 3 hours); spend two to three days in Vienna
-Train from Vienna to Ljubljana, Slovenia (about 6 hours) and spend two days there
-Train from Ljubljana to Zagreb, Croatia (about 2 hours 20 minutes)
-Spend several days in Zagreb before flying hom

Charming Ljubljana, Slovenia

This just scratches the surface of rail travel vacation options in Europe. These itineraries can of course be shortened or extended, depending on the amount of time that you have for your travels, which brings up one more great feature of vacations by rail – they can be completely tailored to your interests!

Comments

Add A Comment