Best Train Journeys in Europe 2026: Scenic Routes Worth Planning Around

European rail travel is one of travel's great pleasures. These ten routes are worth planning entire trips around — not just transport, but destination experiences in themselves.

Best Train Journeys in Europe 2026: Scenic Routes Worth Planning Around

European rail infrastructure is the finest in the world, and the scenery it passes through — Swiss Alps, Norwegian fjords, Scottish Highlands, Slovenian rivers — makes the train journey itself one of travel's best experiences.

These routes are worth planning trips around, not just using as transport.

1. Glacier Express (Switzerland)

The "slowest express train in the world" crosses 291 bridges and 91 tunnels in 8 hours between Zermatt and St. Moritz through the heart of the Swiss Alps. Panoramic windows, 3-course meal service at your seat, the Landwasser Viaduct (the most photographed railway bridge in Europe). CHF 152 second class + CHF 49 reservation.

Best advice: sit on the right side southbound (Zermatt to St. Moritz) for the best views.

2. Bergen Railway (Norway)

Oslo to Bergen in 7 hours across the Hardangervidda mountain plateau — Scandinavia's highest main railway, running at 1,237m above sea level through a landscape that looks like another planet in winter and another planet in summer (different ones). Around NOK 700–1,200 one-way.

The Flåm Railway branch (1 hour from Myrdal junction to the fjord) is one of the world's steepest railways and one of its most dramatic.

3. Douro Valley Train (Portugal)

The International Douro railway from Porto Campanhã to Pocinho runs along the Douro River through wine country terraced hillsides — the most beautiful river-valley train ride in southern Europe. €15–25 one-way, no reservation required. 3.5 hours.

4. Bernina Express (Switzerland/Italy)

Chur or Davos to Tirano, Italy, crossing the Bernina Pass at 2,253m — the highest trans-Alpine railway in the world. UNESCO World Heritage railway engineering. Summer and winter versions are both extraordinary; winter offers snow-covered Alpine landscapes.

5. Cinque Terre Local (Italy)

Not one journey but a sequence — the Cinque Terre local train connecting the five cliff villages of the Italian Riviera in 5-minute intervals, with the sea visible from carriage windows on every segment. €10–16 Cinque Terre Card covers unlimited trains and the coastal path walking.

6. Caledonian Sleeper (Scotland)

Overnight train from London Euston to Inverness, Fort William, or Aberdeen. Waking up in the Scottish Highlands as dawn light catches the heather is one of the most cinematic moments in European rail travel. Private sleeper cabins available from £100–200.

7. Eurostar London to Paris

2h15m under the English Channel between two of the world's great cities. Business Premier (equivalent to business class, with proper meals) runs £200–400; Economy from £40 booked early. The most civilized city-pair journey in Europe.

8. Split to Zagreb (Croatia)

5.5 hours through the Dinaric Alps. The route south of Knin — particularly the canyon above the Krka River — rivals anything in Switzerland for dramatic mountain railway scenery. Around €20–35 one-way.

9. Trans-Mongolian (Russia/Mongolia/China)

For the ambitious: Moscow to Beijing via Ulaanbaatar, 7,621km, 6 days. The Mongolian steppe section, crossing the Gobi Desert, and arriving in Beijing are the journey's three great chapters. Requires advance planning, visas, and fortitude. Transformative.

Booking Rail in Europe

Rail passes: Interrail (EU residents) and Eurail (non-EU) provide multi-country rail access. Best value for 3+ countries over 14+ days.

Direct booking: Book on individual national rail websites (DB for Germany, SNCF for France, SBB for Switzerland) for best prices. The Trainline aggregator is convenient if slightly more expensive.

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