{"id":24909,"date":"2024-07-17T16:36:51","date_gmt":"2024-07-17T06:36:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/luxuryescapes.com\/inspiration\/?p=24909"},"modified":"2026-07-02T16:57:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T06:57:24","slug":"scenic-train-journeys-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/luxuryescapes.com\/inspiration\/scenic-train-journeys-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"On the Right Track: The 7 Most Scenic Train Journeys in Europe \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Discover Europe\u2019s best by train \u2013 it will be a journey unlike any other. <\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Europe was meant to be seen by train. What other mode of transportation is as versatile, trustworthy and exquisite? There\u2019s no better way to discover Europe\u2019s breathtaking landscapes: bluster along dramatic clifftops, serene lakesides and jagged mountains to reach Europe\u2019s cosmopolitan cities or puff past idyllic meadows and shimmering streams in the heart of the French countryside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Danube Express, Central Europe  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s luxury trail travel, and then there\u2019s the Golden Eagle<\/em> Danube Express. The antithesis of an a-to-b voyage, this all-inclusive hotel-on-wheels has three distinct compartments: Art Deco luxury sleeping cabins, a Bar Lounge Car (the social heart of the train) and the elegant Restaurant Car, where passengers can enjoy meals prepared by an onboard chef.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multiple journeys are on offer each year, including an eight-day Istanbul<\/a> to Paris<\/a> route, 11-day Budapest<\/a> to Venice<\/a> passage and 12-day Eastern Europe discovery through Krakow and Vienna<\/a>. The best part? Views of baroque elegance and dazzling cities are enjoyed both on and off the train, with each journey offering multiple excursions and activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Le Petit Train Jaune, France <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Can you call yourself a Francophile if you haven\u2019t ridden the Yellow Train? Lovingly referred to as the \u2018pride of the Pyrenees,\u2019 this three-hour journey through France\u2019s southernmost mountain range spans the fortified village of Villefranche-de-Conflent to Latour-de-Carol, near the border with Spain<\/a>. In the warmer months, when the sky is clear, a ride in the small touristic train\u2019s open-air wagon is exquisite. The little train that could heads through Bolqu\u00e8re, the highest station in France<\/a>, and past rolling green hills, meadows of yellow flowers, historic fortresses and rocky mountain gorges \u2013 bring a camera and let the magic hum past.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Fl\u00e5m Railway, Norway <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t let the short travel time fool you \u2013 the historic Fl\u00e5m Railway undeniably deserves a spot on the list. This 20-kilometre, one-hour journey \u2013 one of Norway’s top tourist attractions \u2013 whisks passengers from the southwestern village of Fl\u00e5m up 900 metres to the wild mountains of Myrdal. The train chugs along one of the steepest standard gauge lines in the world, past snow-capped mountain peaks, splashing waterfalls, green pastures, snow-drenched hamlets and rapid rivers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Black Forest Railway, Germany<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If Hansel and Gretel had gone into the woods by train and not foot, they\u2019d have taken the Black Forest Railway. The real-life setting for one of the world\u2019s most loved fairytales is the southwest Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg region in Germany<\/a>, where, since the late 19th<\/sup> century, the line has whisked passengers past dense conifer forests (so dark green they appear black) and misty meadows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Black Forest Railway connects the city of Offenburg with quaint Donaueschingen, before meeting the H\u00f6llentalbahn, which officially translates to Hell\u2019s Valley Railway. Fear not: a more apt description for the route would be enchanted forestry meets gothic grandeur. Over the course of an afternoon, glimpse glacial lake Titisee, elegant H\u00f6llental valley and charming medieval villages with half-timbered taverns.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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