12 top tips for travelling by rail in Europe
A European train journey can be a social, fast and scenic way to cross countries, time zones and even the waters. Here are Wanderlust readers’ top tips for riding the Euro-rails…
Dress to the lines
– Elizabeth Anderson
The best views
The Bernina Express in Switzerland (Shutterstock)
– Cath Simpson
Train coming into Barmouth (Shutterstock)
“You can’t beat a rail journey from Machynlleth to Barmouth in Wales. Hugging the Gwynedd coastline, you pass through the Victorian fishing port of Aberdyfi – look out for osprey and porpoises here!”
– Julie Squire
“The most scenic journey I’ve done is a toss-up between seeing the Swiss Alps at dawn and admiring the serrated peaks of mountains in Catalonia at dusk.”
– Christopher Norris
– Colleen Moore
Practical advice
– Eva Appleby
“In Russia, check the time zone on your ticket. Russia has 11 time zones, but train tickets for the whole country usually show Moscow time – not local!”
– Ruth Coverdale
“In Italy, don’t forget to validate your ticket in the station or on a platform before boarding the train.
Once validated, use it on any comparably priced journey (between a set start and end point) for up to four hours. So, if you miss the train you bought the ticket for, you can get another!”
– Janice Leary
Quirky trips you’ll remember forever
Trains on a ferry approaching Messina (Shutterstock)
– Peggy Wright
Indalecio Prieto Station, Bilbao (Shutterstock)
– Jane Nairne
Keep it social and make new friends
Every rail traveller has a story to tell (Shutterstock)
“My top tip is to engage your fellow passengers in conversation – everyone has a story and a reason for travelling by train.
On my rail journeys I have enjoyed chatting to a pro ice hockey player from Canada on his way to play in Switzerland, and a Canadian teacher travelling from an opera-singing course in Rome to a ballet residency in Barcelona.”
– Christopher Norris
New friends travelling by train in Europe (Shutterstock)
“During a recent trip from Barcelona to Alicante, I met so many people just by talking to them.
I now have friends in Iran, Germany, Spain and Belgium now, and some of us have even booked trips to visit each other to get a local’s tour.
We pooled all our snacks to make an international lunch, too!”
– Carolyn Payne
