best train trips in europe winter

Take a brisk walk through Parc Des Bastions, a beautiful natural park in the city centre. It's de rigueur for the ski enthusiast (and, literally, the upwardly mobile). A new night train from Vienna to La Spezia, Italy offers a new way to access Ligurias Cinque Terre HelloRF Zcool / Shutterstock, The best European train routes to try in 2023. You have already subscribed to this newsletter! Following two Unesco World Heritagelisted lines, the Albula and the Bernina, the Bernina Express sweeps among glaciers in Switzerland as it makes it way down through the mountains to the palms ofItaly. Back following a five-year absence, the Czech Railways (esk drhy, or D)operated Canopus train once again connects the Swiss city with stately Prague via Dresden and Leipzig. Route:Oslo to Bergen via FlmDont miss:Learning more about this feat of engineering at theFlm Railway MuseumDistance andduration: 342 miles (550km), seven hoursBest time to ride: July or November to January. Here are some other helpful resources: Hey, did you find this post informative? The town is built around a windy river at the foot of a giant castle, exactly like the cover of every fairytale book ever written. You can take a train or bus between Hallstatt, Austria andesk Krumlov, but youll need to take a couple of transfers. Vacationing with parents or grandparents for the first time can be a pivotal moment. Two of the scenic routes, the Semmering and the narrow gauge Mariazellerbahn are in eastern Austria near Vienna, the third, Arlberg, is found . Its also UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to the 1200s. Sign up below & well send it straight to your inbox, along with a few more handy tips to help you plan your trip! The luxurious train, with its polished wood carriage interiors and glistening etched-glass windows, makes it feel like you're on a grand train journey from the past. I took a three-hour train journey from Luxembourg to Belgium for $25. First and foremost, its easy to find budget-friendly flights to Copenhagen from the USA, thanks to a plethora of budget airlines flying to and from like WOW, Ryanair, and Norwegian Airlines. 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First class service: a dining car on the Golden Eagle Danube Express in Budapest, Hungary. Well also send our favorite travel tips straight to your inbox! Just exist. Europe in the winter isnt high season, which means fewer crowds and cheaper prices. Get on at Euston, have a whisky and wake up 12 hours later for breakfast as you sweep through the Highlands. What are the Liverpool to Berlin train times and schedule? Its developed into a bit of a habit, actually: after just a few trips, the idea of Christmas without Christmas Markets just feels empty, meaningless, and devoid of calories. We think the best time to do this itinerary is in early to mid-December (which is, incidentally, when we did it). Why its exciting: Iryo offers arguably the most comfortable high-speed services in Europe, complete with tempting dining options, as the beauty of Spains countryside zips past. However, we recommend staying a few days in Bremen so you can experience all of the wonderful winter delights the town has to offer. From Siracuse, visit the Greek temples at Agrigento, enjoy the glories of Alcantara National Park or loll about in the winter sun while Northern Europe shivers. This season, the railway is operating New Year specials on 29 December and 1 January. Whether it is a scenic train trip between destinations or a luxury journey across a country, here are the top 10 European rail trips every traveler should experience. You just read over 10,000 words. j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'? Five colorful, rustic villages give Cinque Terre, an 11-mile (18km) stretch of rugged coastline, its name, meaning"five lands." And most of them are super weird and totally quirky. Absolutely magical. But we also started here because Copenhagen is one of the best European cities to visit in winter. Seats available for 17 December from 457 (belmond.com), Winter is the perfect time to travel on the Harz line as it ascends Brocken mountain and joins one of the worlds most spectacular networks of narrow-gauge steam lines. My husband and I are planning a month long trip abroad this December so I was so stoked to find this article. Winter is a fantastic time to explore Europe, and this 1 week winter itinerary will give you the best of the alpine views, scenic rail routes, and a taste of some of her most festive cities. Heres what travelers need to know about visiting. Although beset by introductory problems, the sleepers are now operating smoothly. Id been dreaming of visiting this magical village ever since I first saw a picture of it in winter. Check out Stasher, a service that helps you find a safe place to keep your luggage while youre running around. Browse Guardian Holidays to see a range of fantastic trips, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Snow business the Semmering railway crosses the Kalte-Rinne viaduct en route from Vienna to south-western Austria. (As if Istanbul werent fun enough.). Avantis scanty service on this and other routes has been widely criticized in the UK in recent times; these additional trains are part of a hoped-for improvement between London, the West Midlands and Northwest England and north Wales. Trains connect to all neighbouring countries, and many offer the best scenic views on the continent. This is made possible via an ingenious system that allows the train to change operating gauge mid-journey, a process that usually requires carriages to be elevated and have bogies (wheelsets) removed. You cannot change the currency once you have a Pass in your cart. Tour Linderhof Palace, a lavish 19th-century royal residence. AtGarmisch-Partenkirchen you can change trains and hop on the scenicBavarian Zugspitze Railway, which chugs toward the summit of Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain at9717ft (2961m). Lonely Planets experts reveal how to make the most of the newest high-speed routes and the best places to stop off along the way. Bremen is a short hour and a half bus or train ride away from much larger Hamburg, Germany, making it a perfect day trip from Hamburg. You cannot change the currency once you have a Pass in your cart. You can also fly directly from Bremens airport (BRE) to Amsterdam (AMS) in less than one hour. Scenic train ride in Winter Switzerland Forum . Departs 28 December, 7,895pp for a deluxe compartment, goldeneagleluxurytrains.com. Amsterdam is a leisurely 4-hour train ride from Bremen or slightly less on a bus. Completed in 1854, the line crosses 16 viaducts and passes through 15 tunnels, and provides a breathtaking vision of the Austrian Alps as it clings to the icy mountainside and sweeps above the snowy valley floor thousands of feet below. Fondues, hot chocolate and log-burning fires dominate the indoors, and outside the snow covered Alps make this the perfect place for winter sports. Spain: Tantalise your tastebuds with sangrias and churros in Spain. Psst: Looking for even more resources for planning your trip to Europe in the winter? Very detailed indeed. Plus, youll see the jaw-dropping arches of the Landwasser Viaduct and the jagged Rhine Gorge. The guide includes everything from the hacks we use to save money on travel to printable packing lists. Thank you for providing such through articles, sad to find that i just now discovered your blog because it is so F&*$ing helpful (unlike all the other BS listicals). We chose to spend New Years Eve here, which was a BLAST. Spain can get overcrowded and seriously hot during summer. Every day, if you can. From the endless forests of Trondelag to the icy Saltfjellet peaks, youll witness a winter wonderland where the sun only rises for a few hours - and the Northern Lights dancing across the night sky. In winter, the line heads through a gloriously austere, icy white landscape and crosses snow-covered Rannoch Moor. Stay by Lake Como and ride the Bernina Railway with Country Living, with various dates available in winter 2021 and 2022. There are regular connections between Lucerne and Zurich. By late afternoon, you pass an ugly-looking dome: the Polarsirkelsenteret (Arctic Circle Centre), which means youve reached the Land of the Midnight Sun. Here's a list of the 10 most scenic train rides in Europe. Once in Zurich, there is a high-speed connection to Munich at 08:16 AM and again at 11:08 AM. Well, this was like that, in that it was SO MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN I IMAGINED. 4 UK beaches named among the best in Europe, The best Rovaniemi hotels for a magic winter trip, Slow travel: How to apply its principles in 2023, 6 most impressive solar farms around the world, The most spectacular winter train journeys in Europe, Country Living, Part of the Hearst UK Fashion & Beauty Network. Eastern and Oriental Express Countries: Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand It is one of the best trains in Southeast Asia that runs between three countries- Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. You can take a train or bus directly from Bruges to Brussels city center, which will drop you off at the Brussels central station. Its official: the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris will reopen its doors in December 2024. Highlights of the line include trackside views of Conwy Castle, the Menai Strait crossing to Anglesey and the stop at Llanfairpwll, still delighting passengers who can glimpse its longer (if contrived) name of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Norway's awe-inspiring Bergen Railway links two incredible cities as it rolls through craggy mountain landscapes and across the beautiful Hardangervidda plateau to the country's highest station, Finse at 4010ft (1222m), only accessible by train. Or maybe a repost is needed? Its quick and easy to get across the country by rail using high-speed and regional trains. Here are the must-see places in Europe in winter. However I think there was a loading error im Not able to see it. Head of steam: the Tornado engine ready to roll. Spend five nights on board (and three in hotels) as you pass through a series of stunning cities as you loop into snow-encrusted Austria: first Graz and then Vienna before you head on to Prague, Kosice and finally back to Budapest. Take a sleeper train from Vienna to La Spezia, Italy Why it's exciting: Roll on from Vienna into an underrated Italian port city - and a more affordable base for exploring Cinque Terre . Look around. With this cozy and efficient night connection, Germanys second city offer a gateway to Swedens elegant capital and the spectacular train routes of Scandinavia beyond. If you feel like going even further, Spain (Barcelona and Madrid) are a great choice. And keep an eye out for wildlife too, you might spot arctic foxes, snow owls and wild reindeer as your train winds its way across the dramatic rocky route. Planning a Eurail trip this winter? Bigger cities in Austria take on a new look and feel during winter months. Read our Privacy Policy. Beautiful snow-capped scenery aside, the best part about traveling through Europe in winter is the lack of crowds. But apart from a couple of activities, Hallstatt is primarily a spot to just be. 10 of Europe's most scenic train journeys To kick off our new weekly Interrail competition, in which the writer of the best rail tip wins two first-class train passes worth up to 768, here's. Heres what were covering in this our winter Europe itinerary: Psst: Looking for even more resources for planning your trip to Europe in the winter? Unsubscribe anytime. In fact, esk Krumlov is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe thanks to never experiencing any destructive events like a battle or a natural disaster. Best time to ride: February to October Germany's Rhine Valley offers romantic landscapes straight from a fairytale. A trip to Paris may include tourist attractions like the Louvre Museum, which features the Mona Lisa; Notre Dame Cathedral; the Arc de Triomphe; and the world-famous Eiffel Tower, where panoramic views of the city are provided from three different viewing platforms. Error subscribing to the newsletter. The town is quite small and you can easily explore it all on foot in 2 days. Amsterdam is gorgeous at any time of the year, and theres plenty to do during the winter when the entire city is less crowded with tourists. The lines rolling stock is old, drafty and offers little more than crisps and tea in terms of catering. Gliding along at a relaxed pace, youll have all the time in the world to drink in fantastical views on either side, as you inch your way through snow-coated woodland and up into the mighty Oberalp Pass, standing 2,033 metres above sea level.