Great European Rail Journeys

Article by: Tom Hall, July 2006

Cross Country: Rome to Venice

Rail journeys throughout Italy are spectacular, from the Alpine tunnels and passes north of Milan to the train-carrying ferry leading goggle-eyed travellers across the Straits of Messina. Our favourite is the four-to-five hour journey that snakes north from Rome to Venice, passing through what sounds like a roll call of classic Italian destinations: Florence, Bologna, Verona and Padua. This route can be the spine of weeks of exploration; we suggest taking at least a few days.

Roma Termini is more than Europe's largest train station. It's a wonderfully chaotic introduction to Rome and Romans, and the start of many great railway adventures. Give the Forum Termini shopping centre a wide berth and instead head into the atmospheric streets of Castro Pretorio, a short walk to the north of the station. This is just the place to pick up some provisions, jostling with the mamas as they get their daily bread and gossip.

While cheaper and slower inter-city services run this route, the fast Eurostar trains are worth the extra cost. The train leaves Rome's northern suburbs behind for the scenery of Lazio, Umbria and Tuscany. Vineyards, rolling hills and red-roofed villages pack the horizon, and then Florence homes into view.

The train leaves Rome's northern suburbs behind for the scenery of Lazio, Umbria and Tuscany. Vineyards, rolling hills and red-roofed villages pack the horizon, and then Florence homes into view.

Florence's 1935 station is a modern masterpiece in a much older setting, and the city is only 90 minutes from Rome. If you're breaking your journey here, medieval lanes, ancient churches and the quietly snaking River Arno are a few minutes walk away. Stretch your legs on a walk from the river up to Piazzale Michelangelo, the best view of the city. Grab a quick ice cream from the station concourse and settle back for the remainder of the journey.

The Appenine mountain scenery gives way to the plains of the northeast, then medieval Padua and Verona before, finally, the land runs out. It was the Austrians who connected Venice with the rest of Italy via a four-mile causeway and while arriving by boat is often described as the only way to arrive in La Serenissima, the train's not bad either. Exiting Santa Lucia station and getting your first look at Venice in all its glory is one of the finest moments in European travel. Turn left for St Mark's Square, right for the Dorsoduoro or just get hopelessly lost in the beauty of Venice.

Practical details:

Go to www.italiarail.co.uk for fares, times and advance bookings. Fares from £28.00 one way

Into the Wild: West Highland Line

Scotland's West Highland Line runs up to three times a day from Glasgow's Queen Street Station to the west coast town of Mallaig. Those are the facts, but they do about as much justice to this journey as reading the timetable. The Rathad Iarainn non Eilean (Iron Road to the Isles) is a Scottish treasure: 164 miles of metal rails and wooden sleepers that crosses mountains and moorland, passing lochs and villages. Don't expect to get anything useful done while on board as your eyes will be locked on the scenery. Food is a no-no - open-mouthed passengers should be provided with bibs.

The train enters the Highlands, with its looming green peaks and more than likely a storm brewing for added atmosphere. As the line climbs to Rannoch Moor the scenery grows increasingly desolate and dramatic.

The train leaves Glasgow via non-descript suburbs, speeding northwest to Loch Lomond, where it starts to become clear what all the fuss is about. From here the train enters the Highlands, with its looming green peaks and more than likely a storm brewing for added atmosphere. As the line climbs to Rannoch Moor the scenery grows increasingly desolate and dramatic - the station at Corrour is on an inaccessible public road and can only be reached on foot or by train.

Break the journey at Fort William - it's the perfect place to launch an assault on Ben Nevis or take a side trip to magnificent Glen Coe. The West Highland Line continues to dazzle all along its length, and the final stretch on to Mallaig offers astonishing views of islands and beaches, plus a crossing of the wonderful viaduct at Glenfinnan. On summer weekends you can sometimes catch special steam excursions from Fort William to Mallaig.

At the end comes the final slap in the face for stunned travellers: Mallaig is not the end. From here ferries flow to Skye, Rum, Eigg and on to the lost world of Knoydart.

The best way to approach this line is to take the 13-hour sleeper all the way from London - it will scarcely seem feasible that you're still on the same small strip of northern Europe you pulled out of at Euston station. Failing that, services from Glasgow are regular and don't usually require reservation.

Practical details:

Go to www.firstgroup.com/scotrail for fares and times. Fares from £26.00 return

Trans-Continental Railway: London to Marrakesh

North Africa may be the latest hot-spot for budget flights from northern Europe, but if you've got the time and the money travelling overland is a wonderful alternative. This epic journey can take as little as three days if you go non-stop, but it's better to take up to a week and enjoy the treats on the way.

Part sleeping car service, part rolling bar and restaurant - it'll bring out your inner Poirot as you rock off to sleep somewhere over the Pyrenees, destination Madrid.

One of the great thrills of riding the rails in Europe is pulling into Paris and roaming around the city for an afternoon. As Marrakesh is your destination whet your appetite at the Institute du Monde Arabe - one of the most visually stunning of the Grands Projets fostered by President Mitterand in the 1980s. After taking in the fine views of Notre Dame from the roof, a long lunch in the gardens of Paris Mosque will happily pass the afternoon.

In the evening, make your way to Austerlitz station to catch the Trainhotel. Part sleeping car service, part rolling bar and restaurant - it'll bring out your inner Poirot as you rock off to sleep somewhere over the Pyrenees, destination Madrid. After a quick spin round the Prado and a noisy night in Sol on the tapas trail it's off to the coast. Detour via Gibraltar rather than jumping straight on the ferry at Algeciras. Gibraltar's Barbary Apes are Europe's only wild primates, though watching British soldiers enjoy a night on the warm beer might make you think otherwise.

Nothing can prepare you for Tangier - the noise, clamour and sense of fading grandeur form an unforgettable introduction to Africa. The Marrakesh Express leaves frequently for points south and takes seven hours, often with a change at Casablanca. The train passes through Meknes, Fez and Rabat before heading inland to Marrakesh in style.

Practical details:

As you'll probably be breaking your journey, this trip is best booked in stages - see www.seat61.com for full details. The website www.spanish-rail.co.uk can book trains to and within Spain from the UK. RENFE is the official site for Spanish train times, ticket booking and information. One-way fares start at around £220.00 in total. If going both ways, consider getting an inter-rail or Eurail pass - see www.raileurope.co.uk for pass details.

Inter-City: Sarajevo to Mostar

A superb train ride links two of Bosnia & Hercegovina's most famous names: Sarajevo and Mostar. After a decade where these two cities were synonymous with conflict, both are bouncing back with a vengeance. Today Bosnia is home to two on-the-rise cities, crammed full of the culture clash, upbeat youth and optimism of independence that makes a visit utterly fascinating. This journey is as much about the cities it connects as the stunning, little-known rail link.

Mostar was intimately entwined in the conflict of the 1990s, but to visit now is to see a city getting on with being beautiful. There's no more dramatic symbol of Bosnia's revival than the 'new Old Bridge', replacing the previous Ottoman masterpiece destroyed in 1993. Mostar's Old Town, on both sides of the bridge, is crowded with mosques, museums and cafes.

When it's time to leave Mostar the train beckons - but don't expect a huge, packed service. Two carriages are the norm. Twice daily a near-empty train leaves Mostar early in the morning - faster buses account for the dearth of passengers, but with a compartment to stretch out in and enjoy the views, who cares? Starting alongside the Nereteva River, the journey climbs slowly through tunnels, up switchbacks and across viaducts to cross the Bjelasnica Mountains en route to Sarajevo.

A wonderful place to get lost, the Bosnian capital hums with life during the day and its very-late-night cafe and bar scene changes can be hard to keep up with. Follow the beautiful crowd on a crawl or find a good spot by the Miljacka River and order another Sarajevo Beer.

Practical details:

Two daily trains run in each direction between Sarajevo and Mostar, costing £9.00 one-way. Journey time is three hours.