WRITTEN BY Anthony Haywood
One of the best ways to experience Europe is by rail. The continent is home to some of the most picturesque train journeys in the world.
From dashing past icy rivers and fjords in Scandinavia to cutting through carved valleys in the Alps, and rolling past the swirling Rhine River dotted with romantic castles, here are some of the best.
scotland:
This is certainly one scenic route: rugged highlands and isolated lochs, flashes of coastline, Ben Nevis (Britain’s highest mountain), and spectacular views from the viaduct at Glenfinnan.
The line and steam train are so easy on the eye that they crop up as the Hogwart's Express in the Harry Potter films. The route takes 1.5 hours and is best experienced in summer.
norway:
Roll through craggy mountain landscapes and across the beautiful Hardangervidda Plateau to Norway’s highest station, Finse (1222m), on this awe-inspiring train journey.
From Myrdal to Flåm you go straight up on the world’s steepest railway line.The journey takes about seven hours and is best experienced in July or November - January.
Switzerland and Italy:
Soak up the spectacular Alpine views connecting northern and southern Europe behind panorama windows. The Bernina Express follows two World Heritage–listed lines, the Albula and the Bernina.
The route sweeps among glaciers in Switzerland and palms in Italy. It takes about four hours and is best experienced in April.
Italy:
Five colourful, rustic villages give this 18km stretch of rugged coastline its name (‘five lands’), replete with cliffs tumbling into the picture-postcard turquoise Ligurian Sea.
Regional trains stop at all five villages. The journey takes about 40 minutes and is best experienced between February and October.
germany:
The Rhine Valley offers romantic German landscapes straight from a fairytale – castles rising above swirling waters, past the narrows where the siren Loreley sings sailors onto the rocks.
Take the Mittelrheinbahn (MRB) which follows the left bank between Mainz and Koblenz, stopping at all stations. It takes about 40 minutes and is best experienced between February and October.
Austria:
Between Gloggnitz and Mürzzuschlag the Semmeringbahn morphs into a picturesque wonderland as the train crosses the Semmering Pass, taking in countless tunnels, viaducts and arched bridges.
You can even hike along the railway line, and then relax your muscles in a winter sauna in Semmering. The train journey takes 45 minutes and is best experienced all-year long.