Why travel Europe by rail
For families and couples travelling from India, trains are often the most comfortable way to see Europe. Stations sit in the centre of town, there are no airport queues, luggage stays with you, and the scenery is the point of the journey rather than something to sit through. A well-planned rail itinerary can link Paris, the Swiss Alps and Italy in two weeks without a single internal flight.
The Glacier Express, Switzerland
Between Zermatt and St. Moritz, the Glacier Express takes around eight hours to cross 291 bridges and 91 tunnels, including the Oberalp Pass. Panoramic windows curve into the roof, and lunch is served at your seat. It is slow by design; we usually book it as a travel day between two mountain bases.
The Bernina Express, Switzerland to Italy
From Chur or St. Moritz down to Tirano in Italy, the Bernina Express climbs past glaciers before descending through vineyards and palm trees, all in about four hours. The Albula and Bernina lines are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the spiral viaduct at Brusio is one of the most photographed pieces of railway in Europe.
The GoldenPass Express, Montreux to Interlaken
This route links Lake Geneva with the Bernese Oberland without a change of train, passing through the Gruyère region and the chalets of Gstaad. It is the most elegant way to join Montreux and Interlaken, and pairs naturally with days in Lucerne and the Jungfrau region.
The Cinque Terre coast, Italy
The regional line between La Spezia and Levanto threads through tunnels and bursts out above the sea at each of the five villages. It is a short, simple ride rather than a luxury train, but there are few better ways to see the Ligurian coast. Travel early in the day to avoid the crowds in summer.
Further afield: Norway and Scotland
The Flåm Railway drops from the mountain station at Myrdal to the head of a fjord in under an hour, past waterfalls and steep valley walls. In Scotland, the West Highland Line from Glasgow to Mallaig crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, familiar to many children from the films, and arrives at the coast facing the Isle of Skye.
Seasons, passes and comfort
May to September is ideal for the Alpine routes; winter has its own snow-covered beauty, with shorter days. Panoramic trains need seat reservations, which open months ahead and sell out in summer.
A Swiss Travel Pass covers most Swiss trains, boats and many mountain lifts, while a Eurail pass suits longer multi-country journeys. We generally book first class for families, arrange luggage forwarding between Swiss hotels so you travel light, and plan connections with a comfortable margin.
