That’s the ticket
Criss-cross Europe on these popular rail routes and you’ll find there’s more to discover than just extraordinary views, writes Justine Costigan
Vienna to Venice
The 434km journey from Vienna’s sleek Hauptbahnhof station to Venice’s Santa Lucia station takes a little over seven and a half hours, and although there is an overnight option, the night train means missing out on some spectacular Austrian and Italian scenery. Kicking off from Vienna, you’ll soon reach the 41km Unesco World Heritage-listed Semmering Railway, which includes 14 tunnels and 16 viaducts, before continuing past lakes, castles, and picturesque villages then heading through the Julian Pass, where the peaks are so steep you sometimes have to crane your neck to see the sky. The sleek modern trains offer free Wi-Fi, and a menu with a taste of Austria, including a very decent schnitzel and strudel. Put this on your must-do-now list because the route will change in 2025, swapping the Semmering Railway section for a newly constructed tunnel designed to shave 20 minutes off the journey.
Rome to Palermo
It might seem like strange advice, but while the overnight train from Rome to Palermo means missing the views along the mainland route, it makes up for it in early-morning magical experiences. After leaving Termini about 11pm, you’ll reach the Calabrian port where the train is loaded on to the ferry for the crossing to mainland Sicily around sunrise. On the ferry, leave your carriage to head up to the deck to view the lights of Messina Marittima and the sometimes-wild Straits of Messina — the mythical setting for the story of Scylla and Charybdis, sea monsters who sent sailors to their deaths. Back on firm ground, the train tightly tracks the Sicilian coastline with to-die-for views of the Tyrrhenian Sea and, briefly, the Aeolian Islands sparkling in the morning sun. If you book the very comfortable sleepers, your ticket includes an excellent breakfast of cappuccino and cornetto.
Oslo to Bergen
The six-and-a half-hour trip between Oslo and Bergen, Norway’s two largest cities, has been called one of Europe’s most beautiful train journeys and it’s hard to argue (pointless, even) with this grand declaration once the train leaves Oslo’s suburbs and reaches the Hardangervidda National Park, which features dramatic scenery at every turn. The Hardangervidda plateau, an untouched arctic wilderness above the tree line, can be accessed by only Finse station, the highest railway station in Europe, so you’ll be sharing a carriage with enthusiastic skiers (or hikers and mountain bikers) as well as trans-city commuters. The train itself is sleek and modern, with a cafe serving Norwegian specialities, including every Norwegian’s favourite pastry, the addictive cinnamon bun.
The French Riviera bunny hop
The journey from Nice to Ventimiglia may not be grand in length, but it is glorious in scope. Offering Hollywood views for the humble price of a train ticket, you’ll have a front-row seat to the sparkling Mediterranean, bobbing yachts, rocky beaches, and pretty, cliff-hugging towns bathed in soft pink light. Rather than speed through the 40-minute journey, you’ll want to stop at every pretty town to explore and eat. Head to Les Perles de Monte-Carlo, an oyster bar on the Fontvieille pier in Monaco, where billionaires rub shoulders with residents, for an affordable taste of the good life.
At Ventimiglia in Italy, you’ll need to change trains to continue along the coast to Genoa — another spectacular coastal journey — or stop to enjoy the town’s pretty beaches and
Roman ruins.
Belgrade to Bar
The railway stretching from the capital of Serbia to the Montenegrin seaport is almost 50 years old, but it has been so neglected it now takes longer to travel the 476km route than when it was officially opened by the Yugoslavian dictator Tito in 1976. Don’t be put off, for if it’s spectacular scenery you’re after, the leisurely speed is an advantage. While it may be a no-frills journey (there are kiosks on board but BYO lunch, drinks, and toilet paper, just in case), the 10-hour route is an engineering marvel with 254 tunnels and 435 bridges making their way through rugged mountains, and traversing wooded valleys dotted with picturesque towns, minarets and monasteries. The steep and spectacular descent into Podgorica and the Mala Rijeka viaduct crossing are highlights, making the (bargain) price of the ticket, and potential delays and discomfort, all worth it.
For specific price, route and booking details and more rail inspiration, head to seat61.com