Rail Travel

Europe for Visitors

Car or Train?
Should you tour Europe on four wheels or ride the rails? Use this quiz and related resources to make a wise decision.

European Rail Passes
Depending on where you live, you can save money on European rail travel with Eurailpass or InterRail--plus options such as Flexipasses, rail/drive passes, and national or regional rail passes.

Germany's ICE Trains
High-speed trains connect large and small cities through Germany at speeds of up to 300 km/h or 186 mph. On most routes, you don't even need a reservation--just board with your ticket or rail pass.

Eurostar (London-France)
The "Chunnel" train covers the London-Paris route in 2 hours 35 minutes and London-Brussels in only 2 hours 15 minutes. Other destinations include Lille, Disneyland Paris, Avignon, and the French Alps.

Eurostar (Ex-Thalys)
Eurostar now operates the former Thalys high-speed train service between Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne, and a number of smaller cities (including Bruges, Antwerp, Liège, and Rotterdam).

Lisbon-Madrid Night Train
The Lusitánia Comboio Trenhotel is jointly operated by CP Portuguese Railways and Renfe Spanish Railways. Accommodations range from reclining seats to "Gran Clase" staterooms with private sink, WC, and shower.

Madrid-Seville AVE Trains
Why drive or fly when you can travel between city centers by high-speed train in only 2½ hours?

De Kusttram (Belgium)
The Coastal Tram is the world's longest streetcar line. It runs 68 km or 42 kilometers along the West Flanders coast from De Knokke (near the Dutch border) to De Panne (next to France).

Paris for Visitors

Gare du Nord, Paris
Eurostar, Thalys, trains to Northern Europe, and other rail lines operate from this historic station. Our Paris for Visitors article has advice, photos, and links for travelers.

Venice for Visitors

Venice railroad station
Make sure you get off at the right station, or you'll be stuck in an industrial suburb.

Switzerland/Austria for Visitors

Swiss Official Timetable
Get a year's worth of railroad, funicular, cablecar, boat, and bus schedules in a handy three-volume set.

Swiss Train Times
Our sample routings show just how compact Switzerland is, and how quickly you can travel from city to city or city to resort.

Swiss Rail Passes
Save money on trains, postal buses, lake steamers, funiculars, cable cars, and local transportation.

Swiss railroads
Besides the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), many private regional railroads serve locals and tourists.

Bernina Express
Ride this narrow-gauge train to scenery and skiing in the Engadine, or from Chur and St. Moritz to Italy.

Glacier Express
Take an 8-hour journey from Zermatt to St. Moritz, or vice versa--and pay only a nominal reservation fee if you have a Swiss rail pass.

Gornergrat Bahn
Zermatt's GGB takes you to Matterhorn views and mountain hotels.

Jungfraujochbahn
It's high in elevation, popularity, and price. We tell you what makes it unique and how to trim your ticket costs by up to 50%.

Swiss Chocolate Train
From June through October, a weekly excursion train will take you from Montreux, Switzerland to the Cailler-Nestlé chocolate factory at Broc, with a stop at the medieval cheesemaking town of Gruyère along the way.

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