So, you want to go on an amazing vacation where you make use of the world’s best train system to zip around Europe. Then you realize that there are almost endless options of great places to visit and that many places have excellent train connections with frequent departures, while others are separated by a mountain range or two.
What if someone could find the destinations you will enjoy, plan a convenient route, look at the timetables, and figure out where to buy the tickets? I am a Swedish train travel nerd who has crisscrossed Europe extensively by train, and I have done the hard work for you:
- Northern, central, and southern Europe – check!
- Stops in several of the world’s best food cities – check!
- A railway journey so beautiful that it is a UNESCO World Heritage – check!
- My favorite three things to do in each city – check!
- Comfortable direct connections averaging about two hours – check!
- Links to where you can buy the train tickets straight from the train operators rather than some middleman – check!
The below three-week-long railbound extravaganza is designed for you to see a lot of Europe without feeling like you are rushing it or getting tired from too much travel. I want you to stay at just the right wavelength of delightful exploring. Pack your bags, and let’s go!
The route
The route is carefully put together to serve as the backbone of a fantastic journey through Europe. We start in the international travel hub London, which you can easily get to from almost anywhere in the world. Then, seven stops conveniently tied together will take you all the way to Rome.
- London, United Kingdom
- Paris, France
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Tirano, Italy
- Milan, Italy
- Florence, Italy
- Rome, Italy
The tickets
- London to Paris: 2 hours 16 minutes, 10+ journeys per day, around €150/ticket from Eurostar.
- Paris to Zurich: 4 hours 4 minutes, 5+ journeys per day, around €30/ticket from TGV Lyria.
- Zurich to Chur: 1 hour 15 minutes, 10+ journeys per day, around €15/ticket from SBB.
- Chur to Tirano: 4 hours 30 minutes, 2 journeys per day, around €65 per ticket from RhB.
- Tirano to Milan: 2 hours 30 minutes, 10+ journeys per day, around €15 per ticket from Trenord.
- Milan to Florence: 1 hour 55 minutes, 10+ journeys per day, around €40 per ticket from Trenitalia.
- Florence to Rome: 1 hour 35 minutes, 10+ journeys per day, around €30 per ticket from Trenitalia.
Stop #1: London, United Kingdom
We clamber aboard our journey in London, a city of style and eccentricity. It is more than just the Royal backyard. Imagine strolling alongside the River Thames, spotting the iconic Big Ben, the grandeur of the Palace of Westminster, and maybe even catching a glimpse of the royal family at Buckingham Palace. And mark my words, the local cuisine is not just ‘fish and chips’, even though the best food here is probably the Indian cuisine. My top spot for a curry or two is Dishoom at Covent Garden, which is also one of my favorite areas of the city to spend time in.
My three things to do in London
- Watch a football game. Some of the best teams in the world call this city their home, including the Premier League teams Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, Fulham, and West Ham United.
- Enjoy the pub culture. I love the pubs in London, especially older ones that have been around for longer than I have been alive. Have a pint and some bangers (sausages) and mash.
- Visit the British Museum. It is home to treasures like the Rosetta Stone and mummified preserved cats…
Stop #2: Paris, France
Next stop, Paris! She is the city of lights, love, and baguettes. Stand in awe beneath the Eiffel Tower or enjoy a scenic Seine river cruise. This is the kind of city where I enjoy just wandering the streets for hours each day and reaching higher ground once in a while to enjoy the views. I enjoy the overview from the top of the Arc de Triomphe as the boulevards of Paris radiate from this point as its center, creating a pretty special feeling. You can also climb the stairs of the Sacré-Cœur Basílica to drink in this breathtaking city.
My three things to do in Paris
- People-watch at a street café. Enjoy some top pâtisserie (sweet pastries) and a great cup of coffee while soaking in the busy city life around you.
- Visit the Louvre. It is one of the top museums in the world, where you will find the Mona Lisa and countless other works of art. It would take days to see it all, so just embrace that you won’t.
- Have a fresh baguette with smelly cheese. Exceptional bread with even better cheeses is on offer almost everywhere. Bring one to one of the parks for a simple picnic.
Stop #3: Zurich, Switzerland
The journey chirps to a halt in Zurich next, a city that hums Swiss charm and keeps its pockets full of chocolate and banknotes. Its turquoise lake and snow-capped mountains make it as picturesque as a postcard! Get lost in the halcyon lanes of Old Town (Altstadt) while sipping swigs of hot chocolate. Cap it off with a visit to Bahnhofstrasse, one of the world’s most exclusive shopping streets.
One thing to note though, is that Switzerland is expensive, so just be ready for that. One way to travel on a budget here is to eat at more informal sausage places and to frequent the many bakeries rather than upscale restaurants.
My three things to do in Zurich
- Eat chocolate. Yes, it is a stereotype, but I don’t care! The chocolate is world-class. The Lindt & Sprüngli shops are terrific, but there are many options, so just explore.
- Relax by Lake Zurich. Bring your chocolate to the lakefront and enjoy a calm moment looking out over this beautiful lake and surrounding Alps.
- Reach the top of a mountain. Take a day trip to one of the nearby mountains like the Schnebelhorn, which has an elevation of 1,292 meters.
Stop #4: Tirano, Italy
Okay, so this will be the day with the most traveling as we start the day with a short train ride from Zurich to Chur. Here we just stop for some lunch and load up on snacks for the main event; The Bernina Express to Tirano on the other side of the Italian border.
The Bernina Express is one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world. It will take you through the Bernina and Albula passes and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. You will enjoy spectacular Alpine landscapes as the train crosses almost 200 bridges and climbs to 2,253 meters to reach Ospizio Bernina Station on the banks of Lago Bianco. You will travel from Switzerland to Italy and from glaciers to palm trees.
When you arrive in Tirano, take the chance to stay in this small Alpine village for a night or two to get a break from big city life. You have traveled far today, and now it is time to sit back with a delightful platter of pizzoccheri (a local pasta dish) and local Valtellina wine.
My three things to do in Tirano
- Ride the Bernina Express. If you follow this route, you will have arrived in Tirano with the Bernina Express. But if you didn’t, at least ride a shorter segment, perhaps to St. Moritz.
- Eat pizzoccheri. Pizzoccheri is a type of short tagliatelle made with 80% buckwheat flour and 20% wheat flour. It originated in the area of Valtellina, which is the name of this small valley in Lombardy.
- Enjoy the Italian countryside. I like to slow down and embrace the slower pace of life and the closeness to nature between all the big city stops.
Stop #5: Milan, Italy
Now, on the fashion runway – Milan calling! Walk around and take in the beautiful architectural mix of grand old and stylish modern buildings. Delve into the wonder of the Gothic Duomo di Milano cathedral. Then, pull up your shopping pants around Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. And if you are a football fan, then the local rivals AC Milan and Inter Milan will not disappoint.
If you have the time, I recommend a day trip (or an extra stop on the way to Florence) to visit Bologna, the food capital of Italy. This says a lot, because according to me, Italy offers the best food in the world. Milan is the hub of Northern Italy, and the excellent train network makes it easy to reach places like Turin, Parma, Lake Como, Lake Garda, Florence, Rome, and Venice from here.
My three things to do in Milan
- A gelato a day. I don’t think it keeps the doctor away, but the Italian ice cream is full of flavor, and the proper shops make it in-house with fresh ingredients. Try simple varieties like pistachio or hazelnut to feel the difference from regular ice cream.
- Take a moment to take in the beautiful central station. This building is impressive and almost worth a stop in Milan in itself. It is the largest train station in Europe and does not follow a single architectural style as the construction took more than 20 years, and the plans changed with the changing times in Italy.
- Drink the coffee. Italy is the home of espresso. You will get one of the best cups of coffee in your life in Milan, perhaps at a coffee shop overlooking the beautiful Duomo (cathedral).
Stop #6: Florence, Italy
Photo by Heidi Kaden on Unsplash.
The journey southward in Italy detours to Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance. Get allured by the majesty of the Duomo Cathedral, then traverse the iconic Ponte Vecchio bridge. Travelers rate Florence as one of the best destinations in the world, and the city is so full of beauty that there is even a syndrome named after it. Florence syndrome (sometimes called Stendhal syndrome) is a psychosomatic condition with symptoms like rapid heartbeat, fainting, confusion, and hallucinations, occurring when individuals become exposed to great beauty.
My three things to do in Florence
- Visit Uffizi Gallery. The Accademia with Michelangelo’s David and more beautiful art than you can handle in a day.
- Eat steak Florentine. Young steer steak which is one of the top dishes in this world-famous food region of Tuscany.
- Eat more gelato. Just keep going with this new habit of yours. Florence is claimed to be the birthplace of gelato, so why not sample a few scoops at least.
Stop #7: Rome, Italy
Last but not least, let’s go to Rome, Italy. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and thank goodness for that; otherwise, we’d be short a Colosseum, Pantheon, and Vatican. Be sure to toss a coin in Trevi Fountain for good luck and savor some of the best pizza, pasta, and gelato you will ever taste. When in Rome, right?
My three things to do in Rome
- Eat the pizza. There are at least two styles of Roman pizza: a round, thin variety and a thicker rectangular pie served in slices.
- Visit the Vatican. It is a strange city-state museum, but there are so many pristine buildings and works of art in such a small space that it is not to be missed.
- Eat more gelato. You know the drill.
Final words
There is so much to see in Europe, and when planning a train route, one must make hard choices. So even though this is what I think is the best train trip through Europe, I had to exclude some of my favorite cities like Madrid, Berlin, and Vienna. They are easy to get to by train and brilliant destinations, but they simply do not work without becoming significant detours.
About the Author
Anders almost always travels by train and even worked in public transport for a few years. He is one of the founders of Humbo, the website where travelers rate the places they have visited and create bucket lists with places they want to visit in the future. The small but well-traveled team behind Humbo is based in Gothenburg, Sweden.
On Humbo, you can explore places from around the world. When you find a place that you want to visit, you can add it to your travel bucket list. You see the places on your bucket list as a collection of beautiful cards or as dots on a world map. And, of course, it is easy to share your bucket list with your friends and family, so that you can join your trips or at least chip in for the tickets.
