All Aboard: Best Train Journeys To Explore Europe During The Off-Peak Season
For Singaporeans used to zipping around on the MRT in under an hour, the idea of spending several hours on a train might sound like a test of patience—but trust us, Europe’s scenic rail routes make the journey just as exciting as the destination!
Plus, travelling during the off-peak season means that you get to explore Europe with fewer tourists around, more space on the trains and at local attractions, and with better deals on tickets and accommodation options! And buying local train passes (in Switzerland and France for example) go a long way as some routes are included in it already and it works out better than buying tickets for individual journeys. Plus, train travel is one of the most environmentally-friendly ways of travelling.
Europe’s off-peak train travel season is usually during the shoulder season months between spring and autumn, while peak season is roughly from May to September during the school summer holidays for the northern hemisphere. However, do take note that December might still be considered peak travel time due to Christmas.
If you love the leisurely train travel life and are flexible with your dates, consider these train journeys around Europe:
Bernina Express - from the Swiss Alps to Italy
Mountains and glaciers to palm trees on one route? That’s exactly what you’ll get on this scenic train that connects the high towering glaciers of the mountains in the north of Europe to its south, right through the UNESCO World Heritage site of Rhaetian Railway (Switzerland’s largest Alpine railway).
The Bernina Express takes five hours to go from Chur (Switzerland’s oldest town), to Tirano’s palm trees on the Swiss-Italian border. Note that you can also start your train journey from Davos.
Enjoy gorgeous, panoramic views as the train makes its way through several attractions, including Domleschg in Switzerland (it has the highest density of castles in Europe), the wild Zügen Gorge, romantic Albula Valley and swanky St. Moritz, to name a few.
And while the landscapes and views are incredible, Bernina Express’ track is equally impressive too! Some of the viaducts that the train travels along include the 85m-high single track 11-arched limestone Solis Viaduct, the Brusio spiral viaduct (a single-track 9-arched stone spiral railway viaduct), as well as the world-famous 65m-high UNESCO-protected Landwasser Viaduct.
This is one train where you do not want to miss taking advantage of getting off at all its stops if you can!
Tip: The Bernina Express is part of the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland, which unites the most beautiful panoramic routes in the country. For more information, visit myswitzerland.com/grandtraintour.
IMAGE: GLACIEREXPRESS.CH
Glacier Express - from Zermatt to St. Moritz
Dubbed ‘the window to the Swiss Alps’, the Glacier Express is yet another picturesque perfect way to travel through the Swiss Alps.
Starting from Zermatt, pass through the magnificent Matterhorn, Brig, Andermatt, Oberalp Pass (the highest point that the Glacier Express passes through at 2033m) and Chur, before arriving at St. Moritz, travelling through 91 tunnels (some of which are spiral) and atop 291 bridges.
With so much amazing scenery and gorgeous landscapes on both sides of the track, the train guarantees high panoramic windows for each traveller for unobstructed panoramic views.
But while the train may have the word ‘Express’ in its name, don’t expect the journey to be quick. In fact, the Glacier Express also informally holds the reputation of being perhaps the world’s slowest express trains, taking almost eight hours to traverse across the Alps.
Dreamt of starting your day sipping hot chocolate and nibbling on croissants and pain au chocolate and ending it sipping Grand Cru in the heart of Bordeaux?
France’s TGV (Train de Grande Vitesse, which literally translates to fast speed train) makes that extremely possible over a mere 2 hour train ride (one way), as you speed through the rich French countryside, with views of meadows and the occasional castles, at a speed of up to 320 km/h to arrive in Bordeaux in good time. It’s so much more relaxed and convenient than flying in and out of Paris and Bordeaux.
Note: Tickets are available 90 days prior to departure with greater discounts the sooner you book. Plus, the Interrail Pass is another great money-saving option if you’re planning to travel extensively through France.
Flåm Railway - through Western Norway
Not only is the Flåm Railway one of Norway’s top tourist attractions, and one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world, but more uniquely, it is also the most daring and skilful engineering exploits in Norwegian history.
Being one of the steepest standard gauge railway lines in the world, The Flåm Railway operates with a descent of 865 m (2838 ft.) and a gradient of one in 18, with 80% of the journey running on a gradient of 5.5%.
Since it began in 1940, the 13-carriage only train offers a scenic one-hour journey over the 20 kms route from the southwestern village of Flåm in Sognefjord to the high mountains at Myrdal station. Enjoy the spectacular scenery outside through the large cabin windows, including waterfalls and steep mountains as you travel through 20 tunnels no less, including a horseshoe-shaped tunnel that spirals in and out of the mountain to cope with the huge change in height over the extremely short distance!
It’s also useful to note that the Myrdal Mountain stop allows passengers on the Flåm Railway to conveniently connect with the Bergen Railway running between Bergen and Oslo.
Venice Simplon-Orient Express - the most luxurious journey through Central Europe
Even though you can hardly call off-peak tickets on the Venice Simplon-Orient Express cheap, you can still often save a lot by booking as early as possible.
Perhaps the world’s most famous rail journey (remember it from Murder on the Orient Express?) travelling on this charming train is not just another train journey. Here, you’re experiencing history as you are transported back to the Golden Age of Travel of the 1920s.
The Venice Simplon-Orient Express isn’t just about looking through large windows for incredible panoramic views for a daytime trip. It’s actually a luxury hotel on wheels, offering splendid carriages, exquisite meals (which are included in the price of the ticket), opulent carriages decked out in the finest plush and adorned with bespoke handcrafted furniture and antiques, complete with butler service. Free-flow champagne and breakfast in bed sound good?
The decadent train makes its way from Paris to Venice and then back again, and most journeys are overnight ‘segments’ from one city to another as the train traverses through Europe, allowing passengers complete flexibility over their trip. The longest journey is the one travelling from Paris to Istanbul and vice versa, taking place only once per year.
This is one train ride definitely for the books!
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