{"id":8054,"date":"2026-10-30T07:15:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T06:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/scenic-train-routes-europe"},"modified":"2026-10-30T07:15:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T06:15:10","slug":"scenic-train-routes-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/en\/scenic-train-routes-europe","title":{"rendered":"The 10 most scenic train journeys in Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.sayna-article .quick,.sayna-article .tip{background:#f4f7fb;border-left:4px solid #467AFF;border-radius:8px;padding:14px 18px;margin:20px 0}.sayna-article .tip{background:#fff7ef;border-left-color:#ff7900}.sayna-article .h{font-weight:700;font-size:1.05em;margin-bottom:6px;color:#0a0a0b}.sayna-article table{border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;margin:18px 0}.sayna-article th{background:#eef1f7;text-align:left;padding:10px 12px;font-weight:700;border-bottom:2px solid #dfe3ec}.sayna-article td{padding:10px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f7}.sayna-article .faq details{border-bottom:1px solid #e5e8ee;padding:4px 0}.sayna-article .faq summary{font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;padding:9px 0}.sayna-article .cta-box{background:#fff5ec;border:1px solid #ffd8b0;border-radius:12px;padding:22px;text-align:center;margin:26px 0}.sayna-article .cta-box a{display:inline-block;background:#ff7900;color:#fff;padding:12px 26px;border-radius:8px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:700;margin-top:8px}<\/style>\n<div class=\"sayna-article\">\n<div class=\"quick\">\n<div class=\"h\">\u26a1 In brief<\/div>\n<p>The most scenic <strong>train journeys in Europe<\/strong> cluster in the Alps and in Scandinavia. The <strong>Glacier Express<\/strong> (291 km, about 8 hours) and the <strong>Bernina Express<\/strong> lead, but the <strong>Flam Railway<\/strong> in Norway, the <strong>Douro<\/strong> in Portugal and the <strong>Bergen<\/strong> line are well worth the detour. Several are cross-border: you change country in the middle of the mountains, where <strong>one eSIM for the whole continent<\/strong> keeps your connection for sharing photos live.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\"><span class=\"h\">Stay connected on arrival<\/span> Set up your <a href=\"https:\/\/travel.orange.com\/en\/buy-a-sim\/offers\/europe\">eSIM for Europe<\/a> before you go: 100% online activation, no physical SIM to swap.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<nav aria-label=\"Contents\" class=\"toc\">\n<div class=\"h\">Contents<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#alps\">The stars of the Swiss Alps<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#crossborder\">The cross-border journeys<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#north\">The far north: Norway in the lead<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#south\">The south and west, more off-radar<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#table\">The summary table<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#connection\">Sharing your photos live, even in the mountains<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<p>Some train journeys are not a way to get somewhere, they are the destination. You board for the window, not to arrive. Europe has a handful that keep every promise, and a few overrated ones you can skip without regret.<\/p>\n<p>Here is my pick, sorted by region, with the figures that matter and a frank verdict on each.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"alps\">The stars of the Swiss Alps<\/h2>\n<h3>The Glacier Express (Zermatt to Saint Moritz)<\/h3>\n<p>The most famous, and for good reason. <strong>291 kilometres<\/strong> across the Alps, <strong>291 bridges<\/strong> and <strong>91 tunnels<\/strong>, all in around <strong>8 hours<\/strong>. People call it the slowest express in the world, and that is a compliment. The panoramic carriages with their big curved windows are superb, but book the valley side for the best views. A budget tip: the regular Albula line runs the same scenery for a fraction of the price, without the panoramic car or the lunch service.<\/p>\n<h3>The Bernina Express (Chur to Tirano)<\/h3>\n<p>My favourite, and the most accessible. It links <strong>Chur in Switzerland to Tirano in Italy<\/strong> in about 4 hours (2h15 from Saint Moritz), with <strong>196 bridges<\/strong> and <strong>55 tunnels<\/strong>. The Albula and Bernina line is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its standout feature: it is the only alpine train to cross the Alps without a base tunnel, thanks to spectacular spiral loops. And it crosses into Italy, ideal for carrying on to Lake Como.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"crossborder\">The cross-border journeys<\/h2>\n<h3>The Centovalli Express (Locarno to Domodossola)<\/h3>\n<p>A small line between <strong>Switzerland and Italy<\/strong>, through the valley of the Hundred Valleys, past bridges, gorges and perched villages. Recently refurbished carriages, a short ride and few tourists. A real find for anyone who wants the drama without the Glacier Express crowds.<\/p>\n<h3>The Gotthard Panorama Express<\/h3>\n<p>It links central Switzerland to Italian-speaking Ticino, pairing a boat trip across Lake Lucerne with the crossing of the old Gotthard tunnel. A good way to connect Lucerne to Lugano while taking your time.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"north\">The far north: Norway in the lead<\/h2>\n<h3>The Flam Railway (Flamsbana)<\/h3>\n<p>A shot of pure intensity. It drops <strong>866 metres over just 20 kilometres<\/strong>, in about an hour, from Myrdal station down to the fjord. Waterfalls, sheer cliffs, a photo stop at the Kjosfossen falls. It is short and dear per kilometre, but the gradient is among the steepest in the world for an adhesion railway.<\/p>\n<h3>The Bergen line (Bergensbanen)<\/h3>\n<p>Oslo to Bergen, <strong>471 kilometres in about 7 hours<\/strong>, including the crossing of the Hardangervidda plateau, the largest mountain plateau in Europe. Opened in 1909, it runs through 182 tunnels. This is the one I would recommend first to anyone who wants a great wild crossing with no panoramic surcharge: a regular ticket does the job.<\/p>\n<h3>The Rauma line (Dombas to Andalsnes)<\/h3>\n<p>Only 90 minutes, but a rare concentration of scenery: the train skirts the Trollveggen, the tallest vertical rock face in Europe, before reaching the Romsdal fjord. Perfect as a companion to the Bergen line.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"south\">The south and west, more off-radar<\/h2>\n<h3>The Douro line (Porto to Pocinho)<\/h3>\n<p>Leaving from Porto&#8217;s Sao Bento station, <strong>about 175 kilometres in 3h30<\/strong> along the Douro river, among the terraced port vineyards. The final stretch, the finest, hugs the water at the very edge of the banks. Cheap, authentic, best done in spring when the vines turn green.<\/p>\n<h3>The West Highland Line (Glasgow to Mallaig)<\/h3>\n<p>In Scotland, about 5h20 through the emptiest Highlands in western Europe, including the Glenfinnan Viaduct made famous by the cinema. Lochs, peat bogs and deer beside the track.<\/p>\n<h3>The Semmering Railway (Austria)<\/h3>\n<p>One of the first mountain railways in the world, built in 1854 and a UNESCO site. Stone viaducts, tunnels and curves carved into the rock between Gloggnitz and Murzzuschlag. A nineteenth-century feat of engineering still in service on a regular line.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"h\">\ud83d\udca1 To make the most of it<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Book the <strong>Glacier Express<\/strong> and the <strong>Bernina Express<\/strong> ahead in summer: the panoramic cars fill up fast.<\/li>\n<li>To save money, take the <strong>regular line<\/strong> on the same rails (Albula, Bergen): same scenery, no supplement.<\/li>\n<li>Check the direction of travel and the best window side before choosing your seat.<\/li>\n<li>Charge your phone on board where a socket exists: filming drains the battery very fast.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"table\">The summary table<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Journey<\/th>\n<th>Route<\/th>\n<th>Distance \/ duration<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Glacier Express<\/td>\n<td>Zermatt to Saint Moritz (CH)<\/td>\n<td>291 km \u00b7 \u2248 8 h<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Bernina Express<\/td>\n<td>Chur (CH) to Tirano (IT)<\/td>\n<td>\u2248 4 h \u00b7 cross-border<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Centovalli<\/td>\n<td>Locarno (CH) to Domodossola (IT)<\/td>\n<td>\u2248 2 h \u00b7 cross-border<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Flam<\/td>\n<td>Myrdal to Flam (NO)<\/td>\n<td>20 km \u00b7 \u2248 1 h<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Bergen<\/td>\n<td>Oslo to Bergen (NO)<\/td>\n<td>471 km \u00b7 \u2248 7 h<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Rauma<\/td>\n<td>Dombas to Andalsnes (NO)<\/td>\n<td>\u2248 1 h 30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Douro<\/td>\n<td>Porto to Pocinho (PT)<\/td>\n<td>175 km \u00b7 \u2248 3 h 30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>West Highland<\/td>\n<td>Glasgow to Mallaig (UK)<\/td>\n<td>\u2248 5 h 20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Semmering<\/td>\n<td>Gloggnitz to Murzzuschlag (AT)<\/td>\n<td>UNESCO line, 1854<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Gotthard Panorama<\/td>\n<td>Central Switzerland to Ticino (CH)<\/td>\n<td>Train + boat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"connection\">Sharing your photos live, even in the mountains<\/h2>\n<p>On these lines you spend the ride with the phone in hand: photos, videos, stories. Mobile coverage is surprisingly good on most alpine and Scandinavian routes, except in the tunnels, which are many on the Glacier Express or the Bergen line.<\/p>\n<p>The catch is that many of these journeys change country. The Bernina crosses into Italy, so does the Centovalli. You switch from one network to another in the middle of the mountains, and on-board wifi is often absent on regional lines.<\/p>\n<p>With a <a class=\"cta-inline\" href=\"https:\/\/travel.orange.com\/en\/buy-a-sim\/offers\/europe\">eSIM for Europe<\/a>, one card covers the whole continent. You share your photos of the Landwasser Viaduct live, then those of Lake Como an hour later, with nothing to change.<\/p>\n<p>And keep it in mind for Scotland: the <strong>United Kingdom<\/strong> sits outside EU roaming since Brexit, as does <strong>Switzerland<\/strong>, the Balkans and Turkey. On the West Highland Line, your EU plan does not work. A travel eSIM covering the whole continent avoids the surprise bill.<\/p>\n<p>Orange is the service used by <strong>more than 300 million customers<\/strong>: <strong>200+ destinations<\/strong> covered, round-the-clock human support <strong>24\/7<\/strong> and <strong>100 percent refunded<\/strong> if you never use your eSIM.<\/p>\n<div class=\"cta-box\">\n<p>Ready to film the Alps and the fjords without ever losing the signal?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/travel.orange.com\/en\/buy-a-sim\/offers\/europe\">Discover the Orange Travel Europe eSIM<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<section aria-label=\"Frequently asked questions\" class=\"faq\">\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>What is the most scenic train journey in Europe?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">The Glacier Express between Zermatt and Saint Moritz is the best known: 291 km, 291 bridges and 91 tunnels in about 8 hours. For a shorter thrill, the Flam Railway drops 866 m over 20 km in one hour. The pick depends on your time.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>Do you need to book the scenic trains?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">Yes for dedicated panoramic trains like the Glacier Express or the Bernina Express, where a paid reservation is compulsory. Regular lines such as Bergen to Oslo or the Douro run on a standard ticket, often with no imposed reservation.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>Do these journeys cross several countries?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">Several are cross-border. The Bernina links Switzerland to Italy, the Centovalli connects Locarno to Domodossola. You change network in the mountains, which makes one eSIM for the whole continent very handy for sharing photos.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>Can you do these journeys with an Interrail pass?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">Yes, most are included. The dedicated panoramic trains need a reservation supplement. Check each line and book the most popular ones, such as the Glacier Express, well ahead in summer.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>How do you share photos live in the mountains?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">Coverage is good on most lines, except in tunnels. With a travel eSIM active from departure, you share your photos in every country crossed, without relying on on-board wifi that is often missing.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":8053,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_titles_title":"The 10 most scenic train journeys in Europe | Orange Travel","_seopress_titles_desc":"The 10 most scenic train journeys in Europe: Glacier Express, Bernina, Flam, the Douro and the Bergen line, with distances, honest verdicts and tips.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/en\/scenic-train-routes-europe","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-turism","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"lang":"en","translations":{"en":8054,"fr":8052,"es":8056},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8054"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8058,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8054\/revisions\/8058"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}