Some ideas for train holidays in Europe

Taking advantage of daily connections or night trains, which are increasingly in demand: and then there’s always Interrail

Those who choose to take a train holiday in Europe today have many more options than ever before. Even if getting around takes a little longer than flying and doesn’t allow you to go everywhere, doing so at night in a carriage equipped with a bed or couch gives you the comfort and sometimes— Sometimes at least one night in the hotel is saved. As they often say with the cliché, “With the train you come and you are already in the center”. More generally, the train is a less polluting means of transport than planes and private cars, and allows for avoiding long security checks at airports, getting to and from the city center and making transfers or paying toll booths and parking. Avoids searching.

These practical reasons and the fact that attention to the environmental impact of one’s lifestyle is becoming increasingly widespread today have meant that in recent years there has been an increasingly frequent request for and frequency of night trains, even though I Traveled a bit more, but all in all very competitive. The result is that many European railway companies have focused on these services or inaugurated new long-distance routes to better connect Europe’s main cities.

We’ve created some possible itineraries by calculating the approximate amount it might cost to travel by train from Italy to four foreign cities, excluding accommodation and any other expenses. To get an idea of ​​the routes, duration and exact costs of train travel in Europe, you can consult travel agencies or various sites, including Trainline, Eurail and Omio, as well as Trenitalia, which use these itineraries. Let’s go The Backontrack.eu site shows all night trains running in Central and Eastern Europe in a map, which is useful for getting a more immediate idea of ​​the connections between different countries.

Rome to Vienna by night train
At the moment, the national railway company that has invested the most in night routes is the Austrian ÖBB, which with its Nightjet service is the largest operator of night trains in Europe. On most Nightjet trains, you can choose to travel in a reserved seat, a multi-seater couchette car or a sleeping car that includes a private bathroom and other services, such as a la carte breakfast and toiletries. The service is also present in Italy since 2016 and connects Vienna, Salzburg and Munich (located in Germany) to Rome, Milan or Venice, among other cities; Recently OBB has extended some of its routes to Genoa and La Spezia.

A hypothetical round-trip journey from Rome to Vienna on a Nightjet train between September 11 and 17 would cost around 210 euros in a six-seater compartment with a sofa selection. The outbound train will depart Rome Termini on Monday 11th at 20:17 and arrive directly at Vienna station at 8:52 the next day; The return will leave Vienna around 7pm on Saturday and arrive in the center of Rome around 9am on Sunday. The two cities are about 1,120 kilometers apart and it would take at least 12 hours to get there by car without stops: the travel time by train is the same, but being able to rest at night makes it possible to reach your destination Destination a little less tired.

Austria’s capital Vienna was listed as the most liveable city in the world in the recent annual rankingeconomist For quality of life and services. Among other things, it houses the world’s oldest zoo and several museums, including the Albertina, where on 14 September an exhibition will be inaugurated on the enormous influence of the famous painter and sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti, starting with his works preserved in the museum.

Milan to Munich, always travels at night
Milan and Munich are approximately 500 kilometers apart. A direct flight takes about an hour, excluding all ancillary journeys, while it takes at least 6 hours to get there by car by the shortest route: with a nightjet it takes almost twice as long.

For travel between August 13 and 20, choosing two seats in a 4-bed compartment on the outbound journey and two private sleeping cars on the way back will cost a total of 634 euros, 317 each, more or less what you’ll spend in Malpensa Direct flight from Prices are based on a one-way train which departs Rogoredo station on Sunday 13 at 21:26 and arrives in Monaco at 9:22 on Monday, and on the return journey which departs Rogoredo at 20:09 on Saturday 19 It reaches the next Sunday at 7:42.

– Read also: Night trains are making a comeback in Europe

Monaco is better known for the “Residenz”, one of the largest royal palaces in the world, and for the Marienplatz, one of the city’s oldest and most important squares. On the Town Hall’s clock tower, which overlooks the square, you can see the Glockenspiel carillon, one of the most famous, which rings three times a day in the summer. However, when one thinks of Munich, one also thinks of its breweries: another great time to visit the city – provided you can tolerate both beer and great merry atmosphere – so late September Maybe, when Oktoberfest starts. Famous festival which attracts lakhs of people from different parts of the world every year.

Milan to Marseille by train, day
There are no night trains from Milan to Marseille, but you can easily travel by Trenitalia train to Lyon and then take the French Railways (SNCF) from there. A journey for two people with a change in Lyon takes about 7 hours: assuming you leave on Saturday 5 August and return the next day, according to current prices, you’ll spend about 300 euros each.

In general, France is very well connected with Italy: there are direct trains that take you from Milan to Paris in less than 7 hours, and if you leave from Venice you’ll be in less than two and a half hours. Can reach the capital of France in 10 hours. , with at least two changes for one-way costs from 170 euros upwards.

Marseille, the second largest city in France, has a unique atmosphere and is bustling with a large community of French people of North African descent. It is known for the old port area and has experienced extensive redevelopment efforts in recent years despite major problems with the housing crisis. From there you can easily reach the different cities of the Côte d’Azur and Camargue by public transport, which are very popular and popular destinations during the summer.

Rome to Budapest by Train, Travel by Day
It takes at least 13 hours to get from Rome to Budapest by car: you’ll have to drive more than 1,200 kilometers, crossing the whole of northern Italy, all of Slovenia and a good part of Hungary. By train you can get there in about 15 hours, but traveling during the day and with few changes, and therefore without the comfort of a night train. Departing Rome at 7:25 on Saturday 5 August, will arrive in the Hungarian capital at 22:20 after changing in Verona, Innsbruck and Vienna. The next Saturday it would take about 17 hours to get back to Termini, always changing in Vienna, then in Salzburg and Padua.

In short, it can be done, but you should be prepared for a long journey, not so comfortable and not so convenient. Unless you decide to stay for a while in cities where you have to change trains. Even assuming you’re leaving from Milan, which is 960 km from Budapest, you’ll need at least 2 changes: At today’s prices, you can spend less for outbound travel. will cost less than 120 euros.

The reasons why you might want to visit Budapest in summer are not only the city’s attractive architecture, its thermal baths or the distinctive romkocsmák, i.e. bars and nightclubs that arise almost everywhere from the ruins of abandoned buildings: one of the most interesting summer events held in the city is the Sziget festival, one of Europe’s largest and most famous music festivals, which was organized. The first time in 1993, thirty years ago. The next edition of Sziget – which is held on an island in the middle of the Danube and whose name is derived from a Hungarian word meaning “island” – will be held from 10 to 15 August: among others, Billie Eilish, Florence + The Machine, David Guetta and Mumford & Sons.

Doing some research on the trainline website, the cheapest option to get to Sziget by train starting from Rome on 9th August involves 4 changes and costs just above 100 Euros per person. The fastest return by train will take at least 18½ hours, require three changes and cost 175 euros each; Alternatively you can take Flixbus and take about 20 hours for almost half the price. In this case, however, in terms of cost and duration, traveling by plane would be preferable.

Encouraging the use of trains instead of more polluting means of transport is a trend that has also manifested itself in Europe in recent years through various public initiatives. In France, for example, three flights were banned, which could also be traveled by train within a reasonable time. In Germany, on the other hand, previous summer tickets of 9 euros per month were promoted for travel on regional trains and public transport throughout the country, and the initiative was followed by the introduction of one for 49 euros per month amid some controversy. The decision was taken.

Railway companies expanding their night routes to other European countries include the Belgian-Dutch European sleeper, which for example connects Brussels with Berlin, is looking to expand its routes to Dresden and Prague, and between Amsterdam and Barcelona. Wants to introduce a new one. For now, however, the main limitations of night trains remain the cost of tickets, which are often higher than those of a plane, and the need for large investments in newer and better equipped carriages.

In any case, there’s still Interrail, the program allowing people living in Europe to travel with a single train ticket to 33 participating countries, from Norway to Ireland, from Portugal to Turkey. The program has been in existence since 1972 – long before the birth of the European Union – it connects 30,000 stations and is estimated to be used by hundreds of thousands of people, mostly young people, every year.

To organize a trip on the Interrail you can choose from different types of passes that guarantee a certain number of days in which to travel freely in one or more European countries at prices upwards of about eighty euros. On the Interrail website you can plan your journey by selecting the countries you want to visit, thus getting an idea of ​​possible stops and the optimal journey duration.

– Read also: Useful Things for Interrail Travelers

continue on post