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Why Go on a Rail Holiday?

Tuesday, 2nd November 2021

Will Gray

Rail track alongside Turnagain Arm

If your experience of commuting to work by rail doesn’t exactly enamour you to train travel, rest assured that a rail holiday is a totally different experience. Read on for six reasons why you should seriously consider catching the train for your next holiday:

Just relax

Trains have large seats with plenty of legroom. You can also get up and walk around whenever you like in a train carriage. The rhythmic motion of a train is likely to lull you to sleep – and there are no traffic jams if you already spend too much time driving for work.

couple relaxing on train astk

Look at the view

One of the undeniable joys of a rail journey is watching the changing landscape right outside your panoramic window. It’s slow, mesmerising contact with the landscape: twisting and turning with natural contours, joining the dots between countless villages, towns and cities. You get to know the country you’re travelling through. The scenery changes gradually – thick forest recedes to open plateau; mountains dimple the horizon, then slowly swell before your eyes. Sometimes the views are sudden and spectacular: a bridge scaling a chasm in the Swiss Alps, a switchback in the Norwegian fjords, emerging from a tunnel to be dazzled by the glittering Adriatic… it’s all there, right outside your window.

couple enjoying alpine views from train istk

Enjoy the convenience

Let’s not forget the little, often overlooked, perks of a rail holiday. Like tables. Not all train seats have a table, but when they do, they’re proper tables with enough room to spread out your picnic, pour over a map or share a game or colouring book with a loved one. Train seats often have power sockets and complimentary Wi-Fi. And there’s ample space for luggage. Perhaps the greatest perk of all on a train, though, is getting up, walking to the dining car and sitting down for a proper meal – at a proper table.

It begins and ends well

For most train journeys, you usually only need to get to the station 30 minutes prior to departure, sometimes even less. That means more time to linger over breakfast at your hotel, or fit in another art gallery or walk along the river. When you arrive at your destination by train, you actually arrive at your destination – train stations are usually centrally located, so you can either walk to your hotel or take a short taxi ride or private transfer.

swedish fika cinnamon bun and coffee vs

You can fit so much in

Europe has something like 150,000 miles (240,000km) of rail track, connecting numerous cities, towns, villages, mountain stations, ports, resorts and beauty spots. Spreading like a vast web across the continent, it offers almost endless opportunities for exploration. You can effortlessly combine several destinations in one holiday. Roll several city-breaks into one trip, sample the cuisine of two or three regions, strike five countries off your bucket list, not one. Take, for example, our Classic Cities of Italy itinerary. It features Milan, Florence, Arezzo, Perugia, Rome, Venice and Zurich in a relaxed two-week rail holiday.

italy duomo santa maria del fiore florence istk

Feeling inspired?

Our new collection of rail holidays through Europe offers car free adventures across the Mediterranean, the Alps, and Scandinavia into the Arctic. Let our team of Travel Specialists carefully craft an itinerary for you or browse the full collection.

Get in touch with our Travel Specialists on 01737 214 250 or send an enquiry.