Take the slow route on your next trip to Europe and enjoy travelling by train past mountains, vineyards and beaches.
The following guide to the key European hubs is reproduced with permission from Lonely Planet © 2021.
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Gare de Lyon is one of the major train stations in Paris, that takes passengers towards the Alps, the south of France and Spain.
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Paris
Welcome to the heart of the French nation and its transport network. Paris is that finest of hub cities –somewhere you’ll inevitably pass through and are always delighted to have the chance to do so.
Essential info
Paris has seven major stations: Gare d’Austerlitz for central France and the Pyrenees; Bercy for southeastern France; Gare de l’Est for eastern France, Germany and Switzerland; Gare de Lyon for TGVs to the Alps, the south of France and Spain; Montparnasse for western and southwestern France; Gare du Nord for northern France, Thalys services to Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, and Eurostar to the UK; Gare Saint-Lazare for Normandy.
Navigation
Metro or RER services are generally the fastest way to connect between stations; taxis can be cheaper if you’re in a group. Paris is compact and a few hours’ connection can easily be combined with some sightseeing.
Stopover
Few visitors will be willing to leave Paris until they’ve strolled along the Seine, gazed at millenia of art at the Louvre and admired the skyline from the roof of the Centre Pompidou.
Station stories
Impressionist painters depicted the world around Gare Saint-Lazare in the 1870s and 1880s. Édouard Manet’s The Railway (1873) shows a young girl – and a less interested older woman – entranced by the steam of a passing train near the station. Perhaps more conventionally, La Gare Saint-Lazare (1877) by Claude Monet was one of a series of pictures painted by him en plein air at the station. It can be seen, fittingly enough, in the station- turned-gallery that is the Musée d’Orsay.
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Milan’s Centrale station is one of Europe’s greatest, with 24 platforms handling trains arriving and departing from dozens of destinations.
Milan
Milan is Italy’s big-business centre, unmistakably Italian in its pace and sense of style, with more than a touch of northern Europe in its architecture and outlook. This blend feels fitting for such a vital transport interchange for international and domestic services.
Essential info
Milan’s Centrale station is one of Europe’s greatest, with 24 platforms handling trains arriving and departing from dozens of destinations. Alternatively, you might come into the city via Porta Garibaldi station, which hosts commuter services, Nightjet trains, TGV services from France and some Frecciarossa fast trains.
Navigation
Milan’s two stations are separated by a 25-minute walk or 12-minute metro journey. The city’s metro system is also the best way to get into the main sightseeing area, with frequent and fast trains.
Stopover
Milan’s incredible, over-the-top Duomo is one of Europe’s great cathedrals, and a trip to the roof terraces to view the statuary up close is a must. Da Vinci’s The Last Supper, the dramatic Castello Sforzesco fortress and the soaring glass arcade of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II are other essential sites. All can be seen in one (long) day.
Station stories
Centrale station has a Royal Pavilion, created as a waiting area for King Vittorio Emanuele III. Taking the station’s already dramatic interior up a notch, this Neoclassical space was built with doors opening directly onto platforms and a marble and onyx staircase. It’s used for private functions today and is not generally open to the public.
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The platforms of Blackfriars Station span the River Thames and give a breathtaking panorama of London for passengers.
London
Western Europe’s biggest city, London offers visitors two millennia of history, an endlessly innovative cultural scene and food and drink options that reflect its world-encompassing diversity. When one tires of the perpetual energy of the City and West End, London’s beautiful green spaces provide respite.
Essential info
London’s main stations form a ring around the city centre. Paddington has trains to western England and South Wales; Euston to northwest England, North Wales and Scotland. St Pancras International is the Eurostar terminal for France, Belgium and the Netherlands as well as central England; King’s Cross serves northern England and Scotland; Victoria, Charing Cross, London Bridge and Waterloo southern England.
Navigation
The Underground (aka the Tube) is the quickest way to get around, though London is surprisingly walkable. Black cabs will transport you long or short distances.
Stopover
Tate Modern and the British Museum are stand-out cultural must-sees if time is short. Sights connected with London’s royal history include Buckingham Palace (open summer only) and the capital’s own medieval castle, the Tower of London. On a night out, steer clear of touristy areas and dive into Shoreditch or Brixton’s eclectic scenes.
Station stories
The platforms of Blackfriars Station span the River Thames and give a breathtaking panorama of London for passengers: to the west the river bends towards the London Eye and Westminster; to the east stand St Paul’s Cathedral, the Shard and Tower Bridge.
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Frankfurt’s Hauptbanhof is one of Europe’s most important stations.
Frankfurt
At the centre of Europe’s transport network, Frankfurt is also Germany’s financial hub, home to the country’s stock exchange and European Central Bank. But it isn’t just a city of business. Its Altstadt (Old Town) is a relaxed place to explore, and the lively nightlife in Alt-Sachsenhausen provides opportunities to enjoy an evening out after a long journey here.
Essential info
Mighty Hauptbanhof is one of Europe’s most important stations, and the only one you’ll need in Frankfurt. Trains run from here in all directions, across Germany and across borders to Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Italy, France, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Navigation
The city centre and Main River are right on the doorstep of the Hauptbahnhof. If you’re aiming for the Old Town, all Rhine-Main S-Bahn trains (light rail servicing Frankfurt and surrounding areas) running east from the station will be of use. S-Bahn lines numbered S8 and S9 connect with Frankfurt Airport.
Stopover
Old Frankfurt boasts half-timbered houses, the Kaiserdom cathedral and Römerberg square with its appealing town hall. More modern attractions include the Schirn Kunsthalle for groundbreaking art. Wash down this history and culture with a glass of Ebbelwei, apple wine in the Frankfurt dialect.
Station stories
When entering or leaving Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof by the main entrance, look up to the imposing clock and statue of Atlas, the Titan condemned to hold the world on his shoulders for all eternity. He is assisted by two figures representing the iron and steam that drove the railway age.
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St Stephen’s Cathedral is a must-visit stop in Vienna.
Vienna
Stately Vienna retains the grandeur of its imperial past, throws in the musical legacy of pretty much any famous composer you can name, and adds a dash of modern multiculturalism, dynamic design and enthusiastic enjoyment of outdoor living.
Essential info
Vienna’s Hauptbahnhof (Wien Hbf, south of the Innere Stadt (Vienna’s Old Town), is the city’s main hub. Railjet, Nightjet and ICE services start and terminate here. Westbahnhof Station is still used for some private services to and from Salzburg.
Navigation
Vienna’s grand avenues make for fine sightseeing, but watch out for distances ifon foot. Tram and U-Bahn (metro) services provide the bulk of the public transport – hop on a metro (or take a 4km walk) to reach the city centre from the main station.
Stopover
The powerhouse cultural institutions of the MuseumsQuartier, Hofburg Palace and stunning St Stephen’s Cathedral are the big-hitters of the Innere Stadt. A day out to the Habsburgs’ Schönbrunn Palace is also a highlight – just bring comfortable shoes to explore the vast gardens.
Station stories
Vienna’s first dedicated metropolitan railway was the Stadtbahn. Once a slow-running steam railway, today it comprises lines U4 and U6 of the metro network. The Stadtbahn was a bastion of Art Nouveau architecture and retains some fascinating buildings designed by leading light of the movement Otto Wagner – his green-domed Hofpavilion at Hietzing station was intended as a private entrance to the railway for Emperor Franz Jozef from the Schönbrunn Palace.
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Switzerland’s largest station, Zürich Hauptbahnhof, is on the edge of the Zurich Old Town, providing a perfect base to explore alleys and old churches of this pedestrianised area.
Zürich
Switzerland’s hippest city showcases the best of the European urban experience. A well preserved historic core contrasts with reinvigorated post-industrial spaces in Zürich-West. Switzerland’s unbeatable outdoors is here in force too, with the eponymous lake and swimming spots of the Limmat River much loved by locals as summer playgrounds.
Essential info
The country’s largest station, Zürich Hauptbahnhof, is also Europe’s fifth busiest. From here international services reach Hamburg to the north and Zagreb in the south, plus destinations in France, Italy, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria. InterCity and InterRegio services frequently connect Zürich with stations across Switzerland.
Navigation
Zürich is compact and the station is on the edge of the Old Town, so walking is the best way to explore the alleys and old churches of this pedestrianised area.
Stopover
Once you’ve strolled the city’s historic centre, explore by boat. Low-roofed pleasure craft sail under the bridges crossing the Limmat, and cruisers head out onto the city’s lake to showcase views of snow-capped Alps.
Station stories
Beneath Zürich Hauptbahnhof’s impressive sandstone station building are departure platforms for the S10 route of the city’s light rail system. No ordinary line, this service trundles through suburban scenery before ascending to just below the 870m summit of the Uetliberg, a mountain Zürich residents claim as their own. There’s an observation tower and hiking trails leading to and from the summit. The views are superb.
The above extract is reproduced with permission from Lonely Planet © 2021.
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