Rail travel is having a moment. With the growth of sleeper and high-speed routes across the continent and many mainstream tour operators offering flight-free options, trains are becoming a more feasible, and attractive, way to reach your holiday destination.
Part of the joy of overland journeys is watching the views from the window – an experience that can leave you with a desire to see those vistas up close. These walks follow, or offer detours from, scenic railways, with opportunities to hop on and off along the way…
Rhaetian Railway, Switzerland
Switzerland does two things better than pretty much anywhere else: railways and walking trails. The 131km Via Albula/Bernina follows the twists and turns of the Unesco-listed Rhaetian Railway, from the village of Thusis in the Graubünden canton to Tirano, over the Italian border.
The route is broken into 10 stages, each giving close-ups of the audacious mountain line’s engineering feats, from its ravine-spanning bridges to its helical (spiral) tunnels and heritage stations.
This includes hiking to the lofty Landwasser viaduct’s 65m-high arches; trekking from the mighty Morteratsch glacier to the otherworldly Bernina Pass; and dipping towards Italy, past orchards, vineyards and the spiralling Brusio viaduct. Whenever you tire, you can hop on the train – the Alpine landscapes are incredible either way.
How to do it: see rhb.ch for more information. The Natural Adventure offers an eight-day self-guided Via Albula/Bernina trip from £1,370pp, thenaturaladventure.com
Bergensbanen, Norway
Rumbling from capital to fjord-cut coast, the 471km Bergensbanen (Bergen Railway) is a wild ride. On its way from Oslo to Bergen it crosses the Hardangervidda plateau, a landscape so extreme that Ernest Shackleton and Roald Amundsen trained here for polar expeditions.
Fortunately, the walking doesn’t have to be so hardcore, with the train opening up the great outdoors to normal folks.
Disembark at Gol, where a 30-minute bus ride places you in Hemsedal, home to 450km of hiking trails. Or get off at Geilo, gateway to two national parks, to climb the Prestholt trail up Prestholtskaret. Walk from Finse, a tiny village perched at 1,222 metres that’s only accessible via the Bergensbanen. And jump off at Myrdal to trek the Old Navvies Road down to fjord-side Flåm and ride the magnificent Flåmsbana railway back.
How to do it: See vy.no. Macs Adventure offers a 10-day self-guided Oslo-Bergen Rail Hike from £2,300pp, macsadventure.com
Kinnekullebanan, Sweden
The Kinnekulle Railway has been voted Sweden’s most beautiful train journey. This scenic little line, just 121km-long, runs between Håkantorp (connecting to Gothenburg trains) and Gårdsjö. En route it traces Lake Vänern and skirts the slopes of Mount Kinnekulle – both part of a Unesco Biosphere Reserve.
It is also ideal for accessing bits of the 140km Biosphere Trail, which runs from headland-perched Läckö Castle to the well-preserved old town of Mariestad.
The trail is divided into nine stages, and handy stations make it relatively simple to complete sections. Start with the 10km route between Hällekis and Råbäck, which packs in nature reserves, a canyon-like quarry, a lovely lake-edge path and elegant Hellekis Manor.
Both Hällekis and Råbäck are request stations. If you’re joining the train at one of these, you must flick a paddle on the platform so the driver knows to stop.
How to do it: See sj.se/en. For the Biosphere Trail, see westswedentrails.se/en/delled/biosfarleden. Accommodation options include Lugnåsberget Eco-Hotel (£91 for a room with a double bed and a bunkbed) in Lugnas and the lakeside Vänerskärgården Victoriahuset at Läckö Castle (from £114 for a twin room)
Cinque Terre Express, Italy
Coastlines don’t come much dreamier than the Cinque Terre, where five gelato-hued towns teeter between the Apuan Alps and the Ligurian Sea, and an impressive railway line and network of hiking routes make it easy to explore.
The picture-perfect towns – Vernazza, Monterosso, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore – remained somewhat isolated until 1874, when the railway opened, requiring 51 tunnels and 23 bridges to travel its modest 44km. It is still the best way to access the trails.
The Sentiero Azzurro hiking route, which connects the coastal communities, is staggering, but crowded in summer – especially the 1km, €10-a-ticket (£8.40) Via dell’Amore stretch between Riomaggiore and Manarola.
Consider following sections of the quieter, still spectacular Alta Via delle Cinque Terre instead, which links Portovenere and Levanto at a higher altitude, but has points where you can drop down to the coast.
How to do it: See trenitalia.com. KE Adventure offers a seven-day self-guided Walking Cinque Terre trip from £575pp, keadventure.com
Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois, Luxembourg
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg isn’t very big. But it crams in 3,500km of waymarked hiking trails, variously wending along the vine-cloaked Moselle wine region, through Ardennes forests and even along Second World War liberation routes. Even better, the country has plenty of trains – and they are all free.
The 90km Minett Trail, launched in 2022, is particularly well-served by rail. Its 10 stages jump from station to station while exploring a Biosphere Reserve where former mining areas are being reclaimed by nature.
There is also a range of Hike & Rail day-walks listed on the Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois website, all of which begin and end at railway stations.
Try a 12km trek from Troisvierges, the Duchy’s northernmost station, for Battle of the Bulge history (route CFL1) or maybe take a challenging 20km yomp through the Gréngewald forest (route CFL7).
How to do it: See cfl.lu. For trail info, see minetttrail.lu and map.geoportail.lu. There are 11 kabaisercher (hiking lodges) on the Minett Trail, varying from old school buildings to rail carriages. Prices start from £50 for a one-guest room
French Riviera, France
Who wants to drive the Côte d’Azur? The traffic is too heavy and the views too good to be stuck behind the wheel. Instead, use the trains that run from Marseille to Ventimiglia via Nice– especially the shore-hugging section between Fréjus and Menton – to both gaze out of the window and access gorgeous, glamorous spots for walks.
Focus on the little stations along the line – many are close, making them easy to walk between. For instance, stop at Roquebrune to walk around wooded Cap Martin to Carnolès (around 5km) or continue along the promenade for a few kilometres into Menton. Or at Beaulieu-sur-Mer to loop the limestone cliffs and millionaires’ villas of the Cap-Ferrat peninsula, finishing in Villefranche-sur-Mer (13km). Or at Eze Plage to make the stiff-but-worth-it hike up the 4km Nietzsche Path to hilltop Eze, with its narrow alleys, famous perfumeries and enormous views.
How to do it: See ter.sncf.com/sud-provence-alpes-cote-d-azur. Exodus offers an eight-day small-group Walks and Gardens of the French Riviera trip from £1,949pp, exodus.co.uk
Cercanías AM, Spain
It is a toss-up as to which is slower: walking along Spain’s splendid northern coast or taking the train. Locos on the narrow-gauge Cercanías AM lines – a network linking the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia – take their time, perhaps revelling in the sight of golden beaches, sparkling rivers, craggy gorges and rolling greenery.
There are around 100 stops, including fishing villages and middle-of-nowhere outposts that make good walking trailheads. Or use the Cercanías lines to shorten a Camino del Norte pilgrimage: it is 800km from San Sebastián to Santiago de Compostela, largely along the coast, but you could rail-walk part of it.
Disembark around San Vicente de la Barquera to spend a few days hiking in sight of the Picos de Europa, finishing in medieval Ribadesella. Or stroll from the fishing port of Luarca into Galicia, picking up the train again in lively Ribadeo.
How to do it: See renfe.com. Camino Ways organises tailor-made trips on the Camino del Norte, caminoways.com
Centovalli Line, Switzerland and Italy
The Centovalli railway is only 52km-long, but it is one of the best rides in Europe – and a boon for hikers. The narrow-gauge line opened in 1923, linking Domodossola, in Italy’s Piedmont region, and Locarno, in the Swiss Ticino region. In all, it travels – very slowly – via 83 bridges, 31 tunnels, 100 valleys, many forest-clad mountains and a bounty of walks.
In the Val Vigezzo, centred on pretty Santa Maria Maggiore, there are 12 short routes that loop from, or hop between, stations. These provide an immersion in the culture of this long-isolated region, passing quiet hamlets, frescoed houses, even a museum of chimney sweeps.
Or hit the 12km Via del Mercato between Camedo and Intragna (both have stations) – it follows the mule track farmers once used to cart goods to Locarno market. Further afield, trails spider off into Italy’s Val Grande National Park – big adventures from a small train.
How to do it: See vigezzinacentovalli.com, visitossola.it/en. Stay at elegant La Casermetta in Santa Maria Maggiore, from £90, or Hotel Eurossola, which has a Michelin-starred restaurant, in Domodossola, from £105
