Best Slow trains in Europe
 

Has anyone taken any of these trains?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...455_story.html

I've done three of them.

I took the Bilbao to San Sebastian train, although in the other direction. In fact, it took me six separate trains to travel from Fuenterrabia to Santiago through northern Spain, all of them scenic.

I did the Ceske Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov trip in both directions, as I based in Ceske Budejovice. Can't say I remember much about it.

I rode the West Highland line back before it became famous among Harry Potter fans. Definitely scenic, plenty of hikers getting on and off along the way.

I've also done some of the "small" trains in Wales, although not recently, and not the one listed.

There's a very scenic train from Pau up to St Jean Pied de Port, the jumping off point for the Camino, that I would rate above the Czech train.

We've taken the Glacier Express a few times.

We rode the West Highland line. Even though it was the height of both the Harry Potter craze and the tourist season (July, 2006), the train was surprisingly empty. We were easily able to move around. The ticket collector alerted me to when we'd cross the bridge and which side I should be on for the photo.

At Mallaig we boarded the ferry to Skye where we picked up a rental car. Fabulous trip to Scotland.


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2607bfba4d.jpg

The last Paris - Toulouse - Port Bou obernight train ran many years ago.
For the other trains agree with thursdaysd: neither the mentioned train in Bohemia nor that in Bavaria looks particularly scenic to me.

If I had to make a list of scenic train llines, it would include:
Toulouse - Foix - La Tour de Carol - Perpignan
Solothurn - Moutier - Glovelier - La Chaux-de-Fonds - Morteau - Besancon
Bastia - Ajaccio
Palau - Tempio
Alghero - Sassari - Sorso
Arbatax- Gairo
Palermo - Caltanissetta - Licata - Ragusa
Bari - Altamura (Matera) - Potenza
Trento - Male - Mezzana
Trento - Bassano del Grappa - Castelfranco - Venice
Chur - Albula - Bernina - Tirano (with connecting bus to Edolo)
Edolo - Lake Iseo - Brescia
Nice - Sospel - Breil - Tenda - Linone - Cuneo - Turin - Aosta (with connecting bus to Chamonix)
Geneva - St. Gervais - Chamonix - Martigny - Montreux - Gstaad - Spiez - Kandersteg - Brig - Andermatt - Chur - Samedan - Zernez (with connecting bus to Malles)
Malles - Merano - Bolzano - Ponte Gardena (Ortisei) - Brunico - Dobbiaco (Cortina d'Ampezzo) - Lienz - Spittal - Villach - Jesenice - Lake Bled - Tolmin - Gorizia - Divazza (Skokijan Caves) - Koper (Istria)
Zagreb - Split
Beograd - Podgorica - Bar

Bit difficult to know what counts as a "slow" train. There are a number of other routes I would list if we were just doing scenic trains, such as Vienna to Graz, Zurich to Como, Innsbruck to Bolzano, etc. etc. Another "slow" train I liked would be the Nice to Digne-les-Bains.

Anyone wanting to investigate this further might look for copies of "Europe by Rail" by Gardner and Kries, the editors of Hidden Europe magazine, and published by European Rail Timetable Ltd. (The publishers picked up where Thomas Cook stopped.)

There's this train in the Pyrenees:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligne_de_Cerdagne

And there is the train that goes down to Flims:

https://flic.kr/p/7qozbM

The trains I mentioned are all particularly slow. But you are right, the list could get endless.......

I haven't ridden it myself, but now I think about it, I can't believe they left off the Flam railway in Norway.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6574d5ff2.jpeg
Other picture of the Pirenées (train jaune)

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...071f767cb.jpeg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ded1587ec.jpeg

I like the train between Luzern and Interlaken, Switzerland. It goes past the town of Lungern, which has a pretty lake and church with iconic steeple.

Thin,aristocrat 🚞

"I like the train between Luzern and Interlaken, Switzerland."
Thanks for this... hoping to get the chance to do this in summer.

The Flam train journey was one of the best I’ve ever done, and I’ve had a lot of train travel growing up in India...👌

The Flam train was indeed a magnificent, picturesque journey!

I've taken the Copenhagen to Malmo train in 2002 when it crossed the water, 2 years after it was up and running. Did it before in 1973, but then you had to cross by ferry.

Took the Glacier express several times, most recently in 2012.

Paris - Portbou . . . well, sort of. We took the night train some years ago from Barcelona to Paris that went this route. I believe we went from Barcelona to Cerbère by local train, then got on the night train there.

Thanks for everyone’s thoughts!

Has anyone taken the train between Zagreb and Split? I've wanted to do that but haven't had the opportunity. What is it like?

I see the author of the original article recommends Rail Europe. This should be a last resort. It's best to book with the company operating the trains.

See seat61.com for particular details.

Updating my post:


Do cog railways count?