The Beauty of Long-Distance Rail Travel
AndyBTravels discusses long-distance rail travel and offers tips for planning your first-ever cross-continental train adventure.
Rail travel can be an ideal way to cover hundreds or even thousands of miles, and for many, the train is the preferred mode of transport.
Sometimes you may already have a destination in mind, with the train merely serving as a means to get there, but there are also travellers for whom the train journey itself is an essential part of the holiday experience.
My own long-distance rail experiences
My very first long-distance rail journey was returning from Italy to the UK when I was 18.
Unfortunately, I had been robbed on the train some days before, and thus had to make my way home using a replacement Interrail pass issued by the Italian Ministry of Transport.
The journey from Rome to Manchester wasn’t exactly comfortable, as back then I travelled in a basic seat on an overnight train to Milan, continued through Switzerland, and then up to the French Channel coast to take a ferry from Dieppe to the UK.
Of course, that’s not the ideal way to experience long-distance rail travel, but fortunately, I’ve since taken many wonderful train journeys across Europe and beyond.
The longest train journey I have ever undertaken was from Pyongyang, North Korea, to London, an epic adventure passing through China, the Central Asian ‘Stans’, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium, and France.
I was really hoping that the person sitting opposite me on the Eurostar would ask where I was coming from, but unfortunately they didn’t!
Night train: great way to travel long distances?
Sleeper trains often play an important role in long-distance rail travel, as they allow you to cover great distances overnight, which is certainly convenient.
Night trains are especially useful if you’re short on time or travelling on a tighter budget, as taking a seat or a berth in a couchette also saves you the cost of a night’s hotel stay.
That said, if you prefer to travel in a private sleeper on a night train, it can sometimes cost considerably more than a night in a hotel, so it isn’t always the most cost-effective option.
However, if you have the luxury of time, night trains aren’t essential for long-distance rail travel – and since I now have plenty of time on my hands, I actually prefer taking daytime trains to fully enjoy the journey.
It also plays a role that I’m one of those people who doesn’t sleep well on night trains, which is another reason I tend to avoid them, although plenty of others are the exact opposite and get a great night’s rest on the rails!
My typical long-distance rail itinerary
When I take a long-distance rail journey, I usually board a train after breakfast, travel throughout the day, and aim to reach my first destination or overnight stop by early evening.
Ideally, one of the trains during the day has a dining car where I can enjoy some lunch.
Once you arrive, you can still explore the town a little, have dinner, enjoy a comfortable night in a hotel, and continue your journey the following day – or perhaps spend a bit more time in town before moving on.
Needless to say, this general schedule for long-distance rail travel changes between summer and winter, when the days are shorter.
One of the best aspects of train travel is enjoying the window views, which is obviously easier in summer, so in winter I tend to aim to reach my destination earlier, by late afternoon.
An example
Whenever I travel by train across the continent to a distant country, I follow this principle of breaking up the journey with several stops along the way.
If you were to travel from London to Morocco by train (and ferry), you could easily reach southern France within a single day.
After an overnight stay, you could continue on day two to Madrid, and on day three to the Mediterranean coast for a ferry to Morocco.
Of course, you can tailor your journey as much as you like to suit your own preferences.
Is your goal simply to reach your destination as quickly and comfortably as possible by train, or do you want to include multiple stopovers to explore other places along the way?
It’s all possible, of course!
Planning a long-distance rail itinerary
Planning is part of the fun of a long-distance rail journey, whether you simply want to travel from A to B across the continent or explore multiple destinations in several countries on a rail holiday.
It’s important to be conservative with your use of time: don’t try to do too much.
I’m a realist when it comes to train travel, rather than an optimist.
Trains gets delayed, trains do get cancelled.
My philosophy is that if I have to make a connection on a route with trains every hour, I aim to take the train two hours after my scheduled arrival at an intermediate connection point.
If there’s a delay, you’ll still make the connection; if you’re on time, you have some extra time to grab a coffee, have a bite to eat, or even take a look outside the station.
Always have a plan B, and never rely on the last train of the day when planning a long-distance rail journey.
You don’t want to arrive on a delayed train at your connection point and find that you’ve just missed the last train to your destination!
Always ensure there is enough buffer time for crucial connections, or that there are later trains that day you can still catch to reach your destination.
Planning tools
A great tool to help plan your long-distance train trip is the Rail Map of Europe.
It serves three purposes: first, to plan and plot your route; second, to track your journey while en route; and third, it makes a brilliant souvenir.
Check out the AndyBTravels blog for many train travel experiences and rail news.
For example, explore the hidden rail gems section for highly scenic, less-travelled lines that offer a fantastic experience and some serious bragging rights.
For bookings, visit my other website, DiscoverByRail, where I’ve included several booking engines, including Eurail and Interrail passes, as well as the Eurostar, to name just a few.
Of course, I’m also going to take my hat off to my good friend Mark Smith, better known as the Man in Seat 61.
Seat61 is an absolute gem for rail travel, showing you how to book, where to go, information about all trains, and even suggesting places to visit.
It’s by far the best rail resource on the internet and should provide all the information you need.
To get a feel for train travel and what you’re getting yourself into, it’s a good idea to check out YouTube.
Look at channels like Nonstop Eurotrip and Superalbs, which feature reviews of train journeys.
They can inspire you to try things you hadn’t considered, reassure you that a trip you’re planning is both doable and enjoyable, or simply provide more details about specific trains.
Three great rail adventures
If you’re new to long-distance rail travel, it’s probably wise to choose a destination relatively close to home for your first long train journey.
For example, why not travel to Italy by train?
From the UK, or even many places in Northern Europe, you could easily reach a German city like Cologne on day one.
The next day, continue by train into Switzerland and stay overnight in Zurich, or position yourself in a smaller town further along the line, such as Chur, to get a head start for the following day.
On day three, you could take the highly scenic Bernina Express across the Alps to Tirano, and from there travel along Lake Como towards Milan.
It’s a fantastic way to enter Italy, with the entire train journey feeling just as much a part of your holiday as the destination itself.
Southern Spain is another excellent destination to reach by train, whether you’re planning a beach holiday, a cultural trip, or some winter sunshine.
It’s easy to do from the UK or Western Europe, as you can reach southern France on day one, staying somewhere in Montpellier or Nîmes and spending some time there.
On day two, travel onward by TGV to Barcelona, and then hop on a high-speed train to Madrid, a fantastic city well worth more than just a quick overnight stopover.
I would never say no to the chance to spend some time in Madrid!
Then simply continue south by AVE high-speed train to cities like Córdoba, Seville, Granada, or Málaga!
Of course, one of the most epic rail journeys you can make in Europe is from London to Istanbul by train.
Istanbul is an iconic destination in its own right, where East meets West, and is about as far as you can travel by train within Europe.
Should you use a rail pass?
Theoretically, if you plan well in advance and have a fixed itinerary, point-to-point tickets are usually the best option, provided you allow sufficient time for connections and buffers.
That said, Eurail or Interrail passes can be valuable if you only start booking closer to your departure date, as many of the cheaper point-to-point tickets may already have sold out.
This is particularly true for travellers from the UK.
A prime example is the Eurostar, which can be expensive when you book a point-to-point ticket, while passholder fares are much cheaper.
An Interrail or Eurail pass can also serve as a kind of travel insurance, although you’re obviously still well-advised to take out a proper travel insurance policy before your trip.
For example, if you’re travelling from France to Italy and the main high-speed line is closed due to a landslide or flooding, a rail pass allows you to reroute without too much hassle, for instance via Switzerland.
A rail pass is also ideal for spontaneous decisions.
If you’ve just travelled from Edinburgh to Cologne via London and stayed overnight in a hotel, you might suddenly decide the next day to take the scenic route through the Rhine Valley to Frankfurt instead of an ICE on the high-speed line.
Or you might be too tired from your journey and prefer to take a later train the following day rather than the 8 o’clock morning service – something that wouldn’t be possible with a non-flexible point-to-point ticket valid for a specific train only.
It’s also worth remembering that Eurail and Interrail offer the best value in countries such as the UK and the German-speaking nations (Switzerland, Austria, Germany), where point-to-point fares can be high and trains don’t require compulsory reservations.
In contrast, using Interrail or Eurail in countries like Spain or Italy requires more planning and flexibility, as supplemental seat reservations are needed on long-distance trains in addition to your rail pass.
Tips for your first long-distance rail journey
While people like me may offer sound advice, it’s always your personal choice what you eventually decide to do, and travel is inherently an experiential activity where you need to discover your own style and preferences.
If you’ve never taken a long-distance rail journey before, my biggest tip would be to travel one way by train and the other way by plane.
The reason is simple: if you discover that long-distance rail travel isn’t for you, you won’t be forced to make the entire return journey by train, which is why it’s often best to go out by train and fly back.
This approach also requires considerably less planning, making it far less overwhelming if you’re relatively new to international train travel.
I would probably not recommend using a night train on your very first long-distance rail trip.
If you discover that you aren’t a fan of sleeper trains, or have a poor night’s sleep, it can be disheartening and might even put you off rail travel altogether.
There’s no reason to think this will happen to you – many people thoroughly enjoy night trains – but the simple fact is that an equally large number of travellers are disappointed by the experience.
When starting your trip, it’s wise to bring some drinks and snacks for the day, as even if your train has a dining car, it may not be stocked or operating, so it’s best not to rely on it entirely.
It’s also a good idea to carry a little toilet paper or some wet wipes, as train toilets in certain countries can be a bit dirty and may not have these essentials available.
Besides all that, just go with the flow and take the good with the bad.
Be sure to engage with fellow travellers, as you’ll meet some larger-than-life characters and highly interesting people along the way.
The point of your first long-distance rail trip is to ease yourself into international train travel, so it’s best to take it one step at a time, starting with a more straightforward journey – say, the UK to Germany or Italy – rather than immediately boarding the Trans-Siberian Express.
Once you catch the rail travel bug and gain more experience, simply hop on board and discover the wonders of Europe and beyond.
The world is there to be explored, and there’s no better way to see it than from the window of a train!
Well said said Andy !🚂😀