Unlike planes, trains go from city center to city center without extra baggage fees and the journey is an integral, enjoyable part of the holiday. It does take more effort to book, but as with most things, a little extra effort means you get a lot more out of it. And it’s affordable – a Eurostar to Paris or Brussels costs from £78 return, a ticket from Paris to Nice or Milan from £25 each way and a berth on the Paris-Vienna bed from £43. As with flights, most European long-distance rail services are dynamically priced, with cheaper fares if you book in advance and avoid peak times. If you’re planning an extended tour, an Interrail pass is worth considering as it offers unlimited travel across most of Europe. But for most journeys from the UK to a specific European destination and back—even with a stopover or two—advance fares are your best bet. Try these suggestions for a great holiday without flying across the continent. Nice, South of France GETTY IMAGES
1. Cote d’Azur, France
London, Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Cannes, Nice
Cannes, Nice, St Tropez, Monte Carlo. . . the Cote d’Azur never loses its glamorous charm. You can reach the Mediterranean in a day by train, taking the Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord in 2 hours 20 minutes, changing stations by taxi or metro, then a double-decker TGV from Gare de Lyon to Cannes in just 5 hours and 7 minutes, or Nice in 5 hours 41 minutes. Reserve a seat upstairs for the best view. The TGV runs across France at up to 186mph on high-speed tracks, but makes the final stretch from Marseille to Nice at a more gentle pace on the classic line along the coast. Passing Marseille, you’ll see the hilltop basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde and the famous Château d’If — France’s 16th-century Alcatraz, featured in Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristoo — out in the bay. Between Toulon, Cannes and Nice, you’ll cruise the coast, passing yacht-filled coves and rocky headlands. At Nice-Ville station, you are a 15-minute walk from the Promenade des Anglais. If you prefer not to negotiate the French capital, the Eurostar at 11.04am. from St Pancras includes a convenient change at the same station in Lille Europe to a direct TGV to Marseille, from where another TGV will take you across the Mediterranean to Cannes (arriving at 10.06pm) and Nice (10.37pm .m.). There is a third option: the Paris to Nice night train has made a welcome return. Stopped running in 2017 along with several other French night trains, it resumed service in May last year, with four-berth first class and six-berth second class berths. You can leave London by 4.31pm, leave Paris at 9.20pm, sleep south and arrive in Cannes at 8.38am. or in Nice at 9.08 am. after a coastal run. ● The best sleeper trains in Europe● The most luxurious train journeys in the world Where should I stay? The new Hotel Belle Plage in Cannes is a reconstruction of a classic 1930s building, with curvaceous white thatched and wood interiors, and a rooftop restaurant. B&B doubles from £232? (hotelbelleplage.fr). In Nice, Hôtel La Pérouse is built on cliffs above the beach and the Bay of Angels, with a restaurant in a beautiful atrium and a swimming pool. B&B double from £247; (hotel-la-perouse.com) How to book itLondon to Paris by Eurostar (from £78 return), then take a TGV from Paris to Nice, from £25 each way. or travel from Paris to Nice by couchette, from £25 each way. Book the entire journey via thetrainline.com or raileurope.co.uk Park Guell, Barcelona GETTY IMAGES
2. Spain by train
London, Paris, Nîmes, Perpignan, Figueres, Girona, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, Valencia, Alicante
Choose the most popular destinations in Spain: Barcelona, Seville, Malaga and Alicante can be reached by train. Even Ibiza and Mallorca can be reached without a ferry flight. Eurostar at 9:31 am from St Pancras arrives at Gare du Nord at 12:47pm, with time for lunch at Le Train Bleu restaurant in Gare de Lyon. After lunch, stroll across the area to catch the 15:12 high-speed TGV to Figueres, Girona and Barcelona. It’s an impressive 200 mph double decker. an upper deck seat offers the best view as the train descends the Rhône valley, crossing the river between Valence and Nîmes with the towering Château de Montfaucon on the right. The train slows through Nîmes and Montpellier, passing vineyards and the hilltop cathedral at Béziers. See flamingos feeding in its shallows ponds (lakes) beyond Narbonne, where the tracks cross a narrow path and the train appears to be floating on water. Just before Perpignan, look for the sturdy, imposing 15th-century Fort de Salses, built by the Catalans but held by the French since 1642. At Perpignan the train joins the high-speed line to Barcelona and speeds up to 200 mph hour, rounding the southern end of the Pyrenees with the 2,780m (9,120ft) summit of Mount Canigou dominating the horizon from Perpignan to Girona. The train arrives at Figueres Vilafant (for the Salvador Dalí museum) at 20.56, Girona at 21:13 and Barcelona Sants at 21:54. In Spain, it’s still dinner time. From here you can take the 8.30 am. high-speed AVE to Seville (5 hours 34 minutes) and Malaga (5 hours 40 minutes, change at Córdoba) or one of the fast EuroMed trains along the coast to Valencia (2 hours 40 minutes) and Alicante (4 hours 34 minutes) . ). Again, you could set sail for Ibiza or Palma de Mallorca on an overnight ferry with comfortable cabins. Where should I stay?The new ME Barcelona has a rooftop bar overlooking the Sagrada Familia. B&B doubles from £202. (melia.com). In Seville, the Hotel Sacrista de Santa Ana, in an 18th-century convent, has B&B doubles from £86. (i-escape.com). Malaga is home to the grand Palacio Solecio (doubles from £153; palaciosolecio.com). In Valencia there’s the boutique hotel Yours, sleek and white with a slim pool (B&B doubles from £102; thisisyours.es). Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay has music events and rooftop doubles from £390, (nobuhotelibizabay.com) How to book itLondon to Paris by Eurostar (from £78 return), then Paris to Figueres, Girona or Barcelona, from £50 each way. Barcelona to Seville, Malaga or Alicante from £30 each way (raileurope.com or thetrainline.com). Barcelona to Ibiza by ferry from £49 with berth, £160 with private cabin. Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca from £31 en-suite, £129 private cabin (trasmed.com). The afternoon TGV from Paris to Barcelona runs until September 30. Milan Central Station, Italy ALAMY
3. To Italy with the Red Arrow train
London, Paris, Lyon, Turin, Milan
Italy is a firm favorite for its historic cities, enchanting lakes and pretty seaside villages — and it’s just a train ride away. Say goodbye to London at 9.31am. Eurostar to Paris, hop into a taxi or take the metro to Gare de Lyon and relax with a coffee or something stronger in the bar of Le Train Bleu restaurant, still the world’s most impressive station buffet since it opened 1901. Then you have a choice of high-speed trains from Paris to Turin and Milan: SNCF’s established TGV at 14:43 or Trenitalia’s brand new Frecciarossa (red arrow) at 3:18pm. The Trenitalia service from Gare de Lyon, introduced in December, in direct competition with SNCF, is a product of the steady — if slow — liberalization of Europe’s railways. The TGV is comfortable, but the Frecciarossa is newer and shinier, with standard, business and premium first class (called executive), with swiveling captain’s chairs at one end of the train. Here a dedicated flight attendant serves a light meal, Italian coffee and prosecco — all included in the ticket price. Both trains cut through rural France at more than 180mph on the high-speed line to Lyon, then slow down for a leisurely wander through the Alpine landscape on the classic route to Italy via Chambéry and Modane. The Frecciarossa reaches Turin in 6 hours from Paris, while the TGV bypasses central Lyon and makes Turin in around 20 minutes less. But while the TGV sticks to classic lines and takes 7 hours and 6 minutes to reach Milan’s modern, uninspired Porta Garibaldi station, the Frecciarossa digs into Italy’s high-speed line and makes a grand entrance in its magnificent architecture 1930s Milan Central in 6 hours. 49 minutes. If you skip Milan, Turin – as one of Italy’s most elegant yet underrated cities – is the perfect spot for an overnight stay. Make time for a wander there the next day before taking another Frecciarossa to Venice (in 3 hours 24 minutes), Florence (2 hours 54 minutes), Rome (4 hours 39 minutes) or Naples (6 hours 2 minutes). Trenitalia’s new service has one more trick up its sleeve — it stops in Lyon. If you find it difficult or scary to cross Paris, take the Eurostar at 11:04 p.m. from London to Lille and then make an easy change at the same station to a TGV to Lyons Part Dieu, arriving at 5pm, in time for dinner and an evening stroll. Then get up in the morning…
