LUXURY EUROPEAN TRAIN TOURS &amp; LUXURY TRAIN VACATIONS EUROPE

Austria has some of the best mix of scenery and cities in Europe and is a popular destination for European luxury train travel. It has a well-developed and beautifully engineered rail network making luxury rail holidays in Europe reliable and exhilarating with routes through places like the Semmering pass. Vienna and Salzburg are the most popular cities visited in Austria visited on our luxury European train tours. Click on the European luxury train vacations below each Austrian destination for full details.

VIENNA

The Capital of Austria and the former Habsburg Empire is a city with a rich culture and some superb imperial architecture.

SALZBURG

The birthplace of Mozart and, of course, setting for the Sound of Music, beautiful Salzburg is a centre of culture in Austria.

SEMMERING PASS

This rail pass connects Lower Austria and Styria. The Semmering Railway built from 1848–54 was the first mountain railway in the world.

LAKE ACHEN

Lake Achen is a beautiful alpine lake with stunning clear turquoise waters and a popular area for water sports and hiking.

INNSBRUCK

Located close to both Germany and Italy Innsbruck is famed as a ski resort but also has many historical buildings in the centre of the city.

NEW YEAR

New Year in Vienna is a magical time of festivities and often snow. It is also famed for the classical Vienna New Year concert.

EUROPEAN LUXURY TRAIN VACATIONS: BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA

Bosnia Herzegovina is a relative newcomer on luxury train rides in Europe itineraries and is a country that would often be overlooked. The beauty of a luxury train across Europe is that it can pass through these less visited places and take in the better-known destinations. Sarajevo and Mostar are the most popular places visited on these luxury European train holidays, and both these destinations have recovered well from the war in the 1990s. You can see the luxury European train tours that visit these places within Bosnia under each destination below.

SARAJEVO

Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia and known for its diversity of Christian Roman Catholic, Orthodox and the Muslim Ottoman.

MOSTAR

Still shaking off its damage from the war in the 1990s the city is famous for its beautiful stone bridge which was rebuilt in 2004.

LUXURY EUROPEAN TRAIN TOURS: BULGARIA

Bulgaria is located at a key point geographically between Europe and the near Orient and so features in quite a lot of luxury train vacations in Europe. The country has much to see and a good rail network for the European luxury train to use. Bulgaria has a long history and has been a pivotal country between Turkey and the rest of Europe. The main cities visited on luxury rail holidays in Europe are the coital of Sofia and the culturally rich cities of Veliko Tarnovo and Plovid.

PLOVDIV

Plovdiv is one of the oldest cities in Europe located on a large plain between the Rhodope Mountains and Balkan Range (Old Mountains).

SOFIA

Bulgaria's capital is a dynamic place to visit with an architectural mix of Communist, Orthodox and European buildings.

VELIKO TARNOVO

Veliko Turnovo was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire and is culturally rich in museums and historical sites.

LUXURY TRAIN TRAVEL EUROPE: CROATIA

Croatia is a Balkan country with a long and beautiful coastline. Its rail network is not as extensive as other Balkan countries. Still, it more than makes up for this with some outstanding destinations, not least Dubrovnik, making it a popular place to visit for luxury rail journeys in Europe. As well as Dubrovnik, other cities visited are Zagreb and Rijeka. Overall, Croatia is a welcome stop for luxury trains in Europe, and you can see the different luxury European train tours that visit these countries by clicking on them below.

ZAGREB

Zagreb's chief attraction is the medieval 'old city' with architecture and cobbled streets reminiscent of Vienna, Budapest and Prague.

RIJEKA

Rijeka is the main seaport of Croatia, located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea. It is compact and walkable city.

DUBROVNIK

Once rivalling Venice, beautiful Dubrovnik is an UNESCO World Heritage city on the Adriatic Sea coast in the south of Croatia.

LUXURY EUROPEAN TRAIN HOLIDAYS: CZECH REPUBLIC

The Czech Republic has one of Europe's most famous cities, Prague, which is a must-see and featured on several luxury train journeys in Europe. The country has long been a stalwart for European tourism in the heart of Central and East Europe and has a well-developed train network. As well as the much-visited Prague, the luxury European train holiday also visits Cesky Krumlov, which has just as beautiful architecture as Prague but is far less well known. Explore the European luxury train vacation options for the Czech Republic below.

PRAGUE

Prague is one of the largest cities in Central Europe and has served as the capital of the historic region of Bohemia for centuries.

CESKY KRUMLOV

Český Krumlov is a beautiful town little changed over centuries full of Baroque buildings and with a castle and old-town square.

LUXURY EUROPEAN TRAIN TOUR: HUNGARY

Hungary is a pivotal country in East Europe with an extensive and well-developed train network providing one of the best luxury train vacations Europe offers, fascinating cities and beautiful scenery. Some of the most luxurious train rides in Europe tour this country extensively to take advantage of this. The capital of Budapest is actually two cities Buda and Pest which are divided by the river. This city has some impressive architecture. The rest of the country has many towns and sights worth visiting on your luxury European train tour, and the nature of luxury train rides in Europe means that short stops can be made throughout your European luxury train trip.

AGGTELEK

Aggtelek is famous for its karst caves with the highlight being the Giants' Hall 125 meters long, 55 meters wide and 30 meters high.

BUDAPEST

The capital of Hungary is a vibrant city noted for its classical music scene and nightlife as well as thermal baths and architecture.

DEBRECEN

Debrecen is the second largest city in Hungary and a centre for Hungarian Protestantism as well as a large science university.

EGER

Eger is known for its castle, thermal baths, baroque buildings, the northernmost Ottoman minaret, cuisine and red wines.

HOLLOKO

Hollókő is a preserved traditional settlement and a UNESCO World Heritage site and is a good way to understand local culture.

HORTOBAGY PARK

The Hortobagy National Park is in the Hungarian plain in the eastern part of the country known for it's wildlife and traditional culture.

KECSKEMET

The city is well known for its secessionist architecture, museums, and for being the birthplace of composer Zoltan Kodály.

KESZTHELY

Located at the southern tip of lake Balaton the town is 750 years old. Gothic, baroque and Transylvanian architecture abounds.

LAJOSMIZSE

Lajosmizse is a town in Bács-Kiskun county. It is located at the end of a railway line from Budapest and has a museum of folk culture.

LILLAFURED

Lillafüred close to Lake Hamori is a beautiful small town built as a holiday resort and centred around the Place Hotel and gardens.

OPUSTASZER PARK

The Ópusztaszer National Heritage Park is an open-air museum of Hungarian history most famous for the Feszty Panorama.

SOPRON

Sopron is a pleasant town very close to the border with Austria with winding streets and history dating back to medieval times.

SZEGED

Szeged is the third-largest city in Hungary known or the cathedral and a wealth of Art Nouveau buildings, and for the fish soup Halászlé.

TAPOLCA

Tapolca is known for its cave system as well as the beautiful Mill Pond. Due to the limestone karsts of this area the water is very pure.

TOKAJ

Tokaj is a famous wine growing region dating back nearly 1,000 years and the main square of the town even has a the Bacchus fountain.

EUROPEAN LUXURY TRAIN VACATION: ITALY

From a tourism perspective, Italy needs little introduction. The country has been seducing travellers for centuries. It is relatively less well known though, for its trains aside from being the endpoint of the Orient Express, the crème de la crème of luxury train travel in Europe. The rail network in Northern Italy is extensive; this is where the luxury train travel through Europe focuses on. Who wouldn't want to take a European luxury train trip that visits such stunning places as Venice, Milan and Lake Como. Under each destination, you can explore the European luxury train vacation options for Italy below.

LAKE COMO

Beautiful lake in Lombardy surrounded by mountains. There are numerous pretty towns and villages around the shore.

MILAN

Milan is famous for fashion and shopping and has some beautiful architecture as well as the famous La Scala opera house.

TRIESTE

Once a very influential and powerful centre of politics, literature, music, art and culture under Austrian-Hungarian dominion.

VENICE

Venice needs little introduction. Its sheer wealth of architecture and unique cancel system make it one of the world's most visited cities.

VERONA

Verona is rich in history with an abundance of Roman roots still evident today along with world class art and architecture - and gelato!

LUXURY EUROPEAN TRAIN TOUR: MONTENEGRO

Tiny Montenegro only takes a few hours to cross, but this is not a problem for luxury train trips in Europe which can fit this mountainous country in on their schedules before railing on to the following country. Luxury European train tours visit the dramatically located coastal town of Bar and the capital of Podgorica before continuing to explore the rest of the Balkans. Golden Eagle's Danube Express train visits these places on the "The Dalmation" luxury European train tour, which is not to be missed. More details can be found below.

PODGORICA

The capital of Montenegro is an interesting mix of old and new, Mediterranean and Balkan and is known for its cafe culture.

BAR

Bar has a wonderful setting on the coast backed by steep cliffs and mountains. Close by are the striking ruins of Stari Bar.

EUROPEAN LUXURY TRAIN VACATIONS: NORTH MACEDONIA

Macedonia is another small Balkan country that most tourists would overlook. However, your "luxury interrailing Europe" trip can fit into their schedules as they do not need to overnight in hotels with the train acting as a hotel on wheels. This allows your European luxury train vacation to offer a short visit to fascinating Skopje, which features son several of Golden Eagle's Danube Express train tours, including the very popular Venice to Istanbul route - one of the great luxury train rides in Europe.

SKOPJE

Skopje is an old city with Ottoman and Byzantine era sights. The Tvrdina Kale Fortress has guarded the city since the 5th century.

LUXURY TRAIN TOURS EUROPE: POLAND

Most luxury sleeper trains in Europe focus on the southern part of East and Central Europe, but the southern Polish city of Krakow does make it into some of these itineraries, and rightly so. Krakow is one of Europe's architectural masterpieces and is well worth a visit on any fancy train rides in Europe. You can see the luxury European train tours that visit Krakow below - just click on the tour name to open up a PDF with full details.

KRAKOW

This former capital of Poland has plenty of medieval architecture which combines with a more youthful student population and culture.

LUXURY EUROPEAN TRAIN HOLIDAYS: ROMANIA

Like neighbouring Bulgaria and Hungary, Romania is a popular destination for the most luxurious trains in Europe. This enigmatic country has a long history and spectacular scenery to enjoy on your luxury European train holiday. The fantastically named Danube Express train tour "Castles of Transylvania" encompasses a range of places, including Sighişoara and Bran and Râșnov, which are all tied up with the legend of Vlad the Impaler, whose bloodthirsty history inspired Bran Stoker's Dracula! Click the links below to learn about one of Europe's most famous luxury train holidays.

BRASOV

A city of gothic spires, Brasov is the base to visit the castles in Bran and Râșnov and listen to stories about Vlad to Impaler!

CLUJ NAPOCA

Recently 'discovered' by tourists Cluj has a vigorous mix of galleries, gardens, cafes, Gothic Churches and medieval towers.

SIBIU

Sibiu has a mix of big architecture and bohemian flair and this city has long been a cultural destination in Romania.

SIGHISOARA

The alleged birth place of Vlad Ţepeş (the Impaler), Sighişoara is a beautiful town full of narrow lanes and medieval architecture.

SINAIA

Located in a dramatic valley the town is visited by hikers in summer and skiers in winter and also for the chief attraction of Peleş Castle.

TIMISOARA

This large city has an attractive layout of squares and gardens as well as a good range of restaurants and museums.

EUROPEAN LUXURY TRAIN TRAVEL: SERBIA

Offering some of the best luxury train tours Europe offers, Serbia is a pivotal rail junction in the Balkans and a stop for many of the most luxurious trains in Europe. A landlocked country in the Balkans, Serbia came into being out of the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. Serbia can be visited on the Balkan Odyssey, Balkan Explorer The Dalmation, Istanbul to Venice and Venice to Istanbul tours. Just click on any of the luxury European train holidays listed below in Serbia to open up or download a PDF file with the full details of the luxury European train tours, including dates and pricing.

BELGRADE

Located where the Sava and Danube Rivers meet Belgrade is where the old world meets the new in this forward looking city.

SARGAN VITASI

This place is all about trains and the unusual narrow guage railway that ran from Sarajevo to Belgrade with the section here restored.

LUXURY RAIL HOLIDAYS IN EUROPE: SLOVAKIA

Slovakia is a landlocked and mountainous country in Central Europe with beautiful cities and incredible natural sights. Slovakia can be visited on the Central European Classics and New Year In Vienna luxury train rides in Europe. The old town of Kosicce is a highlight, as well as Poprad, known as the gateway to the High Tatra mountains. Just click on the European luxury train tours below for full details about Slovakia, and don't miss out on visiting this wonderful country.

KOSICE

The old town is the attraction of this city with the greatest collection of Gothic towers, medieval bastions and baroque sculpture in Slovakia.

POPRAD

Poprad is a known as the Gateway to the stunning scenery of the High Tatras and this town makes for a good place to base and explore.

LUXURY TRAIN TRAVEL EUROPE: SLOVENIA

Slovenia lies in South-Central Europe in the Julian Alps at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea, bordered by Austria to the north and Italy to the west. The country is a stalwart of the best luxury rail travel Europe offers. Slovenia can be visited on the Habsburg Express, Balkan Odyssey, Balkan Explorer, Grand Alpine Express, Venice to Istanbul and Istanbul to Venice luxury European train holidays. Click on any European luxury train vacation section below to open the PDF with full details.

LAKE BLED

Picture perfect and very popular Lake Bled is surrounded by the highest peaks of the Julian Alps and attractive churches and castles.

LJUBLJANA

Slovenia's capital green and liveable with a pedestrianised centre and fine architecture and bridges crossing the Ljubljanica River.

POSTOJNA

The Postojna Cave system is the thing to see here. Visitors can walk along 5km of the total 24 km of tunnels full of formations.

LUXURY TRAIN HOLIDAYS EUROPE: SPAIN

The Mediterranean country of Spain needs little introduction and is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations for its stunning history, cities and culture. Lesser known is its extensive rail network used by luxury overnight trains in Europe. Spain can be visited on the Al Andalus luxury train tours of Europe, visiting Santiago to Seville and the Portuguese capital of Lisbon to Barcelona. More details can be found below.

AVILA

The old city walls consist of 8 huge gates, 88 watchtowers and 2500 turrets, is one of the best-preserved medieval in Spain.

CORDOBA

Home to some extraordinary islamic architecture, not least the Mezquita, this city also is quintessential Spain and not to be missed.

LEON

Leon's cathedral is one of Spain's most impressive and largest and at night this city comes alive with bars and restaurants.

OURENSE

Ourense is known for its hot springs and thermal waters as well as its 12th-century Cathedral and Roman era bridge, the Ponte Romana.

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

The final stop on the famed pilgrimage trail of the same name 300,000 pilgrims still walk here to visit the cathedral each year.

SEVILLE

Seville is one of Spains most impressive and pleasant cities with grand architecture and an Andalusian culture of food and drink.

TOLEDO

Toledo is dramatically sited atop a gorge overlooking the Río Tajo, it was known as the ‘city of three cultures’ in the Middle Ages.

LUXURY RAIL JOURNEYS EUROPE: SWITZERLAND

Landlocked Switzerland offers unique luxury rail journeys in Europe with stunning mountainous scenery and cities and towns rich in a culture influenced by the surrounding countries, including Italy, France, Germany and Austria. Swiss rail is famous for its punctuality and breathtaking engineering feats over mountain passes. Although there are few luxury night train Europe rail tours, the trip does use luxury rolling stock for day trips with nights spent in hotels. Switzerland can be visited on the Grand Alpine Express and Swiss Rail Spectacular tours, making them great luxury European train holidays to be remembered.

ANDERMATT

Andermatt is a village in the Ursern Valley in the Swiss Alps. The train station is on the route network of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn.

BASEL

Located astride the mighty Rhine river the city is popular for it's wealth of galleries, museums and iconic buildings.

BERN

Switzerland's capital has a beautiful listed old town of cobbled streets with 6km of covered arcades, cellar shops and bars.

BRIENZ

A traditional village overlooking the lake of the same name, this is the quintessential Alpine setting among forests and mountains.

FURKA PASS

The steep Furka Pass at 2,431m) offers superb views and a memorable train ride during the summer months when the pass is snow free.

JUNGFRAU

The Jungfrau, at 4,158 meters is one of the main summits of the Bernese Alps. From here the views across the Alps are stunning.

LUCERNE

Popular with the likes of Goethe, Queen Victoria and Wagner Lucerne is as charming today as in the 19th Century and not to be missed.

REICHENBACH FALLS

The Reichenbach Falls (of Sherlock Holmes fame) drop over a total height of about 250 metres and are reached by a funicular train.

ST GOTTHARD PASS

The St Gotthard Pass at 2,106 m (6,909 ft) is a mountain pass for road and rail connecting northern with southern Switzerland.

ST MORITZ

The ultimate Swiss winter resort loved by celebrities and the well-heeled alike. Year round the beautiful lake and scenery can be enjoyed.

VITZNAU

Vitznau lies in an idyllic bay of Lake Lucerne at the foot of the Rigi making time well spent to explore the lake and the mountain area.

ZERMATT

Zermatt lies at the foot of the famous Matterhorn. The town has preserved its original character and is a car free zone.

ZÜRICH

The lakeside city of Zürich has the classic Swiss old town (Altstadt) and plenty of bars, art galleries and shopping opportunities

LUXURY TRAIN JOURNEYS EUROPE: TURKEY

Turkey is a country full of wonder and history that straddles Europe and the near Orient and has long been a place of fascination for tourists. Some of the best luxury trains in Europe start of finish in Istanbul, and Turkey can be visited on the Balkan Explorer, Castles of Transylvania, Venice to Istanbul and Istanbul to Venice tours. Just click on any of the European luxury train vacations listed below for Turkey, each place name to open up or download a PDF file with the tour's full details, including dates and pricing.

ISTANBUL

Istanbul is one of the world's great cities sitting on the strategic Bosphorus with a skyline that speaks of its long history.

LUXURY RAIL TOURS IN EUROPE

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