Why Train Travel in Europe Might Just Be the Best Thing Since Sliced Baguettes

Europe Train Travel

I’ll admit it: I’m hopelessly, romantically biased toward train travel in Europe. Not in a beret-and-wine-glass kind of way (though I’ve done that, too), but in the "this is actually brilliant and more people need to do it" sort of way.

If you've ever tried to navigate a foreign country with a rental car, dodging roundabouts, deciphering street signs in Hungarian, and praying the GPS doesn't conk out mid-alps, you already know: there's an easier way. It's called the train.

And no, I don’t mean the over-air-conditioned, beige-boothed commuter train you took in Toronto once in 2006. I’m talking comfortable,  high-speed marvels that glide across borders, cut through countryside, and—dare I say it—make you feel like you're starring in your own slow-travel European mini-series.

The Beauty of Getting There

Train travel in Europe is about the journey and the destination. You climb aboard in Paris—city of love, flaky pastries, and existential café chats—and before you can say pain au chocolat, you’re sipping coffee as the Eiffel Tower disappears behind you and the vineyards of the Loire Valley roll into view. By the time you step off the train, you’re in a different cultural universe, one filled with chateaux and wine cellars and absolutely no baggage claim in sight.

That’s the thing. Trains in Europe don’t just connect cities. They connect moods, rhythms, cuisines, languages. You go from one cultural chapter to the next, seamlessly, scenically, and without the dry-air exhaustion of flying or the high-stress navigation of renting a car.

Train Stations: The Unsung Cathedrals of Travel

Here’s something most guidebooks forget to mention: the train stations themselves are part of the adventure. In North America, we treat train stations like sad, functional rectangles designed for standing and waiting. But in Europe? They’re lively public squares, some even have shopping centres, and sometimes they are architectural masterpieces.

Take Antwerp Central Station, for example. On our first family trip to Europe, we had 20 minutes between trains—plenty of time, we thought—until we stumbled up the stairs and found ourselves staring at a grand staircase so opulent, it looked like someone had dropped a royal ballroom into a train station. The Antwerp Central Train Station's grand staircase was so jaw-dropping, we stopped mid-dash to gawk, only to be politely nudged forward by busy commuters who had clearly seen this baroque masterpiece many times before.

Or Le Train Bleu in Paris’s Gare de Lyon—a gilded restaurant inside the station. Because why wouldn’t your pre-boarding snack come with chandeliers and foie gras? Some train stations are even attached to airports, like in Paris, which makes catching your train post-flight as easy as strolling down a hallway. Europe has figured this out, folks.

A Front Row Seat to Real Life

One of my favourite things about train travel is that feeling of being in it. Not floating 35,000 feet above the world, and not driving through it with white knuckles. You’re sitting next to commuters, students, chatty retirees, and families with well-behaved dogs (and sometimes kids). You overhear snippets of languages. You watch kids hop on before or after school, backpacks swinging, sharing snacks and gossip. It’s wonderfully uncurated—real life rolling past your window, sometimes literally and sometimes figuratively.

And the scenery? Unmatched. Snow-capped Alps, fields of vineyards, medieval villages, and the occasional castle perched on a hill like it’s no big deal. It’s the kind of thing you’d expect from a movie montage, except it’s Tuesday, and you’re just going from Lyon to Milan.

But What About Planning?

Ah yes, the dreaded logistics. This is where Rail Europe steps in like your organized, well-dressed travel friend who knows exactly how to get from Rome to Salzburg without pulling out their hair or a map.

With Rail Europe, you can book tickets and passes across the continent in one place—whether you're zipping through Spain, meandering in Germany, or hopping from Prague to Vienna. It takes the guesswork out of train classes, seat reservations, and whether you need to validate your ticket (spoiler: sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t).

It’s simple, it’s trustworthy, and it means you can spend more time researching wine tours in Tuscany and less time Googling “difference between second class and second class comfort.”

Final Thoughts from the Train Window

Train travel in Europe is practical, yes. Comfortable, absolutely. But it’s also quietly magical. You arrive rested, caffeinated, and about 27% more cultured than when you left.

So if you're planning a couple’s escape, a girls’ getaway, or a solo adventure where you finally read that book you've been meaning to read, consider skipping the rental car queue and hopping on a train instead.

Because the truth is, Europe was made to be seen from a train window.

Ready to Ride?

Skip the stress and start planning your scenic escape with Rail Europe. Whether you’re city-hopping or countryside-coasting, they’ve got the tickets, the maps, and the know-how.

Have you taken a train through Europe? What was your favourite route? Share in the comments below.