Win a copy of Platform Europe + an Interrail Pass! (closed)

My favourite train route is the Cinque Terre line because of the great views and the chance to hike between the towns and then get the train back🌞.

My wife and I interrailed last summer from Inverness, ultimately, to Krakòw. The best slow journey along the way was the final section of the Paris to Bolzano/Bozen route. We were spending a week walking in the Dolomites. After a busy few days in Paris and a TGV to Stuttgart and another fast train to Munich, then everything slowed down as we headed south through Austria to the beautiful Dolomites. The scenic beauty defies description. If you have never been...

Next up for me and my son - Germany! Some train museums and county side!

i'd love to see the oslo-bergen train, i've heard so much about it and it sounds stunning! in general the nature in norway is so beautiful!

My favourite ride is from Ventigmiglia to Nice with its beautiful views of the Côte d’Azur. I took this train ride 5 years as part of my Interrail adventure to Italy and France and it was truly memorable!

I loved the yellow train or “Le Canari” A small yellow train that goes from northern Spain to France through the mountains. Beautiful experience!

Good luck everyone!

I love seeing how the landscape changes as I travel and getting a sense of the distances covered over the course of the journey.
I’d want to go on a tour of Copenhagen, Oslo, Bergen and Stockholm.
I’d already planned this tour for April 2020, but then COVID hit. I’ll make up for it at some point. 

In 1974 having never been abroad before I planned an inter rail trip from Newcastle to Oslo using the only information available namelyvthevthomad cook international rail timetable .

The route for me and my 2 mates was Newcastle- London - Dover-Calais - Brussels- koln- Hamburg- Copenhagen - Helsingborg- Oslo 

we arrived 2 hours early then caught a train to stabekk to stay with our Norwegian mates family in their summer house ! 

I absolutely loved the train ride between Tirano and Chur (Bernina Express and Rhätische Bahn)

As I have never been on a slow travel train route, I will share the one I dream about being on. Bergen to Oslo in Norway is my absolute dream route. I have never been to Norway but for years it’s been my number one dream destination. I can’t imagine a better way then discovering it by train. Hopefully this year I am able to finally go. 

We’re celebrating the release of Platform Europe, the latest book written by our longtime friend Bart Giepmans. Bart is an author, travel journalist, photographer and a passionate advocate for exploring Europe by train.

He is a true champion of slow travel and spends much of the year discovering Europe by rail, embracing historic stations, meaningful encounters and the stories found along the tracks. He wrote and photographed most of the journeys featured in Platform Europe!

😍Win a copy of Bart’s beautiful book AND a FREE Interrail Global Pass (7 days in 1 month)!

Participation is open to all persons 16+ living in Europe. The giveaway ends on 28 April 2026 at 12 pm CET. Five winners will be randomly selected and contacted via the community DM on 28 April 2026. The winners will receive 1x Interrail Global Pass for 7 travel days within 1 month (2nd class) and 1x Platform Europe book. The book will be shipped free of charge.

📄 Read the full Terms & Conditions, here.

How to enter the giveaway

Whether you are an experienced rail traveller or still dreaming about your first trip:

💬 Tell us your favourite slow travel train route – or the train journey that's next on your wishlist – and why.

Share your answer in the comments below to enter the giveaway👇

My next trip is going to be from the UK to Lake Garda, via Paris and Milan. Lake Garda was my mums favourite holiday destination and I don’t fly so I never went with her. She died 18 months ago and now I am travelling by train to finally see the place that she loved so much

Favourite slow travel: Nice to Ventimiglia has a great view of the coast. Then there’s the ferry across the straits of Messina, if you get the train to Sicily. I took went through Gottard tunnel (in Switzerland) for the first time last month - but it wasn’t slow (or scenic) - Zurich was nice, though. I also took the train from Innsbruck to Garnish - which is fantastic - i was still snowing.  I used to take the night train from Budapest to Kyiv - that was great & took an entire 24 hours - but unfortunately I haven’t done it for a few years because of the war. There are a couple of trains I’d like to take: The night train from Bratislava to Kosice (in Slovakia), also the new high speed train from Budapest to Belgrade (when they get it running later this summer). And I’d love to take the orient Express, one day.  

Hello :) my favorite train travel route was Zagreb to Split because it was late afternoon to evening and I just remember the beautiful nature and the pink sky and finally arriving in Split for some days of reset. it was a very comfortable and magical train ride 

On my wishlist is the new Rail Baltica line connecting Warsaw with Helsinki. It's a high speed line but the wait is slow, it's due to open in 2030... I love the Baltic states and this trip connects them all, can't wait!

The most beautiful train trip is according to me the Semmeringbahn in Austria which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

I loved the Kukushka train ('little cuckoo') from Borjomi (at 820 m) to Bakuriani (at 1700 m; ski resort) in Georgia. It is 37,2 km long and lasts 2,5 hours. Definately slow travel with great views. On the way it passes over a bridge designed by the famous G. Eiffel. Construction started in 1897; first steam operated; electrified since 1966. Formerly it also transported andesite. Now it's only local people and tourists. Though it stopped operating in 2022; it should start again in january 2027. Highly recommended.

I thoroughly enjoyed the train journey from Lausanne to Barcelona at summer, ​​passing by Lake Geneva, Lyon, the French forests and rivers, and finally the Mediterranean coast...

Traveling with friends made the trip even more enriching and fun. I also got to visit beautiful cities like Montpellier and Avignon.

This trip has inspired me to explore every corner of Europe.

Schwarzwaldbahn Karlsruhe Konstanz 

Wunderschöne Strecke mit vielen Tunnels in ansprechender Landschaft

My all time favorite route is the Eurocity Transalpin from Zürich to Graz in the panoramic carriage. It's a long trip, but the landscape is so amazing it keeps you entertained for the whole journey.

My favourite trip was my DiscoverEU trip around Scandinavia and the Baltics. A beautiful experience!

I didn't know what a berth was until I slept in one, Hamburg to Stockholm. Fell asleep in a busy German city, woke up to red wooden houses and endless lakes. Honestly the closest thing to time travel and best rebirth I've ever had!

As I have done Shanghai>Beijing route last year at 350 km/h (distnace of 1328km just in 4,5 hours with 1 minute delay) - I would like to explore the fastest European rail tracks.

The Bernina Express is the next one on my wish list.

I would love to go on the Odontotos railway in Greece! Great mix of nature and history :)

I had planned to go interrailing just before the pandemic and unfortunately havent got around to it as of yet. However, the trip that I was most excited for was the journey along the south of France whilst trying to get from Paris to Rome. The coastal train through Montpellier, Bordeaux and Marseille to be exact. Would be wonderful to get the chance to actually do it. One Day!