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

I'd love to take another trip to Annecy, and from there explore Italy! A longer trip than my last one 🚉 Annecy is so very beautiful, cycling around the lake is a must-do.

I also really enjoyed Strasbourg, so many sights and cool spots! I'd love to explore more of Germany.

When traveling from Annecy to Switzerland, the view from the train was beautiful. As you have noticed, I really like to see lakes and waters.

Hey, I would love to take the train to danemark and Sweden from Zurich! Theses countries are amazing and I would love to discover them by train 

Travelling by train from Bucharest to Istanbul was quite an experience. I would say not the best views I had during my 2 months Interrail, but the feeling of slowly entering ‘’another’’ Europe was special. That land bridging the EU to the Middle East. I felt something unique when observing the panorama staying the same and yet slowly changing. It was also the first time I booked a bed for sleeping in the night - I loved the experience! 

A couple of years ago I traveled from Portugal to Finland by train, though then the connection between Sweden and Finland was still by ferry - now even that is possible by train. There are many nice places to stop along this long way. After spending time in Portugal, traveled through Madrid, the Basque country, west coast of France and Brittany, before heading north through Germany, Denmark and Sweden, visiting friends in those countries.

Definitely on my wishlist: Belgrade to Bar. This line has been hyped up so much for me, I’d love to actually experience it.

My favorite train route is from London St Pancras to Paris, and I dream of taking the train across Switzerland to explore that beautiful country! I would use my pass to do so for certain, the trip if a lifetime!

My favourite train route so far has been Lucerna to Milan, stopping at Interlaken and Lugano. Landscapes changing from lakes, to the Alps, to fields, to lakes again. It’s also a gradient of villages and houses, from the typical swiss mountain houses to the typical italian colourful houses.

My favourite train journey in Europe is the Costa Verde Express, a six-day trip between Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela with some of the most beautiful coastal scenery in northern Spain. What makes it special is that it all happens in daylight, so you never miss the changing views of the Atlantic, from rugged cliffs to quiet fishing villages and elegant seaside towns like Santander and historic cities like Oviedo. The pace is relaxed, with time to step off and explore along the way, and the experience feels thoughtful rather than rushed. It’s such a wonderful journey, with good food, gorgeous views, and a sense of gentle adventure.

My favourite journey is Newcastle to Edinburgh on the East Coast Mainline 

Would it be too cheesy if I choose the railway with only 20km? However, the Flamsbana train’s ride takes about an hour. It’s an iconic journey from Myrdal to Flam, a fjord in Norway. Definitely among the most beautiful, magical, and misty train rides in Europe.

quote: The Flamsbana scenic train makes its way among the winding fjords, valleys, rivers, and passes tiny Norwegian villages at a maximum height of 863 meters (2831 feet), making the Flam railway one of the steepest railways on the planet. Moreover, the train travels at a slow speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) which is ideal for taking in the views of the stunning landscapes of the Norwegian countryside.

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👇

I am dreaming about a slow travel train route from Innsbruck - > Poprad-Tatry! I would love to see that amazing view from the train, I am planning on going this summer! 

Hi all. I can really recommend the trainroute from Tirano in Italy to St. Moritz i Swizerland. The train takes you through alpine terrain and over high passes. You can get off the train and hike around crystal clear lakes and then board the next train. The best part though is when the trains winds its way up a hillside. You feel you’re in a toy train:-)

I would really like to visit norway by train. Fully take in all the beutiful nature whilest looking out the window of the train. I bet that will be a great trip. I want to make that trip sooner or later.

Meine Lieblingszugfahrt war mit der Bergenbahn. Der Ausblick ist atemberaubend.

My favorite route, so far, was going from Salzburg to Lubjana

My favourite journey is in Sweden! In 2003, I travelled from the Netherlands to Sweden and Norway. I was lucky to have chosen the Inlandsbanan railway from Östersund to Gällivare to find my way to Sapmi, Lapland. Expect almost 15 hours of forests, lakes, hills, elks passing by… and only a handful of tiny villages where the train stops to get a coffee refill and a cinnamon bun or a reindeer sandwich. Slow travel at its best!

I would love to take the Switzerland Glacier Express once 😊.

My favourite is the Journey between Oslo and Bergen. Next on my wishlist is going to Vienna, just because it's my favourite Billy Joel song...

My favourite rail journey so far has been London → Athens by rail (and ferry from Bari!) - all with Eurail tickets. I can't wait to go back to Türkiye too...

My favorite was a ride from Luxembourg to Rome. The adventure across many trains and landscapes were spectacular, but what made it most memorable was the lovely company of my cousins and mom. 

One of my favourite slow travel memories has to be watching the landscape change mile by mile across Europe by train — there’s something special about seeing a country unfold rather than rushing through it.

Next on my wishlist would be a full rail journey around Italy. I’d love to start in Venice, gliding in by train over the lagoon, then make my way through Florence for the art and architecture, on to Rome for the history, and down to Naples for the food and vibrant atmosphere.

For me, slow travel is about the journey being just as memorable as the destination — watching vineyards roll past the window, stopping off in places I hadn’t planned, and really soaking up each region along the way. Italy feels perfect for that: rich in culture, connected by rail, and full of moments you’d miss if you rushed.

18 years old, I’m hoping to go on my first trip this summer! The train I’m most looking forward to is from Ljubljana to Florence, cutting through a part of the continent I’m yet to see. The though of these travels is all that’s getting me through my exams — Can’t wait to look out across an unfamiliar place and know I belong! 

Hi

We are a group of 4 elderly guys that often goes to Rome - we call us therefore “Club og Rome”. Iprefer traveling with day train from Copenhagen to Munich, stay a night on a cheap hostel og hotel and the on for Rome next morning. I love the touu acros the alps.

Regards

Alex Larsen

Taking the night train from Rome to Catania makes you wake up to a beautiful view on the volcano and includes a really cool ferry ride within the train. Would do that again in a heart beat ❤️

Hard to choose, of course. I’ve decided on the Arctic line from Narvik to Kiruna. Last year we took the replacement bus as there was work on the treck and I’d like to reviait the area and see it from the train (and hop out in Abisko and go for a hike).