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

Helsinki to Kolari in 2027 because it means I’ll be going back to participate in the Yllas-Levi cross country ski race and hoping to improve my time!

Travel to it via the Settle-Carlisle and the Glasgow-Fort William lines, rural Britain at its most magnificent!

One of my favourite slow travel train journeys is Porto to Pinhão & Pocinho, in the beautiful Douro valley, Portugal. This is truly a spectacular trip with amazing views. I especially recommend stopping at Pinhāo and soaking up the vineyards with a river cruise, and perhaps a spot of wine tasting. 

It’s hard to pick just one, but I think my favourite was the train journey between Vienna and Ljubljana. It was so beautiful. It made me think of Harry Potter going to Hogwarts for the first time. During the journey, I also wished I could stop along the way to visit all the small villages. That’s one of the best parts of travelling by train: discovering places you wouldn’t have chosen on the map when planning your holidays.

My favorite journey was from Geneva to Chamonix. I would like to try Barcelona to Amsterdam.

I had a real kick out of the journey from mainland Italy to Sicily. At Villa San Giovanni station the train actually goes onto a ferry to cross the dramatic Straits of Messina. The 20 minute voyage allows enough time to go on deck for a reviving espresso and delicious arancini. The train literally gets back on track in Messina where I continued my journey to Syracuse, with wonderful views of Mount Etna along the way.

My favorite Journey so far has been from Como to Zurich, high mountains and beautiful landscapes 😻

My favorite route is southern Italy and Sicily. I like to explore there via interrail.  

I really loved the Bernina Express. You could open the windows and enjoy fresh air, the mountains, the bluest lakes and cows almost within reach!

My favorite train ride was from Rome to Venice on my 18th birthday. Lots of beautiful views from the train window, especially in the Tuscany region. I would love to do it again someday😁

My ideal Interrail trip would be crossing Europe from west to east, starting in London , which I’ve always seen as the perfect starting point. Then I’d move on to Paris to enjoy some art and atmosphere, and continue to Amsterdam, a city I’ve always been really curious about for its lifestyle. Next I’d stop in Berlin, which I think has a unique energy, and then Prague, which feels like something out of a fairytale. From there I’d head down to Budapest to experience a completely different vibe, and finally reach Istanbul, which for me represents the meeting point between different worlds.

I’d love this trip because it would be so varied, not just in landscapes but especially in cultures, and I think it’s the best way to really see how diverse yet connected Europe is !

I would love to take the train journey from Florence to Manarola. I have never been inter-railing before but I can just imagine sitting in the train carriage letting your legs rest after walking around the historic sites of Florence alongside a sense of butterflies in anticipation of arriving in the seaside paradise of Cinque Terre. The opportunity of witnessing the view from the train window transforming from an ancient city to rich countryside to the sparkling coastline makes Florence to Manarola without doubt my dream train ride!

My ideal Interrail trip would be crossing Europe from west to east, starting in London , which I’ve always seen as the perfect starting point. Then I’d move on to Paris to enjoy some art and atmosphere, and continue to Amsterdam, a city I’ve always been really curious about for its lifestyle . Next I’d stop in Berlin, which I think has a unique energy, and then Prague , which feels like something out of a fairytale. From there I’d head down to Budapest  to experience a completely different vibe, and finally reach Istanbul, which for me represents the meeting point between different worlds .

I’d love this trip because it would be so varied, not just in landscapes but especially in cultures, and I think it’s the best way to really see how diverse yet connected Europe is.

Basel to Milan was one of the most stunning experiences I’ve ever had… I’m looking forward to repeating it with my partner now :)

J’ai eu dernièrement l’occasion de faire un voyage en famille en Laponie norvégienne, le rêve de ma femme et une véritable découverte pour moi !

nous avions voyagé en avion cette fois ci, faute de temps ! Mon désir serait à présent de renouveler cette expérience mais faire le voyage en train, de Paris à La Laponie Suédoise.

nous avions déjà expérimenté le pass global pour un voyage en famille il y’a quelques années, un moment inoubliable aussi bien pour les petits que pour les grands.

I have yet to go on an Interrail trip but my plan is to have a joined trip with my childhood friend and travel from North of France to South to visit an aunt in Prabert and probably to Northern Spain where my friend has spent summers and then Northern parts of Italy. 
It will be a dream come true for us to finally manage to go on this trip. We celebrated our 18th birthdays only a few years late even though we studied in the same city at the time. The Interrail trip will probably be our way of celebrating our 25th and 26th birthdays! :D

My favourite so far was crossing the Black Forest from north to south, walking it back from south to nord on a hiking holiday. Would love to go on a mountainbiking holiday by train next.

I’d love to take the train to Copenhagen as a slow travel journey, as I haven't been there before. I’ve travelled by train within countries before, but never across borders, so this route feels like the perfect next step. Also as I can visit my friend who lives there :)

That's a really tough decision!

I'll go with the route from Visp to Zermatt in Switzerland.

Best regards,

Siggi

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 would absolutely love to travel from Oslo to Bødo with a few stops on the way! This route through Norway during winter must be an epic adventure and allows you to get scenic views of the country 😍

RE1 Mainz-Koeln through Rhine Valley

One of my favourite long train routes/journeys was traveling from London to Granada with my then 5 year old son, going through France and the Pyrenees and down through Spain - i enjoyed so much introducing him to the delight of long train travel and changing landscapes - we both loved it and had quite the adventure  

My favourite slow route was through the Cinque Terre... the landscapes are unmatched!

Trieste to Ljubljana. A beautiful city at either end. A dramatic journey through limestone slopes and then the sea opening out below you. Arrive refreshed!

One of my favourite journeys was Lleida in Catalonia to La Pobla de Segur. The second part of the line twists through narrow valleys between high hills, with a string of lakes below the train. I had missed the morning up the line, but there was a later train to Balanguer, part way up the line. It is an engaging Spanish town with a glorious simple church high above. The line itself is not on the Interrail network, but my journeys to and from Lleida were by Interrail.