Hello, my family and I are arriving in the UK from the US on January 11. We have the dream of traveling Europe by train. We would like to see as much of the highlights as possible . I’m looking for recommendations as to the best train route to take.
Answer
travel route
Best answer by thibcabe
Flying back from London?
London and Paris indeed seem the obvious choices. Let's say 4 nights each.
Omaha Beach isn't really accessible by public transportation. You should get the train to Caen or Bayeux and rent a car there (don't do it in Paris!). Let's say 3 nights.
Afterwards I see 3 routes:
- north: Belgium town as a base (3-4 nights) + Amsterdam (3-4 nights). Train to London.
- southeast: overnight somewhere in Switzerland followed by the stunning Bernina railway, Lake Como, Florence, ending in Rome. Flight to London.
- south: Bordeaux, Basque country (San Sebastian, Bilbao), Barcelona. Flight to London.
Feel free to ask for more details but first, have a look at these links:
https://www.seat61.com/how-to-use-a-eurail-pass.htm
https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm
https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/bernina-express.htm
With the 25% discount on Eurail passes at the moment I might get a 7 days pass -> 1st or 2nd class is up to you.
Impossible to answer without knowing more about you! What does your family wish to do? How many days do you have on hand?
You won't see all of Europe for sure. For a first trip I would recommend Paris, Amsterdam and somewhere in Belgium*. Really good and frequent rail links.
You could also stay in the UK and discover more of the country: Bristol, Edinburgh, Cornwall,…
Or do a one-way route such as London - Paris - Swiss town - Florence - Rome.
Endless options honestly.
*the country is small and very well linked. You should pick a base and do day trips from there. For example stay in Gent with trips to Brussels, Bruges, etc.
Thank you very much. I’ll be there for 20 days. I have three daughters that would like to see London and Paris. I’d like to see Omaha beach as my grandfather fought his way onto it. After that, I’m good with whatever. That advice is helpful as I don’t have lodging secured yet as I wasn’t sure where would be good to set up a base. It’s a bit confusing to me as to the Europe train pass and where would be a good base to stay and access the trains. Thank you so much for any advice you could share!
Flying back from London?
London and Paris indeed seem the obvious choices. Let's say 4 nights each.
Omaha Beach isn't really accessible by public transportation. You should get the train to Caen or Bayeux and rent a car there (don't do it in Paris!). Let's say 3 nights.
Afterwards I see 3 routes:
- north: Belgium town as a base (3-4 nights) + Amsterdam (3-4 nights). Train to London.
- southeast: overnight somewhere in Switzerland followed by the stunning Bernina railway, Lake Como, Florence, ending in Rome. Flight to London.
- south: Bordeaux, Basque country (San Sebastian, Bilbao), Barcelona. Flight to London.
Feel free to ask for more details but first, have a look at these links:
https://www.seat61.com/how-to-use-a-eurail-pass.htm
https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm
https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/bernina-express.htm
With the 25% discount on Eurail passes at the moment I might get a 7 days pass -> 1st or 2nd class is up to you.
Yes, we fly back from London. Do you know if I can rent a car with a drivers license from the US? I will Check out those links too. Thank you so much! If you come to the US, I’d be glad to help you.
You need an International Driving Permit in some countries. Only costs a few $ as far as I know.
Have a read and don't hesitate to come back.
The Eurostar high-speed train from/to London is quite popular so don't leave booking to the last-minute. Other than that, you can remain flexible.
Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland are pretty good countries with Eurail. Frequent trains, extensive network, no mandatory seat reservations.
On the other hand Spain, France require a bit of planning as most trains require reservations (extra costs too) and frequency isn't that great.
Italy is in the middle as high-speed/fast trains do require reservations but they run multiple trains per hour with plenty of seats.
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