With demand growing for more sustainable travel, rail fan Penny McCormick chooses some interesting trips by train …
“There’s been a real renaissance in rail travel over the last few years, as passengers increasingly consider the environmental impact of the trips they make,” says Eurostar COO, François Le Doze. “A passenger’s carbon footprint from one flight can be the same as 13 Eurostar journeys, making highspeed rail the greener way to travel around continental Europe.”
No doubt the rise of flygskam or “flight shame” has also helped the train revival – the Swedish term emerged in 2017 when singer Staffa Lindberg said he was giving up plane travel, later endorsed by climate change activists like Greta Thunberg. We have also been wooed by a number of ferroequinologists on the small and large screen, including Bill Nighy (The World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys) Michael Portillo and Kenneth Branagh (Murder on the Orient Express). Stoking the millennial fascination with trains is Francis Bourgeois, aka The Tik Tok Train Guy, who delights his 1.8m Instagram followers with exuberant posts from stations.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year is Interrail. Not just for students, the service offers adults a Global Pass for cross border travel, from €185, or a One Country Pass for unlimited travel in a nominated country. I planned my own semi-grand tour around Switzerland this way, taking in the historic Jungfrau line (Europe’s highest railway station) and the Bernina Express from Chur to Tirano in Italy, with a memorable stop in Lugano. By the way, seeing the Cinque Terre by train, starting in Levanto, is possibly the best way to experience the five colourful villages on the Italian coast.
Also scenic is the train route from Oslo to Bergen in Norway, or the Black Forest route in Southern Germany which takes in forests and fortresses. These journeys are included in Lonely Planet’s Guide to Train Travel in Europe, which contains a detailed route from Dublin to Lisbon. Before booking any journey, checkout the Trainline app, which aggregates more than 270 operators across 45 countries. I also recommend seat61.com blog.
Trains which hark back to the golden age of railway travel include South Africa’s Blue Train, from Cape Town to Pretoria. I was fortunate to travel from Prague to Venice on Belmond’s Venice-Simplon-Orient Express – an unforgettable experience, for many reasons, not least the fine dining (and lack of AC). For short taster trips, Belmond regularly organises Luminary Champagne Afternoon Tea journeys around Britain, from £340stg per passenger. Also on my wishlist: taking the Nightjet sleeper train from Milan to Vienna which arrives at 9am – perfect timing for breakfast at Demel café, two minutes from the Spanish Riding School. Closer to home is the West Highland line from Glasgow to Mallaig, Scotland. This five-hour journey into the wilderness is considered the most captivating rail journey in the world. The bonus? What you save on travel you can spend on boutique hotels. A ticket is from €30 return.
Someone who is currently route planning is JP Kavanagh, general manager of The Shelbourne hotel. “I joined Belmond in 2016 to lead the launch of the Grand Hibernian and fell in love with the idea of train travel. My wife and I are travelling by train to Eastern Europe this summer. We are still finalising the itinerary but hope to visit Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Zagreb and Dubrovnik.” When it comes to train travel, you never know who might be on board … and therein lies both its mystery and its thrill.
London-Paris-Vienna
BRITISH PULLMAN, London. Film aficionados will know that film director Wes Anderson loves trains, so a natural synergy is a recent design partnership with Belmond. Take a trip on the British Pullman, where you’ll discover how Anderson reimagined the Cygnus carriage in art nouveau style. A highlight is “Pullman Dining by Wes Anderson” one of several day experiences, departing from London Victoria Station, from £400stg per person. The full carriage can be hired too; www.belmond.com.
HOTEL LES DEUX GARES, Paris. Five minutes from the Gare du Nord’s Eurostar terminal and close to Gare de l’Est, this boutique hotel features British designer du jour Luke Edward Hall’s exuberant take on Art Deco. Pink and green should never be seen? Think again. The vibe, of an art collector’s home, features a bar with train seats and SNCF paraphernalia. Don’t leave Paris without visiting La Galerie Dior, Dior’s new museum. From €120; www.hoteldeuxgares.com.
THE GUESTHOUSE, Vienna. Emulating the film Before Sunrise, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delphy, in which a couple meet on a train and disembark in Vienna to spend the night together – book The Guesthouse, a former youth hostel transformed by Conran & Partners. Sleek, sexy and its centrally located near the Albertina Museum. Vienna’s Hauptbahnhof station provides several scenic routes in and out of the city from Budapest, Berlin and Belgrade. From €270; www.theguesthouse.at.
FERRY GOOD IDEA
Irish Ferries has partnered with THE GLOSS food editor Trish Deseine, for a Gastro Guide to Normandy. Fares from Dublin to Cherbourg are from €498 for a return trip on the WB Yeats with a car and cabin accommodation for two. Once you’ve arrived in Cherbourg follow Deseine’s recommendations for sightseeing and dining spots; www.irishferries.com.
Cannonball Ireland’s Grand Highlands Road trip, led by founder Alan Bannon, departs on April 21 on the Stena Line from Belfast. The driving route takes in the scenic Scottish coastline with luxury stays in Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Loch Lomond. From €1,675 all inclusive; www.cannonball.ie.
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