Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide

by Nicky Gardner, Susanne Kries

Life is too good to waste time in airport departure lounges. That’s why more and more travellers are discovering that the train is the ideal way to explore Europe. Sit back, relax and watch mountains, coastlines and historic communities slip by beyond the window. Whether you are making a long ‘grand tour’ or just planning a couple of weekend breaks, Europe by Rail is the perfect guide. The book is shaped around 50 key routes which span mainland Europe. Each route can be followed in its entirety or used as a building block in a longer itinerary. Beyond the main routes, there are pointers to branch lines and less frequented railways. Europe by Rail is written by two highly experienced travellers who have been roaming the rails of Europe for years. You’ll find immensely useful tips about how to plan journeys, what tickets to buy and where to stop off along the way. There are special sections for holders of rail passes, including Interrail and Eurail, as well as information on night and cruise trains. The country guide summarizes key information about travelling by train through each of the 48 countries listed. Apart from being full of good advice and up-to-date information, the book is also a good read. With its nicely opinionated style and lots of cameo accounts of travel history, there's plenty here for armchair travellers too. The geographical scope of this long-standing travel guide extends from Arctic Scandinavia to the Mediterranean, from Portugal to Ukraine and Russia.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Trains

512 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2018

Reviews

[Diz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guidebook is sure to make train lovers happy. It's packed with recommended routes for travel by rail all across Europe. It's particularly useful for those who are not familiar with traveling by train as it gives information on convenient and scenic routes. However, be aware that the information is more about the routes than the cities that they pass through. I would recommend using this book to help you decide which route you would like to take and then supplementing this book with guidebooks for the specific cities you plan to visit.

[Taru Luojola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oispa reilaamassa.

Kirjoittamisen taustatutkimuksen tekosyyllä luin tämän matkaoppaan, jossa esitellään 52 valikoitua junareittiä eri puolilla Eurooppaa ja tarjotaan koostetusti paljon muutakin junamatkailussa hyödyllistä tietoa. Kirjoittajat kannustavat hitaaseen matkailuun, ja reitit onkin valittu pääsääntöisesti välttäen nopeimpia junia. Lukiessa tulee kova hinku päästä taas reilaamaan. Mutta myönnettäköön, että kun lukee putkeen hehkutusta 52 upeasta reitistä, tulee väistämättä vähän ähky. Eikä tietenkään ole mitään toivoakaan, että itse ikinä ehtisi matkustaa läheskään kaikkia tässä esiteltyjä reittejä — saati niitä kymmeniä tuhansia ratakilometrejä, jotka jäävät näiden reittien ulkopuolelle. Oppaan tiedot perustuvat kirjoittajien omakohtaisiin kokemuksiin, ja vaikka ne ovat mahdollisimman ajantasaisia, väistämättä osa tiedoista on jo vanhentunutta. Mutta se on aina matkaoppaiden kohtalona.

Oispa reilaamassa.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much more than just a travel guidebook. Lovely prose, often compelling, stuffed with historical and literary references. This is in many ways quite a traditional product - an old-style guidebook by authors who have a good grasp of many different domains of knowledge. They write with style and authority about so many aspects of culture and society which travellers will encounter on a train journey through Europe. A very good read.

But more besides. This book is packed with practical information which I found very helpful in planning journeys. So it is a sort of classic Baedeker, but so well written that it rates equally as good, narrative travel writing.

[Sampsa]

For a writer it is alarming how quickly a single historical event can render obsolete or at least dated so many guidebooks and fictional novels alike...

[Ailsa · Rating 1 out of 5]

The hype is over-rated! If I could give this a zero I would! Waste of money and time; just have Trainline/splitsave/Interrail/UK equivalent and you’re good.