Travelling Europe by train is the grown-up version of the interrail summer: city centre to city centre, no airport queues and a window seat for the scenery. An escorted rail tour adds a leader who knows which platform you need, the tickets and the hotels. What it usually does not add is a porter, so the first thing to know is that on most of these trips you carry your own bags on and off the trains.
This guide is for anyone comparing European rail tours. We line up every escorted train tour across continental Europe and Britain on our escorted tours pages, from eight days between Berlin and Budapest to 29 days from Barcelona to Venice, with who each suits and its honest drawback. Switzerland has its own rail guide.
The quick answer
- If you want a short, low-cost first rail trip, pick Berlin to Budapest by Train.
- If you want the classic long-distance journey, pick Paris to Istanbul by Rail.
- If you want somewhere less familiar, pick Balkans by Rail.
- If you have a month, pick Barcelona to Venice by Rail.
- If you want Italy with more comfort and food, pick Venice to Rome by Rail.
Every European rail tour compared
| Tour | Days | Price from | Physical rating | Group size | Flights included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central and Western Europe | ||||||
| Berlin to Budapest by Train: Dresden, Prague & Bratislava – 8 Days | 8 | £936 pp | Low | Max 16 | No | A first rail trip on a budget |
| Barcelona to Amsterdam by Train: France & Belgium – 15 Days | 15 | £2,504 pp | Not stated | Max 16 | No | Spain to the Netherlands |
| Barcelona to Venice by Rail: 11 Countries in Europe – 29 Days | 29 | £4,459 pp | Low | Max 16 | No | Eleven countries in a month |
| Long-distance journeys | ||||||
| Paris to Istanbul by Rail: Express to the Orient – 15 Days | 15 | £3,755 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Paris to Istanbul, overnight train finale |
| Balkans by Rail: Ljubljana to Pristina, 7 Countries – 16 Days | 16 | £3,295 pp | Medium | Max 18 | No | Seven Balkan countries and a sleeper |
| Italy and the Arctic | ||||||
| Venice to Rome by Rail with the Amalfi Coast – 14 Days | 14 | £4,055 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Italy by high-speed train |
| Northern Sweden by Rail: Tromsø, Abisko, Lapland & Stockholm – 9 Days | 9 | £3,175 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | Arctic railways and Sámi culture |
| Christmas markets by train | ||||||
| Christmas Markets by Train: Munich to Budapest – 8 Days | 8 | £1,743 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest |
| Christmas Markets by Train: Budapest to Zagreb – 8 Days | 8 | £1,264 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | Budapest to Zagreb via Lake Bled |
| Great Britain by train | ||||||
| England, Wales & Scotland by Train: London to Edinburgh – 19 Days | 19 | £5,840 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | London to Edinburgh, nearly three weeks |
| Scottish Highland Railways with Flights – 5 Days | 5 | £738 pp incl. flights | Low | Max 50 | Yes | Highland lines, with flights |
Prices are per person, twin share, live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). The lowest price can apply to a later departure, so check the dates you want on each tour page.
Central and Western Europe
Berlin to Budapest, the starter route
Berlin to Budapest by Train: Dresden, Prague & Bratislava – 8 Days
- 8 days
- From £936 per person
- Max 16 people
- Berlin, Germany to Budapest, Hungary
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Eight days by train through four countries with a group leader and up to 16 travellers aged 15 and over: Berlin, Dresden and a hike to the Bastei in Saxon Switzerland, Prague with a brewery tasting, Bratislava and Budapest. Trains run between city centres, and most days are free to explore.
Suits: budget-conscious first-timers to Central Europe. The honest drawback: accommodation is simple, partly hostels, and breakfast on most days is the only meal included.
Barcelona to Amsterdam
Barcelona to Amsterdam by Train: France & Belgium – 15 Days
- 15 days
- From £2,504 per person
- Max 16 people
- Barcelona, Spain to Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Flights not included
- Departures in April, May, June, August, September, October
Fifteen days almost entirely by train through Spain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, with a leader and no more than 16 travellers aged 15 and over. Highlights include Girona’s medieval walls, Nîmes, two nights in Avignon, a mustard-making workshop in Dijon, Paris, day trips to Bruges and Rotterdam, and Ghent.
Suits: independent-minded travellers who like free time. The honest drawback: you carry your own bags, some nights are in hostels, and there is no single room option.
Eleven countries in a month
Barcelona to Venice by Rail: 11 Countries in Europe – 29 Days
- 29 days
- From £4,459 per person
- Max 16 people
- Barcelona, Spain to Venice, Italy
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in April, May, June, August, September, October
Twenty-nine days from Barcelona to Venice, following the Barcelona to Amsterdam route, then continuing through Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Bratislava, Budapest, Vienna and Lake Bled, with a leader and up to 16 travellers aged 15 and over. Two or more nights in many cities leave plenty of free time.
Suits: budget-minded travellers who want to see a lot of Europe. The honest drawback: some nights are in hostels with shared bathrooms, only breakfasts are included on most days, and some journeys are long.
Long-distance journeys
Paris to Istanbul
Paris to Istanbul by Rail: Express to the Orient – 15 Days
- 15 days
- From £3,755 per person
- Max 12 people
- Paris, France to Istanbul, Turkey
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in April, May, June, July, August, September, October
Fifteen days through seven countries by high-speed and regional train, with a leader and up to 12 travellers aged 15 and over: Strasbourg, Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Niš and Plovdiv, then an overnight train to Istanbul. Food stops include tarte flambée in Strasbourg, coffee and cake in Vienna and a traditional Serbian lunch.
Suits: rail enthusiasts and slow travellers. The honest drawback: the trains are regular services, not luxury ones, travel days are long, and you carry your own bags.
Seven Balkan countries
Balkans by Rail: Ljubljana to Pristina, 7 Countries – 16 Days
- 16 days
- From £3,295 per person
- Max 18 people
- Ljubljana, Slovenia to Pristina, Kosovo
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in May, June, August, September
Sixteen days from Ljubljana to Pristina, largely by train with buses, taxis and private vehicles where needed, for four to 18 travellers aged 16 and over, with a tour leader and local guides. The route takes in Lake Bled, Plitvice Lakes, Sarajevo, Mostar, Kotor and a boat ride on Lake Ohrid, with a night on the sleeper from Bar on the Montenegrin coast to Belgrade.
Suits: slow travellers interested in recent European history. The honest drawback: long travel days, early starts set by train timetables, and shared sleeper compartments.
Italy and the Arctic
Italy by high-speed train
Venice to Rome by Rail with the Amalfi Coast – 14 Days
- 14 days
- From £4,055 per person
- Max 16 people
- Venice, Italy to Sorrento, Italy
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in April, May, June, July, September, October
Fourteen days from Venice to Sorrento with a tour leader and ten to 16 travellers: Venice, a pasta-making class in Bologna, Florence with a trip to Pisa, three nights in Rome with a guided Colosseum and Forum visit, then a Vesuvius hike with a vineyard lunch, Pompeii, Ravello and the Path of the Lemons above the Amalfi Coast.
Suits: food lovers and first-time visitors to Italy. The honest drawback: it is not slow-paced throughout, you carry your own bags, and most dinners are not included.
Arctic railways
Northern Sweden by Rail: Tromsø, Abisko, Lapland & Stockholm – 9 Days
- 9 days
- From £3,175 per person
- Max 12 people
- Tromsø, Norway to Stockholm, Sweden
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in June, July, August
Nine days from Tromsø in Norway to Stockholm, mostly by local train and bus, with a leader and no more than 12 travellers aged 15 and over. You ride the Ofoten Railway from Narvik into Sweden, spend two nights at a historic mountain lodge inside Abisko National Park with a hike on the Kungsleden, take the Inlandsbanan through Swedish Lapland and visit the Vilhelmina Sámi Association.
Suits: walkers and slow-travel fans. The honest drawback: the Abisko nights are in shared four-berth rooms, and one day has several train connections.
Christmas markets by train
Two eight-day trips for up to 12 travellers aged 15 and over run in November and December. Munich to Budapest links Munich, Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest, with two nights in most stops. Budapest to Zagreb goes via Graz, Ljubljana and Lake Bled, with a mulled wine tasting in Budapest and a traditional Croatian lunch. Rooms are twin or multi-share, and you carry your own bags. Our Christmas market tours guide compares the rest.
Great Britain by train
England, Wales & Scotland by Train (19 days) runs from London to Edinburgh via Oxford, the Cotswolds, Cardiff, a Snowdonia hike, Liverpool, the Lake District, the West Highland Line and two nights on Skye, for up to 12 travellers. Scottish Highland Railways (5 days) includes flights to Edinburgh or Inverness and rides the Kyle Line, a Strathspey Railway steam train and the West Highland Line from a base in the Cairngorms, with a tour director and coach transfers.
How to choose
By time available. Five to nine days: Scottish Highland Railways, Berlin to Budapest, the Christmas trips or Northern Sweden. Two weeks or so: Venice to Rome, Barcelona to Amsterdam, Paris to Istanbul or the Balkans. Longer: England, Wales & Scotland or Barcelona to Venice.
By budget. Berlin to Budapest and the Christmas trips cost the least, and Scottish Highland Railways includes flights. Live prices are in the table above.
By comfort. Hostels feature on Berlin to Budapest, Barcelona to Amsterdam and Barcelona to Venice. Venice to Rome and Paris to Istanbul use hotels throughout, apart from the overnight train.
By luggage. Pack light. On most of the small-group trips here, you handle your own bags at stations.
When to go
Most of these tours run from spring to autumn. Berlin to Budapest departs in most months, Northern Sweden runs in summer, and the Christmas trips run in November and December. The months for each tour are in its fact panel above.
Before you travel, check the FCDO travel advice for each country on your route.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to carry my own luggage on a European rail tour?
On most of the small-group trips, yes: you carry your bags on and off trains and through stations. Scottish Highland Railways uses coach transfers from a hotel base.
Is there a rail tour from Paris to Istanbul?
Yes, Paris to Istanbul by Rail crosses seven countries in 15 days, finishing with an overnight train to Istanbul.
Which European rail tours include an overnight train?
Paris to Istanbul, with an overnight train from Plovdiv, and Balkans by Rail, with the sleeper from Bar to Belgrade.
Do any European rail tours include flights?
Scottish Highland Railways includes flights from the UK. The others are land-only.
What is the longest European rail tour?
Barcelona to Venice by Rail, 29 days through 11 countries.
Are these tours suitable for solo travellers?
Yes, most are small-group trips that list solo travellers among those they suit; on some, single rooms are not available on every night.
Ready to ride the rails?
Tell us which cities you would like to link and how long you have, and a Travelisto specialist will compare the European rail tours with you.
Keep planning
- All escorted tours
- Switzerland rail tours compared
- Christmas market tours
- Rocky Mountaineer tours compared
Prices are live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). Tour details and dates can change; your specialist will confirm everything before you book.
