An updated and enlarged 19th edition of Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide was published on 22 June 2026.
Have you ever thought it might be good to take time to really enjoy a journey? Rather than just dashing? It might be a chance to discover Europe, perhaps even a Europe you never knew existed. And it might even be a chance to discover yourself.
Welcome to this updated website which focuses on the 19th edition of our book Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide. We very much hope you will buy a copy. You shouild! Because this is a book which will help you plan many trips, mainly by rail but on occasions also relying on buses and ferries – we do that only where there are conspicuous gaps in the rail network. But you will also discover that the 52 journeys which form the core of this book offer rich insights into European history, culture and politics. There are many stories woven into our texts so you’ll be prompted to think about nationhood and identity. About what it means to be European! It is in the telling of these stories that Europe by Rail differs so profoundly from other guides. The other defining feature of Europe by Rail is that we make time and space for good writing of a kind that is more commonly found in narrative travel writing rather than in regular guidebooks.
Every route in this new edition has been thoroughly updated and fact-checked. And we introduce plenty of entirely new material with additional coverage of Serbia, Italy, Austria, Poland and the Baltic States. You’ll discover that travelling by train is a chance to see Europe’s varied landscapes and make the most of the journey. On your first trip, you’ll most likely try and go too far and too fast. Slow down and enjoy those serendipitous discoveries which come with exploring Europe by rail on an unhurried itinerary.
For over 30 years, successive editions of Europe by Rail have shaped travellers’ plans, encouraging readers to travel slowly, tread lightly and treasure the adventure which comes from making a real journey. Long before slow travel became so fashionable, early editions of this book were highlighting the merits of making time for fine journeys.
With tips on ticketing, fares, rail passes and accommodation, Europe by Rail has become the definitive guide to exploring the continent by train. This 19th edition of the book highlights the rich and intriguing possibilities that await, be it for a handful of short trips or for a more extended tour.
This edition is published at a time of great uncertainty. International geopolitics are deeply troubling. War in eastern Europe and the Middle East, the breakdown of the established transatlantic order and economic challenges are uppermost in our minds. These events, set against a backdrop of resurgent nationalism, have dimmed the affirming flame of pan-European collaboration. Some may be tempted to stay at home, but it is at times like this that we should venture out. Travelling by train is convivial in a way that is rarely encountered on planes and has never been a feature of car travel. We have traded anecdotes with passengers on trains in Scotland and Slovakia, we have been on trains marooned in deep midwinter snow in Scandinavia and we have shared snacks and life stories with strangers on night trains that slipped in the dark past silent factories in unnamed towns. We love that sense of community and solidarity which underpins rail travel. The train is a great unifier, linking people and places divided by frontiers.
There has never been a better time to explore Europe by rail. Trains are back in fashion and the great rail renaissance is introducing new possibilities. Long abandoned lines are being reopened, and there’s now huge demand for overnight journeys in comfortable sleeping cars. Is it not a matter of wonder that one can board a night train in Munich and alight next morning in Warsaw or Rome? Or travel overnight from Zagreb directly to Zürich?
The Interrail pass has since 1972 been a potent force in fostering mutual understanding between Europeans. We know that many readers of this book, be they young or old, will be using Interrail passes (either traditional paper passes or the excellent new mobile pass). Interrail (along with a sister scheme called Eurail – for those not resident in Europe) is the optimal ticketing option for those following some of the longer journeys in this book. Exploring Europe by train with an Interrail pass is an intergenerational cultural practice which has shaped many Europeans’ understanding of their home continent.
With the development of Europe’s first railways, people were suddenly on the move, with the restless English often leading the way. The guidebook market blossomed as early rail travellers packed a Baedeker guidebook before embarking on a new journey. In travelling by train around Europe, it is still possible to rediscover the sheer joy of the journey itself.
So in Europe by Rail we put the journey at the centre. We present 52 rail routes that between them cover the full gamut of European rail travel. There are routes where trains speed across great plains, routes where slow trains dawdle from one village to another and there are routes where trains traverse harsh tundra and great mountain ranges. In addition to our 52 routes, we offer 25 mini-features (called Sidetracks); these are bite-size teasers which invite you to reflect on rail-related themes or venture into regions not covered by our 52 routes.
Travel by train across Europe and you will inevitably be struck by the sheer variety of our continent. Our 52 routes reflect that mix. The routes in this book will take you far beyond the Arctic Circle and on mountain railways across the Pyrenees and the Alps. We shall lead you from eastern Europe to the Irish hills, from Balkan byways to the Baltic and the Bay of Biscay. We include some high-speed hops, where you can cover a lot of ground fast. But we also highlight slow trains that follow less-frequented rail routes. If you have a choice of fast or slow services, always opt for the slow train.
Try an overnight journey too. Few experiences compare with opening the window blinds of a night sleeper in the morning to find a fragile blanket of morning mist over a foreign landscape. You can read more about night trains in various sections of the book. It's a fast-changing market with new routes popping up almost every year. Not all survive.
Some readers might try and undertake a dozen or more of these routes within a month. We would just sound a note of caution. That way madness lies. Better to focus a little, and take time to stop off here and there along the way. Don’t travel every day. Enjoy the change of pace by making two-night stops rather than moving on each morning to somewhere new. Branch out from main rail routes and choose slower trains on at least some parts of your journey to discover the joys of slow travel. You can get some inspiration by reading our Manifesto for Slow Travel.
Rethinking our relationship with travel is no mere luxury. It’s now an absolute necessity to save our planet. Across much of Europe, people are switching from air to rail. Train travel is often modestly priced, generally very comfortable and appeals to the pieties of a new generation of environmentally aware travellers. The train comes with green credentials.
Travel light if you possibly can. Heavy luggage and trains do not make good companions. Think about what apps you’ll need for your smart phone (see the respective section in our book), bearing in mind that access to good maps and timetable information will smooth your journey. Try Eurail’s Rail Planner app for starters. It’s incredibly useful and hugely compelling. You may want to consult the European Rail Timetable (ERT), a regularly updated compendium which is a masterpiece of compression. ERT also publish a useful rail map of Europe, but for more detail look to Mike Ball’s wonderful European Railway Atlas series. This guidebook, good maps and reliable timetable data are three great assets in the rail traveller’s armamentarium.
You will find useful maps on the inside front cover and inside back cover showing the routes in this volume (numbered 1 to 52). Here on the website you’ll also find, in due course, more detailed maps of our 52 routes.
Your train awaits. Enjoy the ride. The book is published on 22 June 2026, but it is already available for preorder through a number of online sales channels.
Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries
Berlin Wannsee, Germany (May 2026)
