Zürich - a key European rail hub (photo © Sborisov / dreamstime.com).
Exploring the River Rhine by train
This is one of Europe’s classic rail journeys, as the route south from Cologne hugs the River Rhine and then, once past Koblenz, follows the dramatic Rhine Gorge upstream. Moving over the imperceptible divide from northern into southern Germany, we leave the Rhine Valley and continue through the Black Forest into Switzerland. Once in Switzerland, at Schaffhausen, our route takes in one of Europe’s most celebrated waterfalls en route to our final destination in Zurich.
MAP Double click on the map (or double tap on mobile) to zoom in. You can connect onto other routes in places shown in red. Change to a layer showing a more familiar road map view by clicking on the menu at the top right of the map. Get back to the original view by clicking on the house icon shown in the top left menu on the map.
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 describes 50 key routes in detail. Together, they span mainland Europe and the British Isles. Find out more about the guidebook below.