The French town of Menton on the Riviera (photo © hidden europe).
By train along the Riviera
It was the railway which created the Riviera and by 1874 it was possible to travel by train all the way from Nice to Florence. Just grab a seat on the seaward side of the train and sit back as we rattle east along a coast where the place names alone conjure up images of style and elegance: Monte Carlo, Sanremo, Portofino and more. Along this entire route, the hills rise steeply into wild country, but the coastal littoral itself is seductively mellow.
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.