Plan the route
The map
Six cities, one continent. Here is where our guides land on the map of Europe, and how to string them together by train.
Half the pleasure of a European trip is the line you draw between cities. Our six guides cluster into two natural routes, both easy to do by rail, both worth a full week or two if you can spare it.
The Atlantic loop
Lisbon and Porto sit three hours apart on a fast, comfortable train along the Portuguese coast. Start in Lisbon for the hills, the trams and the river light, then ride north to Porto for the port lodges and the Douro. A week between the two, with a day trip into the wine valley, is one of the most rewarding short trips in Europe.
Push further and Seville anchors the southern end. It is a longer haul from Portugal, but if you are already in Spain it folds neatly into an Andalusian leg, all orange blossom and late, warm evenings.
The Central European line
Vienna and Prague are joined by one of the continent’s most scenic train rides, roughly four hours through rolling countryside and small Bohemian towns. Pair the imperial grandeur and coffee houses of Vienna with the spires and beer halls of Prague and you have a near-perfect long weekend, or a relaxed week if you slow down.
Lyon sits a little apart, at the crossroads of France, an easy high-speed hop from Paris, Geneva or the south. It makes a natural first or last stop on a wider French itinerary, and an unmissable one for anyone who travels to eat.
A note on this page
We are building a proper interactive map to sit here, with every recommendation from every guide pinned and clickable. For now, think of this page as the index: six cities, two rivers of train track, and a continent that rewards the slow traveller. Open any guide to start planning, and write to us at [email protected] if you want the full route notes.