Europe’s Most Scenic Summer Train Rides, From Alpine Passes to Italian Coastlines
Forget the airport queues. This summer, some of Europe’s most memorable journeys happen on rails, where the view out the window is the main event. Whether you’re crossing the Swiss Alps or rolling through the Scottish Highlands, these trains combine old-world elegance with landscapes that demand attention.
Take the Glacier Express, an eight-hour trip from Zermatt to St. Moritz. When the snow retreats, the Swiss Alps reveal wildflower meadows and deep gorges. The train snakes over nearly 300 bridges, passing the Rhine Gorge—often called the Swiss Grand Canyon—where white cliffs drop to an aquamarine river. Dining cars serve Alpine cheeses and Swiss wines; for extra comfort, book Excellence Class for guaranteed panoramic window seats and Champagne.
In Scotland, Belmond’s Royal Scotsman offers a three-night roundtrip from Edinburgh through the West Highlands. Expect waterfalls, lonely lochs, and the Glenfinnan Viaduct. Mornings start with full Scottish breakfasts in mahogany-paneled dining cars, followed by excursions to Fort William or a walk to Steall Waterfall. Evenings bring three-course dinners and ceilidhs in the observation car.
Italy’s Orient Express La Dolce Vita runs from Palermo to Rome over three days. Highlights include a Michelin-starred lunch, a ferry crossing of the Strait of Messina, and stops in Taormina and Maratea. You can hike Mount Etna or learn to cook Lucanian dishes. The lounge car is perfect for an aperitivo as the coast slides by.
Spain’s Al Andalus launches a new seven-day route in summer 2026 from Seville to Madrid, passing Roman ruins, hilltop vineyards, and whitewashed villages. On board, expect regional cuisine and dancing in the ballroom car.
For a shorter escape, the Venice-Simplon Orient Express runs overnight from Paris to Vienna. After a four-course dinner in a velvet-lined dining car, guests in black tie gather in the bar car for piano music and cocktails. Breakfast arrives in your cabin as the train crosses Austria’s green hills.
Finally, Railbookers combines the Bernina Express with a stay at Lake Como. The journey starts in Zurich, crosses the Landwasser Viaduct and 55 tunnels, then ends among palm trees in Tirano before a train to Como. Three nights in the lakeside paradise follow.