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#1
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Europe Trains
Hello Chaps,
I am planning a European trip in the next couple of months and I plan to travel by train. Can anybody recommend a few must see routes scenery wise? I am probably going to start in Denmark and work my way down. Thanks, |
#2
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Europe Trains
Switzerland: the Gotthardbahn
Germany: the Rhine valley between Mainz/Wiesbaden and Koblenz Austria: the Tauernbahn. Enjoy your stay! Turan |
#3
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Europe Trains
Turan Fettahoglu schrieb:
Switzerland: the Gotthardbahn Germany: the Rhine valley between Mainz/Wiesbaden and Koblenz Austria: the Tauernbahn. For Germany/Austria i would add: Karwendelbahn (Munich - Garmisch-Patenkrichen - Innsbruck(Austria) Außerfernbahn (Kempten - Reutte(Austria) - Garmisch-Patenkirchen) can be combined, as Munich - Garmisch-Patenkirchen is not very scenic If you also like natu Freilassing (near Salzburg) - Berchtesgarden - Bus to Königssee (King Lake) a very scenic lake in the national park. Josef |
#4
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Europe Trains
Joel wrote:
I am planning a European trip in the next couple of months and I plan to travel by train. Can anybody recommend a few must see routes scenery wise? I am probably going to start in Denmark and work my way down. I'd try to get a copy of the Thomas Cook European Timetable (see http://www.thomascookpublishing.com/...ies=Timetables). Besides schedules for all major European train routes, it contains a listing of scenic routes by country, so you can always choose to take a detour over one of these when you're nearby. .... Martin |
#5
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Europe Trains
On Wed, 28 Jun 2006, Joel wrote:
I am planning a European trip in the next couple of months and I plan to travel by train. Can anybody recommend a few must see routes scenery wise? I am probably going to start in Denmark and work my way down. I do not recall routes in Denmark to be *extremely* scenic, the country is flat, and lines usually run far from the sea. I travelled Kopenhagen to North Jutland (Skagen) and back. Won't recommend it for the scenery, but will recommend spending some time in Skagen and surroundings ! Also since you want to work "down" I suspect you are ruling out all Scandinavia. Some lines in Sweden can be considered scenic although one may get bored after a while (my mother remained asleep most of the 24 hr trip from Stockholm to Narvik). The Kiruna-Narvik is definitely scenic, but trains ends there. One has to come down by bus to Fauske. The stretch on the high plain crossing the polar circle is scenic, and also the rest is nice if you like woodlands. Similarly I'm assuming you rule out the UK (some lines in Scotland are scenic their way, e.g. Fort William - Glasgow via Rannoch). Coming down to Germany the most scenic part is the Rhine Valley between Koblenz and Mainz (but by boat is better). Also the Schwarzwald (black forest) line from Offenburg to Donaueschingen (you could have a look at the source of the Danube) is nice. I also liked the Danube Valley from Tuttlingen to Ulm, but that's likely to take you out of the way. I'm not sure if and when you want to straddle westwards. Rail lines in flat Benelux are not scenic (but you may have glances on canals in Holland), except in the mountainous part. I have not much knowledge of France and none of Spain or Portugal by train, and also none of "eastern" Europe. Assuming you have reached southern Germany, you have ample choice of scenic railway lines in Switzerland. Get a pass and spend a week there. I personally prefer the secondary mountain lines to the main like (like the Gotthard). You can do Luzern to Goschenen on the main line, than go up to Andermatt, then west to Oberalp and Brig with the Furka line. From Brig you can go up to Zermatt (not done) or back via the main line or to Italy via Simplon. From Andermatt east to Disentis and Chur via the upper Rhine valley, then to Davos and St. Moritz (ample choice of different lines all worth a trip), then to the Bernina pass and down to Poschiavo and Tirano into Italy. The Tirano-Colico is less scenic, but Colico-Lecco runs along the shore of lake Como. Also minor lines in Swizerland are interesting like Luzern-Interlaken (from there a must, although expensive, is going up to the Jungfrau by train) and Arth-Goldau-St.Gallen-Romanshorn. If you do not enter Italy from Switzerland, or skip Switzerland, you can consider the line on the north shore of Bodensee (say Basel-Konstanz- or Singen to Friedrichshafen-Bregenz, than the Vorarlberg line into Austria towards Innsbruck (from there the Karwendelbahn to Seefeld-Garmisch-Reutte is a nice side trip). Here you can head down via the Brenner pass to Italy, all the main line to Verona is scenic (probably also other minor lines in Trentino), and also the Valsugana line from Trento to Bassano. Or you can head east from Innsbruck, most lines are rather scenic and allow to reach interesting places like Hallstatt, Hallein or the Eisriesenwelt caves. I do not advise in entering Italy from Austria via Villach-Tarvisio, the Brenner route is more scenic. Once in Italy, I do not consider any lines as scenic as those above, maybe because I'm used to them. Definitely the ones in the Po plain are rather boring, as any time you go far from the mountains, and so is the Adriatic main line. Ligury and crossing the Appennines are better. I have no experience myself of lines crossing the Appennines in central Italy (e.g. Abruzzi) or of rail in southern Italy (south of Naples and Bari) ... maybe they are nice but expect a definite slow down. The following site has a nice collection of railway maps http://bueker.net/trainspotting/maps.php -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- is a newsreading account used by more persons to avoid unwanted spam. Any mail returning to this address will be rejected. Users can disclose their e-mail address in the article if they wish so. |
#6
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Europe Trains
Joel wrote:
Hello Chaps, I am planning a European trip in the next couple of months and I plan to travel by train. Can anybody recommend a few must see routes scenery wise? I am probably going to start in Denmark and work my way down. I toured Europe on a Eurail pass once. It was great. We arrived in Paris and immediately headed off to Strasbourg. It was raining and we were dog tired so I don't remember too much about that stretch. Having since driven through the same area, I would say it is pretty enough. We stayed at a friend's place in the Black Forest and made day trips to Baden Baden and Rothenberg ob der Tauber and it was pleasant scenery for the most part. The most spectacular scenery through he corner of Germany into in Switzerland, through the Alps and into Italy. It was also very pretty along the coast to Nice and then over to Marseilles. I did not take the train through the Bavarian Alps, but drove through them, and we were beside the railway tracks a lot of the way. That area was very nice. Denmark is a nice place to visit, but I can't say that is is spectacularly scenic. It is quite flat. I was a little disappointing to be sitting by the window of a restaurant on a fjord and being able to see right across the fjord and to the land on the other side and then the water past that. It was my fault for assuming a fjord would involve some altitude. Much of Holland is flat. I went there expecting it to be flat, but I was still surprised to see at how flat it was. There are some pretty spots along the way, Belgium was not particularly impressive to drive through, but the food was good and it was worth it for the beer. |
#7
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Europe Trains
On Wed, 28 Jun 2006 17:00:58 +0200, Giovanni Drogo
wrote: On Wed, 28 Jun 2006, Joel wrote: I am planning a European trip in the next couple of months and I plan to travel by train. Can anybody recommend a few must see routes scenery wise? I am probably going to start in Denmark and work my way down. I do not recall routes in Denmark to be *extremely* scenic, the country is flat, and lines usually run far from the sea. I travelled Kopenhagen to North Jutland (Skagen) and back. Won't recommend it for the scenery, but will recommend spending some time in Skagen and surroundings ! Also since you want to work "down" I suspect you are ruling out all Scandinavia. Some lines in Sweden can be considered scenic although one may get bored after a while (my mother remained asleep most of the 24 hr trip from Stockholm to Narvik). My impression of a train ride from Malmo to Stockholm: Trees, trees, trees, trees, trees, lake, trees, trees trees, trees, clean little town, trees, trees, trees, lake, trees, trees, trees, (repeat over and over) ************* DAVE HATUNEN ) ************* * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow * * My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps * |
#8
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Europe Trains
On Wed, 28 Jun 2006 17:00:58 +0200, Giovanni Drogo
wrote: I'm not sure if and when you want to straddle westwards. Rail lines in flat Benelux are not scenic (but you may have glances on canals in Holland), except in the mountainous part. Belgium/Luxembourg does have a wonderfully scenic route from Liège to Luxembourg via Trois Ponts and Trois Vièrges - the "mountainous part". The route follows the valley of the River Amblève for quite a while, then climbs up to a pass through the Ardennes. Delightful. Crags and castles to be seen, and the train goes fairly slowly so you can gaze contentedly from the window. Keith, Bristol, UK Email: usenet[dot]20[dot]keefy[at]spamgourmet[dot]com This is a sp*mtrap, but I will get your mail! |
#9
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Europe Trains
Martin Bienwald wrote:
Joel wrote: I am planning a European trip in the next couple of months and I plan to travel by train. Can anybody recommend a few must see routes scenery wise? I am probably going to start in Denmark and work my way down. I'd try to get a copy of the Thomas Cook European Timetable (see http://www.thomascookpublishing.com/...ies=Timetables). Besides schedules for all major European train routes, it contains a listing of scenic routes by country, so you can always choose to take a detour over one of these when you're nearby. ... Martin mind you it's 30+ years when I did interrail. Routes that impressed me most were in no order: Lyon - Bordeaux (France) through Central Massiv (did that later both with MoBike and car), great volcanic landscape there. La Coruna - Porto (over Vigo) North Spain/Portugal San Sebastian - La Coruna (Spain) did it partly by bus, but there is/was a private railway along the northern coast of Spain. Did it later by car, will do it in futere by MoBike. Beautiful beaches, Mountains ,yes, fjordlike scenery and cliffs there. Madrid - Lisbon (Spain/Portugal), never forget to see the cork oak woods at 4:30 in the morning sunrise Glasgow - Ft. Williams as Giovanni suggests (but might be out of way) hth lg da tom -- Nobody is perfect not even in failing Suzuki Bandit 1200S "Das Eisen" |
#10
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Europe Trains
Joel schrieb:
Hello Chaps, I am planning a European trip in the next couple of months and I plan to travel by train. Can anybody recommend a few must see routes scenery wise? I am probably going to start in Denmark and work my way down. For info on scenic routes in Switzerland, start with www.sbb.ch especially http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/?L=2 and there http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/Scen....5.0.html?&L=2 The train I prefer is Gornergrat - best in Winter for going skiing, worth a tour all year ... http://www.gornergrat.ch/en/ And check for passes: close to all tickets are kind of expensive! |
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