Scenic Rail Routes in Europe

Route: Paris to Nice
Highlights: Clay-tile-roofed villages, tidy vineyards, epic blue water
Beta: Departures daily, year-round. Eurail passes accepted.

This ride is all about that famous South-of-France color and light — from purple lavender fields to Côte ad’Azur blue and the way in which the golden sunlight magically bathes it all. Starting in Paris, you’re in the sunflower and lavender fields of Provence just two hours later. Then, before you’ve even had the chance to comprehend Provence, you’re on the French Riviera, a dreamy coastline of dramatic beaches, picturesque villages, and brown beach bodies.

Route: Offenburg to Konstanz and Freiburg to Seebrugg
Highlights: The Lakes of Titisee and Schluchsee, “Hell Valley,” traditional farms and half-timbered villages, the stretch from Hornberg to St. Georgen
Beta: Standard trains depart daily. Check schedule for special “nostalgia” trains running vintage locomotives. Eurail passes accepted.

The Black Forest is the stuff of fairy tales, quite literally — Germany’s ancient forest was the setting and inspiration for the twisted fantasies of the Brothers Grimm. Germany has done an admirable job protecting the forest and the pastoral lifestyle that defines this southwestern region. And exploring this revered woodland gets no better than on the Deutsche Bahn’s Black Forest Line.

Route: Munich to Verona to Bologna or Venice
Highlights: Breakfast in Munich and dinner in Venice
Beta: Multiple departures daily. Eurail pass holders pay €11 supplemental fee.

Huge windows help bring the Alps inside the train on this mountainous, three-country route. This line slices through some of the most beautiful mountains, rivers, and alpine villages in Austria, Germany, and Italy. It’s a never-ending bombardment of steep cliff faces, green pastures, and roaring rivers. Usually on routes over six hours I opt for the night train, but not here. The scenery is simply not to be missed.

Route: Chur or St. Moritz to Tirano
Highlights: Viaducts spanning huge drops, tunnels galore
Beta: Multiple departures daily. Eurail pass holders pay €10-14 supplemental fee.

The Bernina Express is the James Bond of scenic trains — smoothly pulling off impossible daredevil feats and looking damn good in the process. Extra-large panorama windows offer an incredible vantage point from which to take in the glaciers, lakes, peaks, and villages of Switzerland’s High Alps.