Europe

 

The railway revolution started in England, with the commercial success of the Liverpool - Manchester railway, the world and the lives of the people changed irreversibly.

 

Europe has an extensive railway network. The success of the British railways meant that a lot of railway projects were started in Western Europe. By the end of the 19th century the railways had reached virtually every town in Europe. During the 20th century the railways had trouble competing against road transport (as well as air transport) and the rail network shrunk. But towards the end of the century, various high speed trains made trains a viable alternative again.

 

Thanks the extensive railway network in Europe, you have a lot of interesting railways to choose from. Additionally, Europe has a number of scenic mountain trains and fascinating steam trains.

 

Switzerland has many beautiful railways, here are some of them:

Bernina Express, between Chur and Tirano

Glacier Express, between Zermatt and St. Moritz

Golden Pass Line, between Lucerne and Montreux

Wilhelm Tell Express, between Lucerne and Locarno/Lugano

Chur is an excellent place for the railway enthusiast, you can read more about Chur here.

 

Norway offers beautiful scenery and has two famous railways, the short Flam Railway and the main line between Oslo and Bergen.

Review of the Flam Railway

Review of the railway between Oslo and Bergen

 

The most exclusive train ride in whole world is the Royal Scotsman, travelling around in Scotland. You can choose from a 2-day tour up to a 7-day tour. Everything is sheer luxury, with the possible exception of the Scottish weather. Unfortunately, the prices match the service, making it one of the most expensive train rides in the world. Still, well worth considering if you have the money.

 

Various rail passes exist for Europe. The best, or rather the cheapest, rail passes can only be purchased by non-European residents. If you plan to travel a lot by rail, a rail pass can save you a fair bit of money.