Europe's most under-rated scenic rail routes

[James H]

The metre gauge FEVE lines in northern Spain from Bilbao to Ferrol and León

 

[rg177]

If you've got spare time, a quick diversion from Vevey to Puidoux (the "Train des Vignes" - "train of the vineyards" - though sadly no longer officially branded as such) and back down to Lausanne (as you say) is well worth it for the same view from higher up! I did sometimes do that for a change.

Oh yes- while I say I did it Visp-Montreux I did, later in the day, go on all the way to Geneva. And I did indeed do that little loop- Out to Puidoux but bailed at Vevey Funi to have a run up the mountain before getting the bus to Vevey Main Station and onwards to Lausanne direct. A beautiful run.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Oh yes- while I say I did it Visp-Montreux I did, later in the day, go on all the way to Geneva. And I did indeed do that little loop- Out to Puidoux but bailed at Vevey Funi to have a run up the mountain before getting the bus to Vevey Main Station and onwards to Lausanne direct. A beautiful run.

I could make you jealous...for a year or so I lived (Monday to Thursday) in a flat just up from La Baume (the stop below the top) on the funi

 

[rg177]

I could make you jealous...for a year or so I lived (Monday to Thursday) in a flat just up from La Baume (the stop below the top) on the funi

Very much so! Though I'm only 19 so manage to make many people jealous that I've stepped foot in Switzerland

Back on topic- I'd also recommend Schaffhausen to Zurich due to mixture of mountains, lush green scenery and the dramatic waterfalls.

To be honest, with Switzerland, it's difficult to end up on a naff line

 

[Jamesrob637]

CH: I particularly like the Riviera line, i.e. Geneva Airport to Brig. Worth doing in full for the changing scenery, though by far the most stunning bit - one of my favourite lines in the world, and one I had the privilege of riding twice a week for a couple of years - is between Lausanne and Villeneuve along the banks of Lake Geneva.

Twice a week?! You lucky so-and-so! I remember the last time I was there (2011) the trains had old non air-con stock in the consist and no driving trailers. Now I think they've reverted to type. Lac Léman has some great places to watch trains from the lake steamers to the East of Lausanne, but apparently some of the local pick up freight has been in decline in recent years. Plus many of the classic electric locos have been withdrawn

 

[Cowley]

Last week we took the Enterprise service from Dublin to Belfast and I thought the scenery was lovely.
There were glimpses of the sea during the first 45 minutes before crossing the Boyne at Drogheda and then heading through the hills around Newry.
It was a beautiful day with a mixture of sunshine and showers (classic Ireland) and we travelled in a proper loco hauled train with comfy seats and big windows.
I loved it.
A view from the Boyne Viaduct:

 

[duesselmartin]

To stay i Ireland, Rosslare to Dublin is my favorit on that island.

In Thuringia / Germany there is a lovely branch from Rottenbach to Katzhütte.

 

[30907]

In Thuringia / Germany there is a lovely branch from Rottenbach to Katzhütte.

Plus the funicular and "tram" Obstfelderschmiede- Lichtenhain-Cursdorf, more curiosity than scenic though.

 

[317666]

Everyone talks about Albula and Bernina as far as Graubünden goes, but the MGB route from Disentis to Andermatt is absolutely stunning. An even lesser known scenic route is that from Pontresina up to Scuol-Tarasp, especially the northern end with the line clinging to the side of the valley as it gets steeper and steeper. Although I think perhaps the most underrated routes I travelled on during my recent Swiss trip were the TPC lines from Aigle to Leysin and Les Diablerets.

I definitely agree with Dresden - Chemnitz in the first post.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Twice a week?! You lucky so-and-so! I remember the last time I was there (2011) the trains had old non air-con stock in the consist and no driving trailers. Now I think they've reverted to type. Lac Léman has some great places to watch trains from the lake steamers to the East of Lausanne, but apparently some of the local pick up freight has been in decline in recent years. Plus many of the classic electric locos have been withdrawn

Yeah, it's now mostly 160km/h limited (different bogies) EW IVs and driving trailers, with the odd aircon UIC (EC) coach in the mix - these are the ones to go for if present as they have First Class spacing in second class seating, as do the driving trailers themselves. Sadly the fresh air stock is no more as it doesn't have the through wiring for the driving trailers. I believe eventually it'll go over to EMUs of some kind but not yet.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Very much so! Though I'm only 19 so manage to make many people jealous that I've stepped foot in Switzerland

Plenty of time yet then, I'm slightly more than twice that

 

[SHD]

The scenery on the Ligne du Haut-Bugey between Bourg-en-Bresse and Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, currently used by Paris-Geneva TGVs, is magnificent, notably when running along the Lac de Sylans, with the A40 motorway viaduct on the opposite bank.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I enjoyed Sighisoara-Brasov in Romania (also Oradea-Cluj further west), parts of the Carpathian foothills. Reminiscent of our Marches line in character.
I missed most of the Iskar Gorge route in Bulgaria (between Sofia and Mezdra) in the dusk, but what I could see was very impressive.
In Spain, the long single track in the north west linking Zamora and Ourense is spectacular, running through many tunnels in the mountains at a high level.
A bit like our S&C, but goes on for ever!
It won't be there much longer, as it is being replaced by a high speed line (also single track!) at a much lower level with long tunnels.
It currently carries bi-mode, bi-gauge, bi-current hybrid class 730 trains from Madrid to Santiago de Compostela, running on broad gauge diesel through the mountains.
Two coastal lines in Italy are very impressive: Genoa-Ventimiglia and Naples-Regio do Calabria and Sicily.
You are right next to the waves on several stretches of these lines.
Anywhere in Switzerland and Austria of course.
Geneva-Bern-Zürich-Innsbrück-Schladming-Graz is one of the finest trips you can make, especially if in an SBB panorama car!
Cutting diametrically across this route, Salzburg-Tauern-Villach-Jesenice-Ljubljana-Zagreb is another very fine trip.
Prague-Dresden is very scenic, especially if you pass one of Dresden's paddle steamers on the Elbe on the way.

 

[Spoorslag '70]

Dresden-Chemnitz is indeed quite nice (but the units on it are not too good for window size). I would highly recommend Belgish lines 37 and 124 from Liege/Luik to Aachen and from Liege/Luik to Namur/Namen. Both lines along the Rhein are quite nice - especially in the SBB Panorama car operating in some EC trains.

 

[317666]

Yeah, it's now mostly 160km/h limited (different bogies) EW IVs and driving trailers, with the odd aircon UIC (EC) coach in the mix - these are the ones to go for if present as they have First Class spacing in second class seating, as do the driving trailers themselves. Sadly the fresh air stock is no more as it doesn't have the through wiring for the driving trailers. I believe eventually it'll go over to EMUs of some kind but not yet.

There are still three trains each way (into Geneva in the morning peak, back out in the evening peak) which have a lot of fresh air stock in the rake - the old UIC-X coaches which were built with compartments but later rebuilt as open coaches. As a bonus, they're also hauled by Re 4/4 IIs, definitely the trains to go for to make the most of the line! Two of them run to/from Sion with a third to/from St. Maurice.

 

[MarcVD]

Semmering line in Austria.
The 3 lines that converge to the small but wonderful station of Zidani Most in Slovenia.
The lines Nice-Breil-Coni-Limone and Breil-Vintimiglia in France & Italy.
Foix-Latour de Carol in France
Charleroi-Couvin and Charleroi-Erquelinnes in Belgium
The lines that converge to Alcazar de San Juan in Spain
The line from Tel Aviv to Jérusalem in Israël (hurry up while it is still open).
The line to Van Lake in Turkey
The line from Tehran to the Caspian sea in Iran (more spectacular than the Gotthard)

 

[306024]

Sofia - Mezdra is excellent, especially the first time if you are totally unaware what us in store.
Villach - Zagreb is another I’d agree with.
Bar - Belgrade takes some stamina but well worth it.
Dresden - Prague is an old favourite.
Trondheim - Bodo for the remoteness of the arctic circle, and the branch to Åndalsnes.
Kiruna - Narvik again for remoteness.

 

[dutchflyer]

CH: I particularly like the Riviera line, i.e. Geneva Airport to Brig. Worth doing in full for the changing scenery, though by far the most stunning bit - one of my favourite lines in the world, and one I had the privilege of riding twice a week for a couple of years - is between Lausanne and Villeneuve along the banks of Lake Geneva.

Agree-just planning to go there again next week on InterRail (I make a point of using at least 1 day in Swizterland-to get the money out!. Also going up the ramps from Lausanne toward Bern and Brig up to the Simplon with views on the lake and the valley.
Locals lines in Toscane/IT for the rolling views of a bucolic (is that the word?) landscape around.
Several sections of FEVE in Northern Spain, esp. the long (and just 1/day) Bilbao_Leon.

 

[TRAX]

The Paris Metro.

 

[Craig2601]

A possible new favourite for me - Brescia to Edolo!

 

[Groningen]

The Thomas Cook Timetable had a list of scenic lines with an * from the editor to mark it as a special trainline.

Offenburg - Konstanz
Stuttgart - Zuerich
Niebuell - Westerland/Sylt
Heerlen - Maastricht
Bonn - Bingen
Koeln - Trier
Trier - Saarbruecken
Saarbruecken - Mannheim
Bruchsal - Stuttgart
Heidelberg - Heilbronn
Garmisch - Kempten
Namur - Arlon
Liege - Aachen
Koeln - Siegen
Kassel - Hannover (old line)
Dresden - Bad Schandau
Bad Schandau - Sebnitz
Zittau - Goerlitz

In fact all lines with tunnel(s) or/and (combined) with a river. There are so many!

 

[class387]

Cologne - Frankfurt via HSL (Germany)
Versailles Chantiers - Massy Palaiseau (Paris)
Melun - Montereau via Fontaine au Roi (Paris)
Kerava - Porvoo (Finland)
St Moritz - Landquart via Vereina tunnel (Switzerland)

See this thread:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/scenic-lines-that-are-underated-international.134126/

 

[SHD]

The Paris Metro.

The Thomas Cook Timetable had a list of scenic lines with an * from the editor to mark it as a special trainline. [...]
In fact all lines with tunnel(s) or/and (combined) with a river. There are so many!

Makes perfect sense

But is the thread about famous scenic itineraries or unknown/underrated ones?

 

[cactustwirly]

The Arlberg railway is amazing!
The Enns Valley railway (Selzthal - Schwartzach-St Veit) is also quite good

 

[TRAX]

Basically every rail line in Switzerland and Austria

 

[317666]

Another one I'll add is the oft-overlooked third valley from Koblenz, the Lahntalbahn to Limburg!

 

[Groningen]

Above the line Salzburg - Vienna there is speed; not very exiting landscape.

So nice:
Salzburg - Villach
Vienna - Klagenfurt
everywhere around Selzthal
Innsbrueck - Salzburg (via inlandroute)

 

[duesselmartin]

Portugal. Lagos to Villa Real is a wonderful railway. Stations like Tavira with its tiles have a wonderful old world charme. The old DMUs also do its magic.

Although not continental, I would also nominate the Corsican network for its scenary.

 

[Zamracene749]

Suceava to Cluj Napoca. A 2000ft climb up to the summit tunnel at around 3000ft in the Carpathian mountains, through beautiful rural scenery past villages little unchanged for a hundred years or more, then a descent to Bistrita followed by a glorious run between the mountains into Cluj. One of the most wonderful railway journeys I've ever taken.

 

[alex397]

Completely within Prague, the Prague to Zlicin line. One-car diesel railcars and a Semmering-style viaduct.