Travelling by train is a great way to get from A to B, even across national borders, and you can marvel aIt is also easy to t new landscapes during the journey, while enjoying Azurslot with the WIfi you have on trains. We give you tips for your next short international trip.
If you want to avoid climate-damaging air travel and experience different landscapes and cultures at the same time, international train journeys are a great option. Depending on your starting point, you can reach destinations such as Prague, Vienna, or Amsterdam by train in just a few hours.
During the journey, you can sit back and relax, read, or enjoy the view. After all, the train journey itself is often worth the trip. Travelling by train is also much more environmentally friendly than flying, as CO2 emissions are significantly higher when flying, and in some cases, you can even reach your holiday destination faster by train than by plane.
With the right train connection, you can reach the eight European countries presented in this overview in under six hours.
1. Austria
From southern Germany, you can quickly reach Vienna. From Munich, you can reach Salzburg in around three-quarters of an hour by regional train, Eurocity, or Railjet. As Salzburg is so close to the German border, you can travel to the border with the Bayern-Ticket or Deutschlandticket.
And it’s not too far from southern Bavaria to Vienna either: depending on the connection, you can be in the Austrian capital in four to four and a half hours. The train takes you through the Austrian cities of Linz and St. Pölten, with a beautiful Alpine panorama outside the window on some stretches.
Tip: One culinary highlight you shouldn’t miss in Salzburg is the Salzburger Nockerln dumplings.
2. The Czech Republic
You can get to Prague quickly by Eurocity. Prague, in particular, is perfect for a weekend trip. It only takes four and a half hours from Nuremberg and less than two and a half hours from Dresden on the Austrian Railjet. And from Berlin, you can reach Prague in under five hours via an overnight train connection with the Austrian Railways’ Nightjet.
3. Poland
The Berlin-Szczecin train line is one of the oldest in Germany. There are several direct and transfer connections from Berlin to the Polish harbour city of Szczecin every day. The journey takes around two hours. The Berlin-Szczecin line is one of the oldest in German railway history and was built in 1842 and 1843. The line has been repeatedly modernised over the years, and now Eurocity or Intercity trains run along the Havel and Oder rivers instead of diesel locomotives. You can reach Szczecin from Schwerin in around four hours.
Get to Poland from Dresden: A regional express train runs three times a day via Görlitz to Wrocław. The journey time between the twin cities of Dresden and Wrocław is around three hours.
4. Denmark
You can be in Copenhagen in around five hours. A fika with cinnamon buns, walking through the dunes, and impressive architecture await you in Denmark. If you get on the train in Hamburg, you can be in Copenhagen in less than five hours. The route even offers a special highlight: to get to the island of Zealand, where Copenhagen is located, the train has to cross a bridge over the Baltic Sea. Once you arrive in Copenhagen, you can also continue by train to Malmö in Sweden. The journey there takes about an hour.
5. Switzerland
A breathtaking panorama awaits you in Switzerland. Travelling to Switzerland by train is worthwhile because of the many picturesque routes. Depending on the connection and starting point, you can reach Zurich from southern Germany in around three and a half to five hours. You can get to Lucerne in five to six hours, and from Fribourg in as little as two.
From Lucerne, you can travel on to Montreux via the Golden Pass Line. You will pass three lakes and eight passes on three different trains. The trains have panoramic windows, so you really do have a good view of the breathtaking mountain scenery.
6. France
Take the TGV to Paris. You can get to the French capital, Paris, surprisingly quickly – from Stuttgart, for example. By TGV or ICE, you can cover the approximately 500-kilometre route in under three and a half hours. There is a direct connection up to four times a day. But you can also get to Strasbourg quickly – depending on the station you are travelling from, it can take between one and four hours by ICE from southern Germany. Picturesque half-timbered houses and delicious tarte flambée await you in the border town.
7. The Netherlands
You can also get to the North Sea by train. From Cologne, you can be in Amsterdam in around three hours. But the Netherlands has much more to offer: If you add just over an hour to your journey, the train will take you to Zandvoort an Zee on the North Sea. There you can enjoy a short holiday by the sea.
Utrecht is also worth a trip. Thanks to a direct connection from Cologne, you can be there in under two and a half hours. The routes take you past small villages with brick houses.
8. Italy
There is a direct connection from Munich to Bologna. Italy may not be the closest destination, but from Munich you can at least get to Bologna in around six hours thanks to a direct Eurocity connection. The university city is still a real insider tip in terms of tourism and is not too crowded, especially in spring and autumn. The train route, which runs through Austria and over the Brenner Pass, also offers beautiful mountain scenery. The journey time flies by.
