Take your time to discover these rail journeys linking a variety of European cities. We’ve teamed up with the rail experts at Inntravel to bring you three self-guided train journeys across the continent...
Spend your time browsing Bilbao’s Mercado de la Ribera, the largest indoor food market in Europe, and exploring San Sebastián’s Parte Vieja (Old Town), skipping from one pintxos (Basque-style tapas) bar to another, on a six-night rail trip with Inntravel. At each stop, self-guided city walking tours reveal lesser-known sites, such as the medieval suburb of Portugalete, near Bilbao, where you can cross the world’s oldest transporter bridge before walking the winding alleys of Getxo fishing village. In San Sebastián, ride the century-old funicular to the top of Monte Igueldo for views of the Belle Époque architecture, then head back to the train to finish in Bordeaux, France, home to some of the world’s finest wines and the chance to learn more about them at the Cité du Vin museum.
Visit three of northern Europe’s most colourful capitals by train and boat over seven nights. In Copenhagen, swap rails for pedals to cycle the Nyhavn canal and visit the city’s galleries. Next, ride the train across the Øresund Bridge and on to Stockholm where the medieval lanes of Gamla Stan and the world’s original open-air museum, the Skansen, await.
Finish your week in style by cruising to Helsinki to browse the boutiques of the Design District, sample local food in a bustling kauppahalli (market hall) and to admire the elegant Uspenski Cathedral, said to be the largest Orthodox church in Western Europe.
Inntravel’s ten-night Cities, Palaces & Wine tour unpicks historic Portugal. In Porto, make your way through a maze of museums and churches before crossing the river to the port wine lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia. Then bag a window seat on the train from Porto to Pinhão – one of Europe’s most scenic rail trips – to tour the old wineries of the Douro valley.
Next is the historic university city of Coimbra where pastel-hued houses jostle shoulders with Baroque palaces and churches. Afterwards, head to the hills of Sintra to see its magnificent Moorish castelo and the colourful Pena Palace. Finish on the steep streets of Lisbon, riding its yellow trams, marvelling at the ornate Jerónimos Monastery and gazing out from atop the 11th-century Castelo de São Jorge – the perfect finale.
Inntravel was named the only Which? Recommended Provider for self-guided tours in 2021, and you can trust its expert team to sort everything from the rail timetables to well-located stays. Its holidays feature family-run hotels, offering an authentic experience that benefits the local economy. Using Inntravel’s detailed notes for self-guided city walking tours, you’ll see iconic sites as well as many lesser-known treasures, all at your own pace.
To find out more about Inntravel’s self-guided journeys by train, or to request a brochure, visit inntravel.co.uk/wanderlust or call 01653 617092 to speak to their expert team.
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