Dresden station is not only the gateway to this fascinating city on the Elbe river in eastern Germany, but it is also the starting point for a journey to the mountains from the 19th edition of Europe by Rail…

Santiago Calatrava’s spectacular and fluid design for Liège-Guillemins railway station lies at the heart of a bold urban renewal programme. If you’re stopping for a photo, the station is arguably even better appreciated from the road outside… Photo © Boarding1now

Have you already got your hands on a copy of the 19th edition of Europe by Rail? If you’ve enjoyed planning your future railway trips or simply a spot of armchair travel over a hot weekend, could we ask you a favour?

The #52routes of Europe by Rail. But which one to take next? Which one cuts the mustard? How about Route 14, which takes the slow route from Paris to Geneva via the lovely French city of Dijon (see what we did there?) Photo © Sergey Dzyuba / Dreamstime

21Jun26 #PiethagoramTravels #Esslingen #Interrail @europebyrail.eu #travelphotography

The 19th edition of Europe by Rail is out now, and as well as some lesser known treasures along the railways of the continent there are of course some classics, such as the Semmering Railway - one of Europe’s finest mountain routes...

One of the joys of exploring Europe by Rail is stopping off on a whim at a small station in the hills. This is Le Tretien in Switzerland. The 19th edition of our book Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide is published today.

Not so often that an ICE makes a scheduled stop in Emmerich.

What nicer way to mark publication da of the 19th edition of "Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide" than by riding the Hanzelijn west from Zwolle in the Netherlands? A regional train seen here at Lelystad.

What is the perfect railway carriage? If you opt for the belle époque style of carriages which are used on some local Golden Pass trains from Zweisimmen to Montreux you can combine the theatre of the Swiss landscapes with a spot of time travel…

When you dream of a European railway adventure, what comes to mind? How about a journey through snowy mountains, for example on the Albula Railway from Chur in the Rhine Valley to the Engadine region? Photo © Boarding1now

At the start of this month, I didn't even know Lüneburg-West station existed. It's not in HAFAS, but seems to be a semi-detached bit of Lüneburg's main station. But in last ten days, I have been through it thrice. On Euronight, ComfortJet and ICE-L trains.

Sometimes the best railways are the ones of yesteryear. The old Spey Valley railway near Nethy Bridge is now part of the Speyside Way. Follow it down the valley towards Grantown-on-Spey (East) and beyond.

Have enjoyed trying a few night train operators these past weeks. European Sleeper was fun. Less success with RDC/SJ Berlin to Sweden which terminated short in Hamburg, just three hours into the journey.

Speed can be exciting, but sometimes we like to take the slow train. Route 39 in the upcoming 19th edition of Europe by Rail follows a rural route through Upper Bavaria from Munich to Innsbruck…

Which railway journey would you like to take next? One from the forthcoming 19th edition of Europe by Rail perhaps? How about a journey along the Rhine, upstream from Cologne via Koblenz and Mainz? Then you’ll be wanting to jump aboard Route 9 in our book. Photo © Boarding1now

The 19th edition of Europe by Rail features 52 routes, a journey for every week of the year, from following the Glacier Express from St Moritz to Zermatt, Bohemian byways, a foray through Finland and many more… Photo © Michael Müller

The single platform at the Westbahnhof in Lüneburg currently has direct trains to three European capitals. But only until 13 June.

A peak inside the 19th edition of Europe by Rail, which will be published later this month. Across 560 pages you’ll discover amazing European rail journeys, some long enough to build an entire holiday around while others take you to the heart of a country or region…

Stockholm to Berlin night train run by Snälltåget arrive 30 mins early at Berlin Hbf this morning. Take note, Deutsche Bahn. Though in fairness this Swedish train has a lot of slack in timetable.

We recently put together a selection of some of our favourite coastal rail routes for The Guardian, including a coast-to-coast journey through Scotland, over the sea to Sylt in Germany, along the shoreline of Galicia in Spain and the Calabrian coast in Italy. www.theguardian.com/travel/2026/...

From Route 1 of Europe by Rail: “In the beginning there were the graceful classical baths of the Roman Empire. Then came fine cathedrals. But by the late 19th century, great railway termini were acclaimed as the representative buildings of the Steam Age…” Photo © Jonkio4 / Dreamstime

Want to be the first to get your hands on the 19th edition of Europe by Rail? Publication date is 22 June 2026 and our book is already available to pre-order on a number of online retailers. www.europebyrail.eu/buy-the-book/ Photo - background image © Kosongraphic / Dreamstime

What makes Europe by Rail so special? The book… or the activity itself? Well naturally we think that, as the definitive guide to travelling Europe by Rail, the two things go pretty well together. And on the 22nd June 2026, we’ll be publishing our 19th edition… Photo © Elenanoeva / Dreamstime

The 19th edition of Europe by Rail is published in June, but what’s new this time around? With each new edition we thoroughly check every single detail in the book, updating hotel listings and train information, rewriting entire sections where necessary… 1/5 Photo © Karol Kozlowski / Dreamstime

Exciting news! We are really pleased to announce the 19th edition of Europe by Rail… Literary flair and great storytelling has always been the goal of our book, which now includes descriptions of over 47,000 km of itineraries divided into 52 routes... www.europebyrail.eu/new-19th-edi...

Interesting that the classic Ouigo trains from Bruxelles Midi to Paris Nord via Mons have a mix of SNCF and SNCB carriages. Retro travel for those who have the time and fancy an alternative to Eurostar.

Chiltern Railways now has some very chic Nova trains. Used on some services from MYB to Birmingham Moor Street and Stourbridge Junction.

European Sleeper's overnight train to Berlin and Prague prepares to leave Bruxelles Midi. Runs 3x weekly.

The construction of the railway up to the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland's Bernese Alps began in 1896. It was then that an opening, covered by a wooden door, was created in one of the tunnels in order to clear debris generated during the tunnel's construction… Photo © Steven van Aerschot / Dreamstime

ARoS Museum of Contemporary Art in Aarhus. Travelling through Europe by train is a fine way to move between some of the best museums and exhibition spaces in the world… and Route 26 of our book is no exception… Photo © Frank Bach / Dreamstime

Far from home, the once-daily Renfe AVE from Madrid to Marseille pauses at Avignon TGV. This is the only international train that still serves the Spanish capital. Read more about the whole route in our book Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide.

For those who only reluctantly leave their private jet at home, the Executive Class seats on Trenitalia's Frecciarossa trains are like thrones. On a Lyon-Saint-Exupéry to Paris train.

A Trenitalia Frecciarossa bound for Paris at Lyon-Saint-Exupéry. A train that is as chic as this station - the latter designed by Santiago de Calatrava. Nice to see TI competing with SNCF on this key route.

While we normally encourage travellers to linger over journeys and stop off along the way, the very character of Route 29 in our book suggests a different strategy. This is an overnight journey to Swedish Lapland, and is worth doing in one long hop… Photo © Tommy Alvén / Dreamstime

A very posh train pausing at Aranjuez. The Al Andalus operates upmarket tours on Spain's classic broad-gauge network.

The elegant Glenfinnan viaduct on the West Highland Railway, one of the undoubted highlights of Route 3 of Europe by Rail - The rural route to the West Highlands… Photo © Miroslav Liska / Dreamstime

Bridge over the River Tagus. The 08.32 from Jaén, a Media Distancia to Madrid, seen here this morning crossing the River Tagus. Amazing to think these waters run down to the Atlantic in Lisbon.

Madrid's Cercaniás trains have really smartened up over the years. This is the C3 to Aranjuez waiting to depart from Charmartin at 15.49. We recommend the excursion to Aranjuez in our book Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide.

Vienna’s main station is something of a railway hub, both for European rail travel in general but also within the pages of our book… for the Austrian capital features on four of the routes in the 18th edition of #EuropebyRail… Photo © Sitthipong Pengjan / Dreamstime

If you ever find yourself on a journey across northern Germany, travelling between Hannover and Berlin perhaps, then you might want to make a little detour and take some time to explore the wonderful narrow-gauge railways of the Harz mountains...

Do you ever spend some time with old railway timetables? We have many curiosities on our bookshelves, including a copy of the Great Western Railway (GWR) timetable for the early months of 1902… splendid reading indeed! Photo © Khellon / dreamstime

Eliel Saarinen’s magnificent design for Helsinki’s main station seals this building’s status as one of the world’s great railway termini. The building’s simple austerity is offset by the pairs of giant lamp bearers who attend the station’s main entrance. Photo © Lerka555 / Dreamstime

The town of Mention on Riviera. It is possible to argue that it was the railway that truly created the Riviera as a destination, and by 1874 it was possible to travel all the way from Nice to Pisa by train...

How do you repurpose a railway station? The original, and magnificent, 19th-century building of Madrid’s Atocha station now shelters a wonderful tropical garden. But the platforms for the high-speed trains to other corners of Spain are not far away… Photo © Lukasz Janyst / Dreamstime

The Pont du Gard aqueduct not far from Nîmes. What do you fancy seeing this Easter weekend? What journey would you take if all options were open to you? How about a route from our book? Route 13 perhaps? From London to the Mediterranean… Photo © Sorin Colac / Dreamstime

A postcard from the Gotthard Railway, produced by the Gotthardbahn-Gesellschaft sometime around 1905. Although the classic route has been somewhat sidelined since the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel in 2016, it still features as Route 41 in our book…

Beware of trains! Not something we would normally say, but perhaps it is the infrequency of service to Betws-y-coed station in North Wales that means the entrance to the platform comes with such a stark warning...

A bit of railway history today with the 1898 poster from the Südbahn-Gesellschaft, the Habsburg-era railway company that linked the imperial capital of Vienna with its major Mediterranean seaport in Trieste across the Semmering Pass...

The Rua Augusta in Lisbon, a hilly city where trams can take some of the strain of exploration. The Portuguese capital is one of the highlights of Route 24 from the 18th edition of Europe by Rail… Photo © Angelo Cordeschi / Dreamstime