In this exclusive extract from our brand new book Europe by Train, we trace a rail journey through the sun-drenched Mediterranean, taking in Spain, France, Monaco and Italy. This journey can be completed with an Interrail or Eurail Pass, and will take between 18–21 days. Expect a daily dose of art and architecture, fine food and laid-back life...
Europe by Train
View BookMalaga, Spain
Squishing southern Spain’s biggest draws (boundary-pushing art, golden beaches and good food) into a few square kilometres, well-connected Málaga makes a fine introduction to the region.
The tangle of streets that make up the city centre radiates from the Plaza de la Constitución, the city’s main square, which is lined with tall palm trees and stately 17th- and 18th-century buildings. Within this compact area is a series of interesting churches and museums, the Museo Picasso Málaga being a particular standout. The artist was born in Málaga, and here, in his former home, is an important collection of his works, ordered thematically and chronologically. The Cubist paintings are particularly iconic and worth a closer look.
You’ll easily scoot around the centre in a day, so spend the rest of your time exploring beyond its confines. To the west is the edgy Soho neighbourhood, filled with street art and skateboarders, to the east a string of sun-drenched beaches (16 in total), with cafés, restaurants and bars serving up refreshingly icy drinks and lipsmacking seafood fresh from the Med.
Málaga to Valencia, 5-6 hours
It’s a long but picturesque ride from Málaga María Zambrano station to Valencia, but direct services are mercifully regular, with departures every two hours. Despite both cities being on the coast, the tracks cut inland to Córdoba and Cuenca before returning to the sea.
The tangle of streets that make up the city centre radiates from the Plaza de la Constitución, the city’s main square, which is lined with tall palm trees and stately 17th- and 18th-century buildings. Within this compact area is a series of interesting churches and museums, the Museo Picasso Málaga being a particular standout. The artist was born in Málaga, and here, in his former home, is an important collection of his works, ordered thematically and chronologically. The Cubist paintings are particularly iconic and worth a closer look.
You’ll easily scoot around the centre in a day, so spend the rest of your time exploring beyond its confines. To the west is the edgy Soho neighbourhood, filled with street art and skateboarders, to the east a string of sun-drenched beaches (16 in total), with cafés, restaurants and bars serving up refreshingly icy drinks and lipsmacking seafood fresh from the Med.
Málaga to Valencia, 5-6 hours
It’s a long but picturesque ride from Málaga María Zambrano station to Valencia, but direct services are mercifully regular, with departures every two hours. Despite both cities being on the coast, the tracks cut inland to Córdoba and Cuenca before returning to the sea.
Valencia, Spain
From the birthplace of Picasso to the birthplace of paella. Spain’s national dish originated in Valencia (“paella” means frying pan in llengua valencia, the regional language) and to come here without trying it at its most authentic would be a crime. Two things to remember: paella is a dish eaten at lunchtime not dinner, and chorizo never makes an appearance – instead expect a help-yourself platter of rice, topped with chicken, rabbit, green beans and whatever else is in season.
Paella aside, Valencia is known for being laid-back, cultured and cosmopolitan. Here, you’re best doing as the locals do: hike or bike along the ribbon of green parkland that snakes through the centre, lounge on the (nearly always) sunny stretch of sand, and admire the city’s remarkable architecture, including the ultramodern Cuidad de las Artes y Ciencias and Baroque Palacio del Marqués de Dos Agüas.
Paella aside, Valencia is known for being laid-back, cultured and cosmopolitan. Here, you’re best doing as the locals do: hike or bike along the ribbon of green parkland that snakes through the centre, lounge on the (nearly always) sunny stretch of sand, and admire the city’s remarkable architecture, including the ultramodern Cuidad de las Artes y Ciencias and Baroque Palacio del Marqués de Dos Agüas.
Valencia to Barcelona, 3 hours
Trains from the modernistic Valencia-Joaquín Sorolla station run along the sea towards Barcelona-Sants station every hour. Sit on the left-hand side for the best views.
Barcelona, Spain
After Málaga and Valencia, Barcelona can seem overcrowded and that’s because it’s a place of pilgrimage for so many. Those who appreciate architecture railroad in to see Gaudí’s madcap cathedral, dreamlike dwellings and fantastic Parc Güell. Football fans arrive to catch a game at the legendary Camp Nou stadium (conveniently located right by Sants station). And artists are caught between the galleries dedicated to Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso and Catalán contemporary art. The buzz of Barcelona can beguile visitors for weeks, so don’t rush through it.
This is a city to savour, especially when it comes to mealtimes. Visitors dine out on escudella i carn d’olla (a winter stew of pasta, meat and seasonal vegetables) or faves a la catalana (a summertime salad featuring beans), all the while sipping sparkling cava or Barcelonabrewed-Estrella. Better still, each district – or barrio – has its own flavour. Follow your nose to Gracia, to the north, full of vermouth bars and vegan cafés, or make your way to Poble Sec, at the foot of Montjuic, for traditional tapas joints.
Barcelona to Montpellier, 3 hours
Each day, four direct trains speed between Barcelona-Sants and Montpellier St-Roch in three hours.
This is a city to savour, especially when it comes to mealtimes. Visitors dine out on escudella i carn d’olla (a winter stew of pasta, meat and seasonal vegetables) or faves a la catalana (a summertime salad featuring beans), all the while sipping sparkling cava or Barcelonabrewed-Estrella. Better still, each district – or barrio – has its own flavour. Follow your nose to Gracia, to the north, full of vermouth bars and vegan cafés, or make your way to Poble Sec, at the foot of Montjuic, for traditional tapas joints.
Barcelona to Montpellier, 3 hours
Each day, four direct trains speed between Barcelona-Sants and Montpellier St-Roch in three hours.
Montpellier, France
Montpellier provides a gentle introduction to France. Aside from a visit to the Musée Fabre art museum, take time here to appreciate life’s simple pleasures. Read more of that book or watch the world go by as you sip a café au lait (coffee with milk) or iced pastis (anise-flavoured aperitif) in front of botanical gardens, honeystone cathedrals and romantic hôtels particuliers, all sited in the tightly knit historic centre.
Whittle away further days on the soft sand beaches in striking distance of the city, diving, paddleboarding or kitesurfing, if you like.
Montpellier to Marseille, 1 hour 45 minutes
Hourly trains from Montpellier St-Roch run through lagoons coloured pink by flamboyances of flamingos en route to Marseille St-Charles station.
Whittle away further days on the soft sand beaches in striking distance of the city, diving, paddleboarding or kitesurfing, if you like.
Montpellier to Marseille, 1 hour 45 minutes
Hourly trains from Montpellier St-Roch run through lagoons coloured pink by flamboyances of flamingos en route to Marseille St-Charles station.
Marseille, France
Hugging a sheltered bay, Marseille was first established as a Greek trading colony and has sat at a crossroads ever since. France’s second city, it has direct train services to Spain and Italy, boats to Algeria and flights to Senegal. Its accessibility has gifted it diversity, especially when it comes to food, and the Noailles neighbourhood serves up some of the best.
Start your adventure at the area’s Marché des Capucins, where stalls sell olives, dried fruit and spices. Then wind your way past little stores selling North African fabrics and ceramics, and more food stalls, to the nearby Vieux Port. Here, you’ll find the Marché aux Poissons fish market, where you can learn how to make bouillabaisse (the city’s soulful seafood dish). You’ll also find Mucem here, an interactive museum exploring the history of the Mediterranean and the people who have made it their home.
Optional detour to Cassis, 45 minutes
Although it’s only a 45-minute train ride from Marseille, Cassis feels a world away. This tranquil beach resort is enveloped by the Parc National des Calanques, a breathtaking land-sea national park. Take an e-boat ride to spot sea life or hike the park’s fjordlike calanques (creeks). One walking trail runs all the way back to Marseille.
Marseille to Monte Carlo, 3 hours and 30 minutes
Marseille’s subtropical station (complete with palm trees) has hourly services to Nice, from where connections to Monte Carlo depart every 30 minutes.
Start your adventure at the area’s Marché des Capucins, where stalls sell olives, dried fruit and spices. Then wind your way past little stores selling North African fabrics and ceramics, and more food stalls, to the nearby Vieux Port. Here, you’ll find the Marché aux Poissons fish market, where you can learn how to make bouillabaisse (the city’s soulful seafood dish). You’ll also find Mucem here, an interactive museum exploring the history of the Mediterranean and the people who have made it their home.
Optional detour to Cassis, 45 minutes
Although it’s only a 45-minute train ride from Marseille, Cassis feels a world away. This tranquil beach resort is enveloped by the Parc National des Calanques, a breathtaking land-sea national park. Take an e-boat ride to spot sea life or hike the park’s fjordlike calanques (creeks). One walking trail runs all the way back to Marseille.
Marseille to Monte Carlo, 3 hours and 30 minutes
Marseille’s subtropical station (complete with palm trees) has hourly services to Nice, from where connections to Monte Carlo depart every 30 minutes.
Monte Carlo, Monaco
Unless you have money to burn, don’t plan on staying in a hotel or apartment in Monaco. Instead, treat this postcard-sized principality as a way to break up the long journey from France to Italy. It won’t take you more than 45 minutes to walk across Monte Carlo, one of the four quartiers (sections) of Monaco – and that’s all the time needed to prove that this city state is one of the richest places on Earth. The Gare de Monaco-Monte-Carlo train station is glitzy enough but it’s not a patch on the opulent hotels and casinos here, where gamblers bet thousands of euros each day. And then there’s the Port du Monaco. At any one time, a billion dollars worth of yachts are moored in this marina – some even have helipads, spas and sub marines.
Monte Carlo to Genoa, 3 hours
Connections from Monte Carlo to the Italian border town of Ventimiglia depart every 30-60 minutes, from where hourly trains hug the coastline on their way to Genoa.
Monte Carlo to Genoa, 3 hours
Connections from Monte Carlo to the Italian border town of Ventimiglia depart every 30-60 minutes, from where hourly trains hug the coastline on their way to Genoa.
Genoa, Italy
Once a trading empire and one of the world’s wealthiest cities, Genoa today feels a little rough around the edges, particularly after the glitz of Monte Carlo. It’s still a working port (Italy’s largest), after all. The old centre, to the north of the historic Porto Antico, is a web of caruggi (narrow alleys lined with tall, peeling dwellings). But reminders of the city’s grandeur remain, hidden in plain sight. Find pain tings by Caravaggio and Rubens in dimly lit churches and ceilings literally painted gold in museums like the Palazzo Reale.
Spend a day getting lost in the caruggi and another on the petite beaches of Boccadasse. Once a friendly fishing village, it’s since been swallowed up by the city and become a sandy suburb.
Genoa to Livorno, 2 hours and 30 minutes
Fast express trains and cheaper regional services meander along the Mediterranean coast from Genoa Piazza Principe station to Livorno Centrale every 30-60 minutes.
Spend a day getting lost in the caruggi and another on the petite beaches of Boccadasse. Once a friendly fishing village, it’s since been swallowed up by the city and become a sandy suburb.
Genoa to Livorno, 2 hours and 30 minutes
Fast express trains and cheaper regional services meander along the Mediterranean coast from Genoa Piazza Principe station to Livorno Centrale every 30-60 minutes.
Livorno, Italy
Two days is more than enough time to get acquainted with this beguiling port city, built around a series of forts and magnificent harbours. The compact centre is sandwiched between the sea and Venezia Nuova. Named after Venice, this district promises canals, bridges, boats and knockout seafood (look out for swordfish gnocchi).
Before moving on to Naples, make a day trip to Costiera di Calafuria. Buses take just 35 minutes to reach this scenic stretch of coast, where you can walk the pine-lined trails or swim in the beautifully clear water.
Livorno to Naples, 5 hours
Fast hourly trains from Livorno Centrale station whizz down Italy’s west coast to Naples, with a quick change in Rome.
Before moving on to Naples, make a day trip to Costiera di Calafuria. Buses take just 35 minutes to reach this scenic stretch of coast, where you can walk the pine-lined trails or swim in the beautifully clear water.
Livorno to Naples, 5 hours
Fast hourly trains from Livorno Centrale station whizz down Italy’s west coast to Naples, with a quick change in Rome.
Naples, Italy
As tempting as it is to just get lost in this cacophonous city’s labyrinth of streets – ducking down alleys, pausing to admire once grand façades and politically charged street art, devour pizza and sip spritz – make your way beyond the Centro Storico to the hilltop neighbourhood of Vomero.
Reached by funicular, the once genteel Vomero is a delight to wander, its ordered grid of streets and squares (often named after local cultural heroes) revealing glimpses of the city below. For the best views, make your way to Certosa di San Martino, perched atop the eponymous Vomero hill. This monastery-turned-museum grants sweeping views of Naples, the looming Vesuvius and the sweeping coast line, your constant com panion on this tour of Mediterranean Europe’s finest. On clear days, perhaps you’ll make out a distant island – the beautiful Capri, Procida and Ischia beckon those tempted to extend their tour by another week.
Option to extend your trip to the Amalfi Coast
Continue south to Sorrento, the jumping-off point for the Amalfi Coast. With its charming seaside towns and rugged cliffs lapped by deep blue waters, the coastline feels a world away from Naples. Top pick of the towns is hilltop Ravello, where Villa Cimbrone’s statue-lined belvedere grants fantastic views of the coast.
Reached by funicular, the once genteel Vomero is a delight to wander, its ordered grid of streets and squares (often named after local cultural heroes) revealing glimpses of the city below. For the best views, make your way to Certosa di San Martino, perched atop the eponymous Vomero hill. This monastery-turned-museum grants sweeping views of Naples, the looming Vesuvius and the sweeping coast line, your constant com panion on this tour of Mediterranean Europe’s finest. On clear days, perhaps you’ll make out a distant island – the beautiful Capri, Procida and Ischia beckon those tempted to extend their tour by another week.
Option to extend your trip to the Amalfi Coast
Continue south to Sorrento, the jumping-off point for the Amalfi Coast. With its charming seaside towns and rugged cliffs lapped by deep blue waters, the coastline feels a world away from Naples. Top pick of the towns is hilltop Ravello, where Villa Cimbrone’s statue-lined belvedere grants fantastic views of the coast.
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