10 breathtaking train journeys through Europe’s winter wonderlands

Europe’s Christmas markets hardly need help feeling charming, but somehow trains make them even more so. While the rails carry you past storybook villages and evergreen-studded hills, the journey itself becomes as much a part of the experience as the markets.

Here are 10 of the most breathtaking routes to savor the holidays by railway. Most routes here are covered by the Eurail Pass, but plan in advance for the busy Christmas season.

The Glacier Express: Switzerland's winter masterpiece

Route: Zermatt to St. Moritz

The Glacier Express earns its nickname as the world’s slowest express train, taking eight hours to traverse just 180 miles. But that’s a feature, not a bug. The panoramic windows frame the Swiss Alps like an IMAX screen, showing off 291 bridges, 91 tunnels, and the stately Landwasser Viaduct.

Time your journey to arrive in St. Moritz for its Christmas festivities, where wooden chalets in the town center offer hand-carved ornaments, gingerbread, and piping-hot raclette, or go ice skating along the lake.

Romantic Rhine: Cologne to Frankfurt

Route: Cologne to Mainz to Frankfurt (via Koblenz)

This UNESCO World Heritage route follows the Rhine River through what might be Germany's most concentrated display of medieval romance. The train winds through the Rhine Gorge past steep vineyards, half-timbered villages, and many hills crowned by castles and fortresses.

(How to plan a food weekend in Germany’s Rheingau region)

Cologne's cathedral backdrop anchors markets steeped in centuries of trade. Koblenz, situated where the Moselle and Rhine rivers meet, is a striking setting for sipping warm glühwein. Mainz's markets fill the town squares with the scent of bratwurst and roasted almonds, while Frankfurt's Römerberg market dates back to 1393 and is one of Germany's oldest.

Germany’s Harz Mountains: Steam-powered time travel

Route: Wernigerode to Brocken (and various routes throughout the Harz)

For a dash of Harry Potter magic, board the historic steam trains of the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways. This rail trip “takes you back through time,” says Bart Giepmans of Railtripping. The line climbs through dense forest to the Brocken, northern Germany’s highest peak (and, legend says, a longtime gathering place for witches).

Celebrate at the Christmas market in Wernigerode, which transforms the market square into a winter wonderland, the hiss and clatter of steam locomotives creating an unforgettable soundtrack.

The Bernina Express: From glaciers to palms

Route: Chur, Switzerland to Tirano, Italy

The Bernina Express lifts you from Swiss Alpine drama to Italian palm-lined ease in just four hours, tracing the UNESCO World Heritage Bernina Railway without relying on cog wheels or rack systems. After the route crests at Ospizio Bernina (7,391 feet), then comes the glide into Italy, a descent punctuated by the showstopping Brusio spiral viaduct, where the train makes a graceful loop.

Don’t miss the market in Chur, Switzerland’s oldest city, whose Old Town Christmas market takes place in medieval squares tailor-made for winter wandering. Weavers sell handwoven textiles, woodworkers demonstrate their craft, and candlelit decor wraps everything in a soft, festive glow.

The West Highland Line: Scotland's impressive north

Route: Glasgow to Mallaig

Often cited as one of the world’s most scenic rail journeys, the West Highland Line delivers raw, haunting beauty. It cuts across Rannoch Moor, a vast peat bog, before tracing Loch Lomond and sweeping over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, (spectacular long before the Hogwarts Express made it Hollywood famous).

Edinburgh and Glasgow both offer distinctive Christmas activities worth exploring. Edinburgh's markets sprawl through Princes Street Gardens with the castle looming above, while Glasgow will unveil a Christmas lights trail this year.

The Rauma Line: Norway's hidden wonder

Route: Dombås to Åndalsnes

Another route vying for the most scenic train journey in Europe, Dombås to Åndalsnes covers a compact, 71-mile corridor, but packs in enough scenery for something ten times longer. The line shadows the Rauma River as it threads through a landscape of sheer mountain faces, waterfalls caught mid-cascade in winter stillness, and the elegant stone arch of the Kylling Bridge.

This far north, Christmas markets lean less toward spectacle and cater more to the community, like in Trondheim. Stalls brim with classic Norwegian goodies: hand-knit sweaters, carved wooden butter knives, and lefse sizzling on well-seasoned griddles that have been in use for decades.

The Semmering Railway: Austria's legacy

Route: Vienna to Graz via Semmering Pass

Built in the 1850s as the world’s first true mountain railway, the UNESCO-recognized Semmering wends through the Eastern Alps in a feat of civil engineering. The route crosses 16 viaducts and passes through 14 tunnels, threading across rugged terrain once frequented by Austrian nobility seeking “mountain air cures” at grand hotels.

The line begins in Vienna, home to some of Europe’s most elegant Christmas markets, like Schönbrunn Palace and Karlsplatz, with unique, artisan-made goods. Graz’s market in the Renaissance-era Hauptplatz is also home to traditional goods like handmade schnapps and classic dirndls.

The Schwarzwaldbahn: Germany’s enchanted Black Forest

Route: Karlsruhe to Konstanz (connecting from Heidelberg or Strasbourg)

Coming from charming Heidelberg, Germany, or from Strasbourg—one of France's top Christmas cities—take the Schwarzwaldbahn south toward Konstanz. The line slips through a landscape that feels like entering a fairytale. Gentle hills deepen into dark forest, broad-roofed farmhouses, and villages that look almost painted into place.

Make a stop in Gengenbach, where the entire town hall becomes an advent calendar with windows opening each day in December.

The Arlbergline: The Alpine way

Route: Zurich, Switzerland to Innsbruck, Austria

The Arlbergline is one of Europe’s most celebrated mountain railways, threading through the high Alps between western Austria and Tyrol. Departing from Zurich, the train glides along lakes and foothills before entering Austria and beginning its ascent into dramatic terrain. Snow-covered valleys, towering viaducts, and the famous Arlberg Tunnel make this route a standout.

Innsbruck’s medieval Old Town hosts one of Europe’s most atmospheric Christmas markets against the Nordkette mountains. Sample traditional treats like speck (smoked ham) and kiachln (fried pastries). Or make a stop in Bludenz, a cozy town known for its chocolate factory.

Munich to Salzburg: Where Bavaria meets the Alps

Route: Munich, Germany to Salzburg, Austria

In less than two hours, this city-to-city journey packs cinematic punch as the Alps rise suddenly from the rolling countryside, transitioning from Bavarian farmland to the snow-capped wall of the Northern Alps.

Both cities shine during market season. Munich’s Marienplatz Christkindlmarkt is among Germany’s oldest, while Salzburg, Mozart’s birthplace, becomes a baroque snow globe, glowing beneath the fortress. Here craftspeople still carve decorations by hand, just as they have for centuries.

(These 6 U.S. Christmas markets feel like a fairy tale)