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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Travel
Nicky Gardner

Six of Europe’s best slow, scenic rail journeys

‘Sit back and enjoy the ride’ … An aerial view across the Rhine, Cologne.
‘Sit back and enjoy the ride’ … An aerial view across the Rhine, Cologne. Photograph: Sean Pavone/Alamy

Few pleasures compete with relaxing on a comfortable train and watching the landscape slip by beyond the window. Here are six of my favourite routes, ranging from under four to over nine hours, so easily completed in a day. Interrail passes are valid on all these journeys, although a small supplement (€1.50 to €4) is payable by passholders on the French, Polish and Spanish routes.

Cologne to Basel

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