European Rail Tours & Scenic Train Journeys for Travel Agents

European Rail Tours for Travel Agents

The Train Is the Highlight, So We Plan It Carefully

European rail tours are holidays built around Europe's great train journeys. As a trade-only rail DMC, we plan them for travel agents: scenic routes such as the Glacier Express and the Flåm Railway, fast trains between cities, and the seat reservations, luggage and station transfers around them. We book everything at B2B net rates, issue the documents under your brand and plan the trains around the hotels and sightseeing of the full tour.

On a scenic route the train is not just transport. It is often the day your clients talk about most when they get home. That only works when the seats are reserved in the right carriage, the hotel at the next stop knows when the train arrives, and the luggage has been planned. Panoramic trains sell their best seats early, and a group of 30 cannot just arrive at the station and expect to sit together.

We handle rail across 24 European nations, from the Swiss Alps and the Norwegian fjords to Eurostar and the Scottish Highlands, for FIT travellers and groups. Switzerland is our busiest rail country, and our Swiss rail packages are the most requested. See our Switzerland DMC page for more.

Departures Board

Europe's Great Trains at a Glance

Departures Scenic & Intercity · Europe

Famous European train journeys with their usual journey times
Train	From	To	Time	Highlight
Glacier Express	Zermatt	St. Moritz	8h	291 bridges, 91 tunnels
Bernina Express	Chur	Tirano	4h	UNESCO World Heritage line
GoldenPass Express	Montreux	Interlaken	3h 15	Changes gauge en route
Bergen Line	Oslo	Bergen	7h	Finse at 1,222 m
Flåm Railway	Myrdal	Flåm	1h	Drops 863 m to the fjord
Eurostar	London	Paris	2h 15	Under the Channel
Jacobite Steam	Fort William	Mallaig	2h 10	Glenfinnan Viaduct
Night Train	Stockholm	Narvik	Overnight	Across Swedish Lapland

Typical journey times. Timetables change by season, and the Jacobite runs in summer only. We confirm exact times when we book.

Scenic Routes

Six European Rail Journeys Our Partners Book the Most

No. 01

The Matterhorn above the snowline in the Swiss Alps

Glacier Express

Zermatt to St. Moritz in about 8 hours, over 291 bridges and through 91 tunnels, climbing to 2,033 metres at the Oberalp Pass. Every seat needs a reservation, and Excellence Class adds a reserved window seat and a multi-course lunch.

Time8h

Highest2,033 m

ReservationCompulsory

No. 02

A Zentralbahn train on the Lucerne to Interlaken line above the lake at Lungern

GoldenPass Line

Lucerne to Montreux in two scenic parts. The Luzern-Interlaken Express crosses the Brünig Pass and passes the lake at Lungern in about 1 hour 50 minutes. From Interlaken, the GoldenPass Express runs on to Montreux on Lake Geneva in about 3 hours 15 minutes, changing track gauge at Zweisimmen so nobody has to change trains.

Time1h 50 + 3h 15

ViaBrünig Pass

GaugeChanges

No. 03

The narrow Naeroyfjord seen from the water

Bergen Line & Flåm Railway

Oslo to Bergen in about 7 hours across the Hardangervidda plateau, passing Finse at 1,222 metres. From Myrdal, the Flåm Railway drops 863 metres in about 20 kilometres to the fjord, the steepest standard-gauge line in Northern Europe. See our Norway DMC page for the fjords.

Time7h + 1h

Highest1,222 m

Descent863 m

No. 04

The northern lights over snow-covered mountains in Arctic Norway

Overnight to the Arctic

The overnight train from Stockholm runs north to Kiruna and Abisko in Swedish Lapland, then on to Narvik on the Norwegian coast. SJ (Swedish Railways) first-class tickets include lounge access in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö. See our Scandinavia DMC page.

FromStockholm

ViaLapland

ToNarvik

No. 05

The Jacobite steam train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Scottish Highlands

Scotland's West Highlands

The West Highland Line to Fort William, then the Jacobite steam train in summer: 41 miles to Mallaig, over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, famous from the Harry Potter films. Seats sell out early in the season. See our UK DMC page.

Distance41 miles

SeasonSummer

SeatsBook early

No. 06

Katz Castle above the Rhine at St. Goarshausen, with the railway along the riverbank

The Rhine Valley by Rail

The line along the Middle Rhine between Koblenz and Mainz follows the river past castles and vineyard terraces, and combines well with a river cruise. An easy, relaxed rail day on a tour of Germany, the Netherlands or Switzerland.

FromKoblenz

ToMainz

Combine withRiver cruise

A red Rhaetian Railway train crossing the Landwasser Viaduct in Graubünden, Switzerland

12+Years On the Ground

Built by Operators

The Rules Behind the Scenic Routes

Every famous route has its own rules, and they are easy to miss when you are booking from far away. A seat on the Glacier Express always needs a reservation. The panoramic cars of the Bernina Express need one too, while its ordinary carriages do not. The Swiss Travel Pass covers the panoramic trains themselves, but the seat reservation is charged extra, so a quote without it will change later.

Groups have rules of their own. In Switzerland, groups of 10 or more travellers get a group ticket with about 30% discount and a free seat reservation, but it must be booked at least 2 working days before departure. Eurostar has its own group desk for 10 or more passengers, so the whole group sits together and pays on one invoice. We know which rule applies where, and we include it in the price before we send you the quote.

Seat reservations included in every quote, never added later

Group fares and group desks used wherever they save money

A luggage plan for every train day

Transfers timed to the exact train arrival

Trade-Only Rail Services

What Our Rail Desk Books

Scenic & Panoramic Trains

The Glacier Express, the Bernina Express, the GoldenPass Express, the Bergen Line and the Flåm Railway, with seats reserved in the class your client has booked.

Fast Trains Between Cities

Eurostar, the Italian high-speed network and the main international routes, with seats reserved and the station transfer booked at both ends.

Rail Passes

The Swiss Travel Pass and other passes, only when they save money. We first compare them with normal tickets for your client's actual itinerary. Read our Swiss Travel Pass guide.

Group Rail Bookings

Group tickets and group desks for 10 or more travellers, with the whole group seated together and one set of documents for the tour leader.

Luggage & Station Transfers

Heavy bags sent ahead where the route allows, porters where needed, and a driver waiting at the station with a name board showing your agency's name.

Swiss Mountain Excursions

The Jungfraujoch at 3,454 metres, the Gornergrat Railway from Zermatt to 3,089 metres facing the Matterhorn, and the Pilatus cogwheel railway near Lucerne, the steepest in the world at up to 48% in summer. Planned around the weather, with a back-up day where possible.

Sample Routes

Three European Rail Holidays We Build Often

8 Nights · Switzerland

The Grand Swiss Rail Journey

Two nights in Montreux, then the GoldenPass Express to Interlaken
Two nights in Interlaken with a day trip to the Jungfraujoch at 3,454 metres
Two nights in Zermatt below the Matterhorn
The Glacier Express to St. Moritz, then the Bernina Express down to Tirano in Italy

6 Nights · Norway

Oslo, the Fjords & Bergen

Two nights in Oslo, then the Bergen Line over the mountains
The Flåm Railway from Myrdal down to the fjord, with a night in Flåm
A boat through the Nærøyfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site
Three nights in Bergen to finish

7 Nights · City to City

London, Paris & the Alps

Two nights in London, then Eurostar to Paris in about 2 hours 15 minutes
Three nights in Paris with timed museum entries
A fast train to Switzerland and two nights in the mountains
Station transfers with a named driver in every city

These are sample routes. We adapt each one to your client's dates, pace and budget.

Answers for the Travel Trade

European Rail Tours: What Agents Ask Us

What does a rail DMC do?

A rail DMC is a trade-only partner that plans and books the train journeys inside a trip: scenic routes, fast trains between cities, seat reservations, rail passes, luggage and the station transfers around them. It books at net rates, issues the documents under your brand and plans the trains around the hotels and sightseeing of the full tour, so you keep the client and set the price.

What is included in a European rail tour for travel agents?

Everything around the trains, as one B2B package: train tickets and seat reservations, rail passes where they save money, hotels, station transfers with a named driver, a luggage plan and sightseeing such as the Jungfraujoch. We quote it all at net rates, issue the documents under your brand, and support your clients on every train day.

Do the Glacier Express and Bernina Express need reservations?

Yes. On the Glacier Express, every seat needs a reservation. On the Bernina Express, a reservation is compulsory in the panoramic cars, while the ordinary carriages can be used without one. The reservation is charged on top of the ticket or pass, and the best seats go early in summer, so we book them as soon as your client confirms.

Is the Swiss Travel Pass worth it for my clients?

It depends on the route. The Swiss Travel Pass gives unlimited travel by train, bus and boat, including the panoramic trains, plus public transport in more than 90 towns and cities, but seat reservations on panoramic trains are extra. For a trip with many travel days it often saves money. For a short stay with one or two long journeys, point-to-point tickets can be cheaper. We price both against the real itinerary and recommend the cheaper one. Read our Swiss Travel Pass guide for agents.

Can a group travel together on the scenic trains?

Yes. In Switzerland, groups of 10 or more people get a group ticket with about 30% discount and a free seat reservation, booked at least 2 working days before departure. Eurostar has its own group desk for 10 or more passengers, with seats together and one invoice. For coach groups, we arrange for the coach to meet the train at the next stop with the luggage.

Can Indian vegetarian or Jain meals be served on the scenic trains?

No. The scenic and panoramic trains serve their own fixed menu, so Indian or Jain meals cannot be arranged on board. We plan around it instead: on long train days we arrange Indian vegetarian or Jain meals at the hotel or a restaurant before departure and after arrival, and we tell your clients in advance what the train serves, so there are no surprises on the day.

How do you handle luggage on train days?

Every train day has a luggage plan. Where the route allows, heavy bags are sent ahead by road or by the railway's luggage service, so your clients travel with only a small day bag. Otherwise we book porters where needed and choose trains with easy connections, and a driver meets the train to take the cases straight to the hotel.

How long are the most popular scenic journeys?

The Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz takes about 8 hours. The Bernina Express from Chur to Tirano takes about 4 hours. The GoldenPass Express from Montreux to Interlaken takes about 3 hours 15 minutes. In Norway, Oslo to Bergen takes about 7 hours, and the Flåm Railway takes about an hour from Myrdal down to Flåm.

Can you add a rail journey to a tour or an FIT trip we already have?

Yes. Many of our rail bookings are one scenic day inside a longer programme, such as a Glacier Express day on a Swiss coach tour or the Flåm Railway on a fjord cruise extension. We book the train, the reservations and the transfers around it, and match them to the timings of the rest of the trip.

Will the tickets and vouchers carry our brand?

Yes, everything except the rail ticket itself. Your clients receive a day-by-day plan and vouchers under your brand, with train times, carriage and seat numbers and the name of the driver meeting them. Rail tickets themselves are issued by the railway, but everything around them comes from your agency, so your client sees one company from start to finish.

European Rail Tours &
Scenic Train Journeys

The Train Is the Highlight, So We Plan It Carefully

Europe's Great Trains at a Glance