Winter Rail Adventures In Europe: Three Itineraries For The Colder Months

Our slow travel expert picks her favourite off-season trips by train to France, Germany, Austria and Italy

I travel through Europe by rail in all seasons and all weathers, and my more memorable journeys are often in that slack period between Epiphany (on 6 January) and Easter. Fewer travellers are on the move. Empty trains and plentiful accommodation make a winning combo for those who relish spontaneous travel. And winter weather often lends a special hue to landscape, be it creeping dusk as a slow train rattles through the forests of Bohemia or a sudden snow shower cutting off the far horizons of Flanders.

Interrail passes often offer the best deals for European rail trips. And the big news is that passes are currently on sale with a hefty 25% discount through to 17 December. This makes for a fine opportunity to plan a winter adventure across Europe by train, so here are three trips worth making in early 2025. Buy a digital Interrail pass during the current promo and it can be used any time in the next 11 months.