Eight of Europe’s best foodie rail journeys, with retro trains and dining cars
There are many excellent reasons to travel by train, from the scenery to the convenience. And with major railway stations typically in city centres, it can be a faster – or at least easier – way of launching straight into the thick of things.
It seems travellers agree; recent data shows the number of kilometres passengers travelled by train in the EU was up 5.8 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023. And flight-free tour operator Byway has seen bookings rise by 80 per cent year on year.
Various companies now offer train trips that hop between atmospheric towns and cities, many with a culinary focus. Foodie rail itineraries can be arranged independently, too, incorporating grand station restaurants or meals in dining cars. For a holiday that combines the joy of rail travel with eating well, here are eight tasty options.
On-board dining in the mountains
The Gourmino dining car offers unbeatable views while you dine
For a meal amid elegant interiors and Alpine views, the Gourmino dining car is tough to beat. On Switzerland’s Unesco-listed Albula Line between Chur and St Moritz, meadows give way to spruce forest as the train slips through tunnels and over viaducts, unveiling snow-capped peaks.
The ambiance is nostalgic, and the dining car exudes early 20th-century glamour, with polished walnut panelling and white linen tablecloths. The menu relies on regional produce and has a Swiss theme, with mixed deli platters and mains such as cheese and spätzle, or beef-and-onion macaroni, all washed down with pinot noir. There is a set menu on Fridays and themed services, including a magic show.
The nine- to 10-hour journey costs £117, dining car reservations recommended. À la carte dishes around SFr30 (£29), set menu themed journeys from SFr115 (£110). Hotel Stern in Chur has doubles from £234. Hotel Nolda in St Moritz has doubles from £262
A tour of Italian foodie hotspots
Wind your way between some of Italy’s best culinary destinations. After a Eurostar to Paris, travel via Chambéry to Turin (the home of gianduja, artisan chocolatiers and a grand café scene), before taking a night train to Naples.
Basing yourself at Soul Art Hotel on the Via Toledo – a three-quarter-mile long thoroughfare from which busy alleyways spindle – spend time comparing versions of Neapolitan pizza and sampling street food. Try cuoppo (a cone of deep-fried delights), pasta frittatas and sfogliatella riccia (flaky pastries filled with ricotta).
The next stage is Rome, where the Villa Borghese sculpture park and the Colosseum are cultural pitstops between meals that might include local specialities like porchetta (roast pork) and – from early winter to mid-spring – artichokes.
Leave room for the rich ragù and handmade tagliatelle of Bologna, where you can walk it off along the 62km of porticos amid earthy-toned architecture. Then it’s onto Milan for the hearty flavours of risotto alla Milanese and ossobuco before a return journey via Paris.
A 13-day self-guided trip with Byway costs from £1,532pp for accommodation, second-class rail travel (including reservations) and support if rail services are disrupted. Meals not included.
Hunt for authentic Italian dishes such as Neapolitan pizza (Photo: Getty)
A multi-country culinary escape
It’s easy to tour European cities with fine culinary credentials using Interrail. Start with Lincolnshire rarebit (made with Lincolnshire cheese) for breakfast at the magnificently restored Booking Office Bar and Restaurant, at the Gothic Revival St Pancras station in London.
A morning Eurostar will get you from the station into Brussels in time for a lunch of moules marinières (£18) at Brasserie Signature, close to Midi/Zuid station.
Stroll to the Grand Place to take in the Gothic city hall, pick up chocolates from Neuhaus (dating to 1857, its founder invented the praline), stay overnight and board a train for Hamburg the next morning.
Cosy Restaurant Im Sprinkenhof will revive your spirits before a walk around Hamburg’s Alster Lakes or the waterfront at HafenCity. The next day, take the Deutsche Bahn to Copenhagen, known for its innovative cuisine.
Hire a bike to scoot around, braving icy dips in the canal and sea, and warming back up in saunas. Top it off with a meal at Vaekst, £47 for three courses that might include beef with celeriac and truffle.
Return with an overnight stay in Cologne, eating near the station at the Brauhaus Sion, a beer hall serving classics such as Viennese schnitzel (£16).
A five-day Interrail pass starts from £278. The five-star Standard hotel in Brussels has doubles from £116. Family-run Absalon Hotel in Copenhagen is Michelin-recommended for its Scandi breakfast buffet; doubles from £181. Hotel Domspitzen in Cologne is a short walk from the train station and cathedral; doubles from £104.
Vaekst restaurant in Copenhagen serves Nordic cuisine in a modern setting (Photo: Chris Tonnesen)
Lunch on the West Highland Line
A meal aboard the Northern Belle on the West Highland Line is a special treat. Indeed, this train averages at least six birthday celebrations on each trip. The train threads its way through lochs, glens and waterfalls, plus – depending on the season – heather-coated mountains.
Boarding in Glasgow, you’ll be shown to a Pullman-style carriage and greeted with champagne, canapés and caviar blinis. The lunch is sumptuous: river trout with smoked yoghurt and apple, Guinness-braised beef cheek, seared Scottish halibut and Yorkshire rhubarb, washed down with a bottle of wine between two. A British cheeseboard with port, petit fours and coffee follows.
The Northern Belle offers a number of different routes, for lunch, afternoon tea or seasonally themed meals. The West Highland Lunch is £465pp; next departure 25 July 2026.
The Northern Belle is a favourite for celebrations
A pilgrimage through northern Spain’s Paradores
Setting off from London by way of Paris, this tour follows the line from Burgos to Santiago de Compostela, one of Spain’s great pilgrimages.
On this eight-day tour, travellers stay in four Paradores – Spain’s state-owned heritage hotels, typically housed in castles, monasteries or palaces. Seven dinners and two lunches are included, each meal featuring local produce and regional specialities.
The first stop is the Basque town of Hondarribia, with its cobbled square, colourful houses, cascading geraniums and great pintxos (small snacks) on skewers. Accommodation is in a 10th-century castle.
On to the Ribeira Sacra region, known for its forests and canyons lined with vineyards. Enjoy a wine-tasting and a meal rich in chestnuts, fish and Galician beef. Arriving in Santiago de Compostela, there’s a tour of the cathedral and a chance to explore the Unesco-listed old town.
From £2,374pp with Great Railway Journeys, including rail travel from London, hotels, breakfast, some meals and guided visits. The trip ends with a coach trip to Porto and a return flight.
Enjoy pinxtos on a tour of northern Spain’s Paradors (Photo: Caileigh Hynes)
Intercity dining in the UK
Great Western Railway’s dining cars are among the UK’s last on non-heritage routes. The Pullman services on the London to Plymouth and Swansea lines deliver a thoughtful British menu on regular intercity trains.
Enjoy gin-cured salmon with beetroot and peppercorn salsa followed by umami-glazed chicken or a braised celeriac steak while pulling into Bristol, then watch the green fields of the West Country slip past as you tuck into apple-and-pear crumble.
The food is sourced from named suppliers, cooked in a tiny onboard kitchen, and the silver service makes the experience comfortable and indulgent.
Available weekdays on lunch and dinner departures between London and Plymouth, a dinner departure from London to Swansea, and a lunch from Swansea toLondon. First Class ticket holders can reserve, standard ticket holders must check availability on board, £40 for two courses, £49 for three, gwr.com/
travelling-with-us/pullman-dining
GWR’s Pullman dining service offers sophisticated British cuisine with a side serving of views (Photo: OTTR Works)
New offerings in central Europe
Trains in the Czech Republic have a long-standing reputation for quality dining, and many passengers lament the recent replacement of old rolling stock with faster, modern ComfortJet carriages.
However, the standard of the food remains high and is available on 160 trains each day, including services to Vienna from Prague and Hamburg, with more planned for 2026 (check timetables). Not only is there a restaurant (no booking required) but an in-seat service delivering hot food.
The passing landscape is marked by marshlands, verdant pastures and distant mountains, while the menu is rooted in this countryside. Classics include chicken schnitzel (£9.50) and venison ragout (£12). The bespoke, tapped pilsner is a highlight.
Tapped pilsner is available in Comfortjet dining carriages
Stay at the elegant art nouveau Palace Hotel in Prague (doubles from £75); the stylish Reichshof Hotel opposite Hamburg’s central station (doubles from £105 including €15/£13 bar/restaurant credit and the modern Hotel Schani in Vienna (doubles from £74).
Station restaurants for time-travellers
Europe’s great railway stations were once more than points of departure; they were places to linger and be seen. Some stations still have destination restaurants today, including Le Train Bleu next to the Gare de Lyon in Paris and To Treno sto Rouf on the outskirts of Athens.
Le Tren Bleu in Paris exudes bygone glamour
Ascending the sweeping marble staircase to Le Train Bleu is to enter into a bygone age. Surrounded by belle époque frescos, gilded paintings and mirrors, the bustle of the station is forgotten.
Black-suited waiting staff serve French classics including lobster bisque, cloud-like soufflés, plus contemporary offerings such as eggs on avocado toast. If time is short, there’s a bar for a coffee or kir royale.
To Treno sto Rouf can be found at Rouf station on the line from Athens to Piraeus. You can not only dine beside the tracks but eat in a restored pre-war dining car, as well as an original wagon-restaurant from the Venice-Simplon Orient Express.
Another carriage forms the bar, while others host music, art and immersive theatre. Food is mid-European – dishes such as goats cheese with sour cherries, or skioufikta pasta with chicken and wild mushrooms.
Take the Eurostar from London to Paris for the three-course menu at Le Train Bleu (£46) and stay close by at 9Hotel Bastille-Lyon (doubles from £121). To Treno sto Rouf offers three courses for around £30.
You could link both destinations by travelling by train from Paris to Bari via Milan, before taking an overnight ferry to Patras and a local train to Athens, from £139. The Amazon Hotel has views of the Acropolis (doubles from £105).
