Head off on an amazing 2-week trip exploring 5 essentially European cities with a wealth of culture to discover on our Charms of Europe interrailing route!
This particular route is 15 days long, involving 14 nights in your accommodation, with no night travel. Journeys won’t take much more than a few hours each, so you won’t be stuck on a train for too long!
Duration
15 Days / 14 Nights
Route
London > Paris > Luxembourg > Cologne >Bruges > Lille > London
Trip Style
Want to experience quintessentially European charm with this mix of big and cosmopolitan, and quaint little cities all in the space of two weeks? With this Charms of Europe package, we’ll take you all the way there from the UK and back by rail so you won’t have to worry about arranging any flights! From Paris to Bruges, and Cologne to Luxembourg, you’ll see the best of what northwest Europe has to offer with this interrailing route! With at least 2 nights in each destination, you’ll get a great idea of what each city is about, whilst having time to spare for a few day trips away. Feel free to choose this trip as it is, or get in touch with us to tweak your route!
Trip Description
See the European essentials!
If you’re travelling from the UK, make things easier on yourself and start your trip from your local coach or train station before heading to London on this charming train adventure. With a little pit-stop in Paris, you’ll get to wake up to phenomenal views of The City of Lights! Stroll around Parisian Montmartre with its Bohemian artist community and pretty red-canopied cafes. Go classic with the iconic sights of the Louvre, Notre Dame and, of course, the Eiffel Tower! If you’ve seen it all before, head to the Pompidou Centre for your modern art fix, or sip on cocktails around Quai de Jemmappes. We promise that your bank account won’t suffer too much!
Continue on to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, one of the world’s smallest countries. With this scenic little country nestled in between France, Belgium and Germany, it really is a hidden gem worth seeing! This tiny little country has a surprising amount on offer, you’ll find its fortress and surrounding countryside enchanting, as well as great shopping, and unique and fine food.
Carry on to Cologne – a major cultural centre encompassing ten million inhabitants. Visit the famous cathedral for a taste of history, or wander around the old town markets at Christmas time for some real yuletide spirit. Try the local cuisine with a bratwurst – Germany has literally hundreds of different varieties – each region has several types. In fact, you could try a different sausage every day for a year and you still wouldn’t have got through them all.
You’ll then head to the romantic medieval canal city of Bruges. Stepping off the train into the picture perfect narrow streets, miniature houses, and intricate network of canals feels like entering a toy town. Glug your way through Belgium’s 400 delicious beers and stock up on some of the country’s finest hand-crafted chocolate. We don’t need telling twice!
Your last stop before heading home will be the buzzing university city of Lille! This cultural hub may be French, but you’ll instantly see the Flemish influences that remain throughout the city. Take a wander through the quaint historic center of Vieux Lille, where you’ll find 17th century brick town houses, cobbled pedestrian streets, and the large central square, Grand Place.
Finally, you’ll get to rest your weary bones on the Eurostar back to London; just say if you need us to arrange travel from London to your hometown – we’ll do what we can!
What’s Included?
• All overland transport tickets from the first to the last city, as shown in the key.
• Any Interrail or Eurail passes if required, based on the best value for you.
• Compulsory seat reservations on high-speed rail, night trains or ferries.
• Accommodation in top-rated, centrally located hostels or hotels, tested by us.
• Walking directions between the stations and your booked accommodation.
• Optional walking tours, pub crawls and other activities at our partner hostels.
• A personalised travel booklet with maps, language guides, top tips, and more.
• Access to your itinerary, tickets and documents on the Euroventure App.
• Access to our 24hr emergency phone number while you’re away.
Itinerary
This 2 week Charms of Europe route takes you around 5 of the most European of European cities in 15
days. Most of your journeys will have some flexibility, and you’ll travel during the day throughout the trip.
Most of your train journeys will be relatively short, and we’ll always book times that allow you to make the
most of each city.
London
London may be huge, but Central London can be walked all over, from the quirky pop-up stalls of the
south bank to the glitz of the West End and out to Hyde Park. The buzzing cosmopolitan nature of the city
probably makes it the most culturally diverse in the world.
Highlights
• See some world-famous landmarks like Big Ben and the London Eye!
• Watch a show at one of many West End Theatres
• Experience the quirky nightlife of Soho
Paris (3 Nights)
Paris is a byword for romance, a synonym for style and the epitome of elegance. The pride of France and
one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Paris needs little introduction, from the Eiffel Tower to the
Pont Neuf, bedazzling visitors and oozing charisma at every turn.
Highlights
• See the Mona Lisa at the Louvre museum
• Watch a cabaret act the famous Moulin Rouge
• Experience the colourful nightlife of the Marais
Luxembourg (2 Nights)
This tiny little country has a surprising amount on offer, and whilst its reputation as a financial haven may
precede it, you’ll find the Unesco fortress on the old town exquisite, and the surrounding countryside
enchanting, with its cute collection of castles and sleepy villages.
Highlights
• Visit the Unesco World Heritage Old Town
• Walk down the picturesque Chemin de la Corniche
• Hire a tandem and see the city on your own terms
Cologne (3 Nights)
Arriving in Cologne you will be delivered directly to Germany’s top tourist attraction, stepping off the train
into the Cathedral Square; at Christmas furnished by a marvellous Christmas market, but all year round
guarded by the imposing Gothic spires of the Cathedral.
Highlights
• Climb to the top of the cathedral towers
• Visit the chocolate museum
• Explore all the Christmas markets in December
Bruges (3 Nights)
Stepping off the train into the narrow streets, miniature houses and intricate network of bridges and canals
feels like entering a beautiful little toy town. Just outside the city you can see the charming old-fashioned
windmills which surround the edge of Bruges’s medieval heart.
Highlights
• Unesco World Heritage Medieval City
• Take a horse-drawn carriage tour of the old town
• Sample over 400 Belgian trappist beers
Lille (3 Nights)
The charming little city of Lille would warm the cockles of even the most hardened traveller! Wander down
its winding cobbled streets and you’ll stumble across all manner of old-world architectural gems, from its
meandering canalways to the chocolate-box houses of the Old Quarter.
London
End your trip back in London and starting planning your next adventure!
How to get there
No worries, all you need to do is make your way to and from London and we’ll take care of the rest! If you
reside in the UK, we can also arrange transport between your nearest big city and London, so just let us
know if you’d like us to. Alternatively, if you’d like to start or end your trip elsewhere, just let us know and
we’ll work a doable route out for you.
If you require anymore information on this tour please email sales@railtourguide.com
DOWNLOAD CHARMS OF EUROPE RAIL ADVENTURE ITINERARY