Aisne Tourist Tram
This 11¼-km-long metre-gauge vicinal tramway along the river Aisne connects Erezée to Lamoremenil.
Europe’s Most Exciting Railways
Ardèche Railway
The Ardèche Railway operates two Mallet tank engines along its 33 km from Saint-Jean-de-Muzols to Mastrou.
Attersee Tramway
The Attersee Tramway is a 13⅜-km-long metre-gauge tramway connecting Attersee to Vöcklamarkt.
Bavarian Zugspitze Railway
The Zugspitzbahn is Germany’s highest rack railway, reaching 2,588 m at the end of its 19½-km route.
Bergen Railway
Connecting Oslo with Bergen, this 371-km-long railway offers one of the world’s most beautiful train journeys.
Bernina Express
The highest railway across the Alps, reaching 2,253 m at the Bernina Pass halfway along its 183-km journey.
Blonay–Chamby Railway
This steep, 3-km-long metre-gauge railway is operated as part of the Blonay–Chamby Railway Museum.
Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a 17⅔-km-long heritage railway connecting Sheffield Park to East Grinstead.
Brienz Rothorn Railway
It takes roughly one hour to travel this 7⅗-km-long steam-powered rack railway all the way up to Mount Rothorn.
Brocken Railway
Riding the overcrowded Brocken Railway is one way to get to Mount Brocken’s summit, but hiking is more fun & less expensive.
Brohl Valley Railway
The Brohltalbahn, a 17¾-km-long metre-gauge railway in the Eifel region, is where the Vulkan-Express shuttles between Brohl and Engeln.
Cambrian Railway
The Cambrian Railway is a scenic railway along the Welsh coast, from Aberystwyth via Dovey Junction to Pwllheli.
Centovalli Railway
The scenic Centovalli Railway is a 52-km-long metre-gauge railway connecting Locarno to Domodossola.
Chiemsee Railway
This 1887 metre-gauge steam tram snorts & whistles its way along the 1⅘-km-long route between Prien railway station and the harbour below.
Coastal Tram
The Kusttram is a 67-km-long metre-gauge tramway along the Belgian coast connecting De Panne to Knokke.
Dartmouth Steam Railway
Former Great Western Railway branch line running along the glorious English Riviera coastline.
Döllnitz Railway
The Döllnitz Railway is an 18⅝-km-long narrow-gauge railway operating a Saxon IV K tank engine.
Drachenfels Railway
Germany’s oldest rack railway, reaching 289 m at the end of its 1½-km route to Drachenburg Castle.
Fichtelberg Railway
The 17⅓-km-long Fichtelberg Railway is one of rail operator
Flåm Railway
Winding through spectacular scenery, the 20-km-long Flåmsbana is one of the steepest standard-gauge railways in the world.
Glacier Express
The Glacier Express is the world’s slowest express train, squeezing its way through the Alps in a 7¾-hour journey.
Goldau–Rigi Kulm Railway
This cogwheel train takes you on a beautiful journey from Arth-Goldau to Rigi Kulm (1797 m) in just under an hour.
GoldenPass Panoramic
Experience a breathtaking view of the surrounding Alpine landscape on this panoramic train.
Gornergrat Railway
The 9⅓-km-long Gornergrat Railway connects Zermatt to Gornergrat (3,089 m), offering spectacular mountain vistas.
Gotthard Panorama Express
The Gotthard Panorama Express takes you on a scenic 2½-hour journey from Flüelen to Lugano (or vice versa).
Harz Railway
The 60⅔-km-long Harzquerbahn is one of rail operator
H-Bahn Dortmund
The Hängebahn at Dortmund’s university campus is a 3-km-long automatically controlled suspended monorail system.
Höllental Railway
Scenic 5-km-long Bosnian-gauge heritage tramway running between Payerbach and Hirschwang.
Hoorn–Medemblik Steam Tram Museum
20-km-long tramway featuring an impressive collection of mint-condition rolling stock.
Inland Railway
Isle of Wight Steam Railway
This 9-km-long branch line features beautifully restored Victorian & Edwardian carriages.
Jacobite Steam Train
The Jacobite’s 135-km round trip through the Scottish Highlands is one of the world’s greatest railway journeys.
Jungfrau Railway
The Jungfrau Railway is a horribly expensive rack railway to Europe’s highest railway station (3,454 m).
Kander Valley Railway
The 13-km-long Kandertalbahn, in the southern Black Forest region, operates a Prussian T3 branch line tank engine.
Kirnitzsch Valley Tramway
The Kirnitzschtalbahn trickles along the romantic Kirnitzsch valley to the unspectacular Lichtenhain waterfall.
Lössnitz Valley Railway
The 16⅗-km-long narrow-gauge Lößnitzgrundbahn is one of rail operator
Luzern–Interlaken Express
This two-hour ride will take you along five lakes, past various waterfalls and over the Brünig mountain pass.
Mariazell Railway
Spanning 84 km, the scenic Bosnian-gauge Mariazell Railway is Austria’s longest narrow-gauge railway.
Matterhorn Gotthard Railway
Formerly known as the Brig–Visp–Zermatt Railway, this scenic 144-km-long metre-gauge railway connects Brig to Zermatt.
Miljoenenlijn
The Miljoenenlijn is the most enjoyable museum railway in the Netherlands because of its über-cool Uerdingen railbus.
Molli Railway
The 15⅖-km-long narrow-gauge Mecklenburgische Bäderbahn Molli connects Bad Doberan to Kühlungsborn.
Mont-Blanc Tramway
The Mont-Blanc Tramway connects Saint-Gervais to Nid d’Aigle (2,372 m), at the foot of the Bionnassay glacier.
Montenvers Train
Scenic 5-km-long rack railway connecting Chamonix to Montenvers, at the foot of the Mer de Glace glacier.
Mur Valley Railway
The Murtalbahn is a 76-km-long Bosnian-gauge railway running along the valley of the river Mur.
Muskau Forest Railway
Originally an industrial railway, the 20-km-long narrow-gauge Waldeisenbahn is now a tourist attraction.
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Scenic 29-km-long heritage railway connecting Pickering to Whitby.
Nostalgiezug
Nostalgic train running between Davos and Filisur, pulled by an RhB Ge 6/6ᴵ or Ge 4/4ᴵ locomotive.
Öchsle Railway
The 19-km-long narrow-gauge Öchsle Railway operates a Württemberg Tssd Mallet tank engine.
Ore Mountains Railway
A few times a year, on special occasions, the 26⅔-km-long Erzgebirgsbahn hosts a DR VT 2.09 Ferkeltaxi.
Pilatus Mountain Railway
With a gradient of up to 48%, the rack railway to Pilatus Kulm (2,132 m) is the steepest in the world.
Pöstlingberg Tram
The narrow-gauge Pöstlingberg Tram in Linz is one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Pressnitz Valley Railway
The 8-km-long Preßnitztalbahn from Jöhstadt to Steinbach operates four Saxon IV K tank engines.
Rheineck–Walzenhausen Rack Railway
It takes roughly 20 minutes to travel up & down this 2-km-long rack railway between Rheineck and Walzenhausen.
Ritten Railway
6⅗-km-long metre-gauge tramway from Klobenstein (Collalbo) via Oberbozen (Soprabolzano) to Maria Himmelfahrt (L’Assunta).
Rorschach–Heiden Rack Railway
In summer, the 7-km-long Rorschach–Heiden Rack Railway can be enjoyed from open-topped carriages.
Rügen Narrow-Gauge Railway
The Rügenschen Bäderbahn aka Rasender Roland is a 24-km-long narrow-gauge railway on the island Rügen.
Schafberg Railway
The 5⅚-km-long Schafberg Railway to Mount Schafberg (1783 m) is the steepest rack railway in Austria.
Schneeberg Railway
The so-called Salamander multiple units on this metre-gauge rack railway are by far the ugliest trains in Austria.
Schynige Platte Railway
Narrow-gauge rack railway to the Schynige Platte mountain ridge, reaching 1,967 m at the end of its 7¼-km route.
Selke Valley Railway
The 61⅙-km-long Selketalbahn is the most scenic line of rail operator
Severn Valley Railway
This heritage railway offers a 25¾-km journey through picturesque countryside along the river Severn.
South Devon Railway
This 10⅔-km-long heritage railway’s steam trains gently meander alongside the river Dart through glorious Devon scenery.
STAR Museum Railway
The STAR Museum Railway operates a Soviet SZD TE steam locomotive with an iconic red star on its smokebox door.
Steam Train Goes–Borsele
Charming 14-km-long railway on the scenic South Beveland peninsula connecting Goes to, um, Hoedekenskerke.
Stuttgart Rack Railway
The Zacke is a 2⅕-km-long metre-gauge rack tramway connecting Stuttgart’s city centre to Degerloch.
Swabian Jura Railway
In season, the Schwäbische Alb-Bahn in Münsingen operates a Württemberg T3 tank engine and a MAN railbus.
Three Valleys Steam Railway
14-km-long heritage railway connecting Mariembourg to Treignes, home to the Treignes Railway Museum.
Train 1900
Heritage railway operating several German- & Belgian-built steam engines and an Uerdingen railbus prototype.
Traunsee Tram
The Traunsee Tram is a scenic 17⅝-km-long metre-gauge tramway connecting Gmunden to Vorchdorf.
Treno Gottardo
The Treno Gottardo runs hourly over the old Gotthard railway in three directions: to Lucerne & Basel, Zurich, and Locarno.
Vicinal Tram Museum
The Vicinal Tram Museum operates an 8-km-long heritage tramway between Lobbes and Thuin, and further to Biesme-sous-Thuin.
Vitznau–Rigi Kulm Railway
Europe’s oldest mountain railway, running from the shores of Lake Lucerne to Rigi Kulm, the highest peak of Mount Rigi (1797 m).
Vorchdorf Railway
The Vorchdorf Railway is a 15½-km-long standard-gauge tramway connecting Vorchdorf to Lambach.
VSM Steam Train
The Veluwsche Stoomtrein Maatschappij is a 22-km-long heritage railway connecting Apeldoorn to Dieren.
Wachau Railway
The Wachau Railway runs 34 km along the river Donau, passing through vineyards, villages & tunnels.
Wälderbähnle Railway
The charming Wälderbähnle is a scenic 5-km-long Bosnian-gauge railway operating two kkStB tank engines.
Waldviertel Railway
The Waldviertel Railway is an 82-km-long Bosnian-gauge heritage railway traversing Lower Austria.
Weisseritz Valley Railway
The 26⅓-km-long narrow-gauge Weißeritztalbahn is one of Saxon rail operator
Wendelstein Railway
The 7⅗-km-long railway to Mount Wendelstein (1,723 m) is one of the few extant rack railways in Germany.
Wengernalp Railway
Measuring 19⅛ km, the Wengernalp Railway is the world’s longest continuous rack railway.
Wuppertal Suspension Railway
The 13⅓-km-long Wuppertaler Schwebebahn is the world’s oldest operational monorail.
Wutach Valley Railway
The Sauschwänzlebahn is a 25-km-long railway featuring some spectacular viaducts, bridges & tunnels.
Ybbs Valley Railway
The Ybbstalbahn is a 17-km-long Bosnian-gauge heritage railway running between Kienberg and Lunz am See.
Yellow Train
Scenic 63-km-long meter-gauge railway in the French Pyrenees connecting Villefranche-de-Conflent to Latour-de-Carol.
Ziller Valley Railway
In season, the 31⅔-km-long Bosnian-gauge Zillertalbahn operates a BHStB Class IVa5 steam locomotive and a BBÖ Class Uh tank engine.
Zittau Narrow-Gauge Railway
The Zittau Narrow-Gauge Railway is a 12⅔-km-long narrow-gauge railway connecting Zittau to Jonsdorf and Oybin.
Further Recommendations
Achensee Railway
The Achensee Railway is a 6¾-km-long steam-powered rack railway running between Jenbach and Seespitz on Lake Achen in Tyrol.
Arctic Train
Norway’s northernmost railway passes through dramatic Arctic landscapes, featuring majestic mountains, beautiful waterfalls & stunning views of the fjords.
Bocq Railway
The Chemin de Fer du Bocq is a 21-km-long heritage railway winding along the picturesque Bocq valley, featuring an SNCB Class 46 railcar.
Dendermonde–Puurs Steam Railway
Heritage railway traversing 14 km of fairly unremarkable landscape, home to two Belgian-built tank engines.
Dolder Railway
1⅓-km-long rack railway on the south slope of the Adlisberg mountain overlooking Lake Zurich.
Härtsfeld Railway
The Schättere is home to a 1913 four-wheel-drive tank engine and a charming 1934 railbus that was modernized in 1964.
Hunsrück Railway
The Hunsrück Railway is a scenic 15-km-long railway connecting Boppard to Emmelshausen.
Montreux–Les Rochers-de-Naye Line
10⅖-km-long narrow-gauge rack railway connecting Montreux (395 m) to Les Rochers-de-Naye (1,968 m).
Pinzgau Railway
The Pinzgauer Lokalbahn is a scenic 53-km-long Bosnian-gauge railway connecting Zell am See to Krimml.
Selfkant Railway
This 5½-km-long metre-gauge rural heritage railway, located close to the German-Dutch border, operates a 1930 tank engine and a 1939 railbus.
Settle–Carlisle Railway
The Settle–Carlisle line offers one of Europe’s most scenic railway journeys, passing the imposing Ribblehead Viaduct on its 117-km-long route.
Somme Bay Railway
Standard- & metre-gauge steam railway connecting Le Crotoy to Cayeux-sur-Mer via Noyelles-sur-Mer and Saint-Valery-sur-Somme.
Steam Train Maldegem–Eeklo
Heritage railway operating two Belgian tank engines from 1893 and 1926 as well as NMBS Class 44, 46 and 49 railcars.
Swabian Forest Railway
The Schwäbische Waldbahn operates a DB Class V100 diesel locomotive on the 23-km-long heritage railway line between Schorndorf and Welzheim.
Swanage Railway
Heritage railway operating full-size steam & diesel passenger trains along the 15⅓-km-long line from Norden down to the seaside town of Swanage.
Vevey–Les Pléiades Line
A one-way journey on the 10½-km-long metre-gauge rack railway between Vevey (386 m) and Les Pléiades (1,348 m) takes some 40 minutes.