European Train Tours
Destinations
Experience the History & Culture of Europe
Europe is a beautifully diverse continent, home to the dramaticlandscapes of the Scottish Highlands as well as the sun-drenchedshores of the Mediterranean. Traveling Europe by train or a rivercruise allows you to soak in the landscapesas you movebetween cities. On our well-planned itineraries the journey is partof the adventure.
- Recommended Destinations:Scotland, Switzerland, Italy, Ireland, , France, , Scandinavia
- Ride Famous Trains: GlacierExpress, Jungfrau Railway, JacobiteSteam Train, Royal Scotsman, VeniceSimplon-Orient-Express, Bergen Railway and more.
- Explore by Travel Type: Escortedtours guided by a tour manager, River Cruises on their own or paired witha scenic rail tour, andIndependentitineraries toexplore at your own pace.
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Edinburgh, the Highlands and Islands
Discover the West Highlands and Cairngorms on our most popularScotland tour. For 9 days you'll explore lochs, glens, castles andislands for a full Scotland experience. Limited spots are left oneach departure, secure your spot before they're gone.
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Our Recommended Tours in Europe
Explore our top escorted and independent vacation packages in Europe
Edinburgh, the Highlands and Islands
(214 reviews)
2024
AugSep2025
MarAprMayJunJul...The Best of Scotland and Ireland
2025
AprMayJunSepOct13 days from
$5,195 pp
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2024
SepOct2025
AprMayJunJulAug...11 days from
$3,895 pp
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12 days
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2024
Sep2025
MayJunSep10 days from
$3,195 pp $2,995 pp
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(11 reviews)
2024
Sep2025
MayJunSepOct13 days from
$5,395 pp
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Grand Train Tour of Switzerland - An Escorted Experience
(105 reviews)
2025
MayJunJulAugSepOct11 days from
$4,895 pp
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(51 reviews)
2024
JulAugSepOct2025
AprMayJunJulAug...9 days from
$2,755 pp $2,655 pp
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Our customers love our Europe tours
Edinburgh, the Highlands and Islands
27/Jun
M Taylor
“Our tour director was very organized and aware of needs. The lodging was nice, the food was great (especially at Glenspean Lodge). We got to see so much! Thanks for a great time.
Collected by Trustpilot
Best of Switzerland by Rail
27/Jun
Rosemary Quagan
“Loved every day and would love to do another!
Collected by Trustpilot
26/Jun
James Russell
“Excellent destinations, tour manager Carrina was amazing. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to travel to Europe
Collected by Trustpilot
25/Jun
Kathleen Fleury
“Our tour guide Margaret Creed was phenomenal!! She was very knowledgeable, personable and the best guide I’ve ever had. After the guided portion that was part of the tour was completed Margaret stayed with the people that hadn’t book personal excursions and showed them other sites. We had 2 singles on the tour and they never felt alone. Margaret is a wealth of knowledge and didn’t get frazzled when transportation that the company hired didn’t show up. We were supposed to go to the Tower of London to see the guards open and tour it. The transportation provided by VB rail never showed up. We missed it and only had 1 hour to tour not the 3.On the negative+ side dealing with Vacations by Rail and their corporate people was the worst experience I’ve ever had with a travel company. I booked our trip in 2022. I requested a triple room as my granddaughter was coming. On their site it says “let them know” if you want additional days and they can arrange accommodations for you. After several calls to customer service ( who are useless) and emails I finally got an email in January of this year stating that the hotel denied my request for 4 additional nights. I contacted the hotel in Paris directly where they stated that what I was told was not true. They extended our room for the additional time requested. VBRail gave me no explanation when I called and asked why I could book it and they couldn’t. Oh their comment was “ I will leave a message with our travel office and they will get back to you”.Yep you guessed it they never did. This was standard response for any questions asked.The itinerary was received 2 days before the trip due to computer glitch. Classic excuse.When we arrived I was ready for the worst trip of my life after dealing with the corporate office of VBRail. If it wasn’t for Margaret Creed it would have been.
Collected by Trustpilot
Highland Adventure
23/Jun
Customer
“A wonderful trip. The only thing we would change would be to replace the outing to the Culloden Battlefield to one to Cawdor Castle, which is nearby. Hotel was excellent, food was good, with sufficient choices for all tastes, and the tour manager was personable and organized.
Collected by Trustpilot
20/Jun
RHONDA MICHELLE SVENSSON
“We had a wonderful time. The hotels booked for us were within walking distance from the train stations and everything was well planned. We would highly recommend Vacations by Rail.
Collected by Trustpilot
18/Jun
Denise Burruss
“Transportation and accommodations went smooth. All tour guides and drivers were very knowledgeable and kept us informed about schedules. We loved the scenery and stops. It was a well rounded vacation.
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Classic Glacier Express
15/Jun
JOANNE HELLEN
“It went above my expectations, the guild was very good, we had unexpected cancelations on booked trips that she was able to navigate around and get us where we needed to be. The food good and rooms were nice. Switzerland rocks!
Collected by Trustpilot
15/Jun
DANIEL O’CALLAGHAN
“All the arrangements were made and went off smoothly. It was a wonderful trip.
Collected by Trustpilot
Europe is home to some of the world's most beloved cities andacclaimed travel locales. Your dream may be to stroll theChamps-Elysees in Paris, to make a wish in the Trevi Fountain inRome, to relax along the Amalfi Coast or to visit any number of bigcities, medieval villages and coastal towns that lie in betweenthese destinations. Perhaps you desire to soak in the culture ofEastern Europe's Imperial Cities or to be surrounded by thefairytale scenery of Bavaria. Many tour packages depart from LondonSt. Pancras, giving you an easily accessible starting point foryour grand adventures through Europe.
European train tours are a wonderful way to get a closer look atthe landscape as you move between cities, thanks to the vast railnetwork that spans to virtually every country on the continent. Asyou make your way between destinations aboard local, regional andhigh-speed trains, such as the Eurostar or TGV, or upon scenicspecialty trains, like Switzerland's Glacier Express, relax in yourcomfortable onboard accommodations and drink in the local scenery,which ranges from coastal passages and lush vineyards to majesticmountains and quaint villages. Select vacations include railjourneys on Europe's famous luxury trains, including the VeniceSimplon-Orient Express, the Royal Scotsman and the Golden EagleTrans Siberian Express.
For an even more unique experience, select an escorted rail andcruise vacation that presents the best of Western Europe andbeyond by train and deluxe cruise ship. Sail along the windingwaters of the romantic Rhine River, surrounded by castlesand dramatic scenery, or along the mighty Danube,which weaves through 10 countries. Like our guided land tours,these combination holidays are thoughtfully designed with packagesranging from just a few nights to upwards of 14 days.
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