European train experience that’s a bucket-list alternative – with £17 tickets

A LITTLE-KNOWN train journey in Europe has been described as an alternative to the Glacier Express – and tickets cost just £16.

Gazing out of the window is one of the best ways to kill time on train journeys, with some routes far more enjoyable than others.

Win one of 8 incredible holidays to Florida, Spain, the Caribbean and a Kent safari by voting in The Sun’s Travel Awards – enter to win here

The Glacier Express is routinely regarded as one of the most luxurious train journeys in the world, as passengers who reserve seats in its Excellence Class are guaranteed dreamy window seats as well as a five-course meal.

And thanks to these affluent features, it’s safe to say that tickets don’t come cheap.

However, one train route holidaymakers could substitute for the Glacier Express is the Vigezzina-Centovalli Railway.

The cross-border service ferries passengers between Domodossola in Italy and Locarno in Switzerland, and it’s already loved by rail experts and enthusiasts.

Travel writer Anna Richards compared the Vigezzina-Centovalli Railway to the Glacier Express in a recent article in the Independent.

She wrote: “This route offers epic views for a fraction of the price of the Glacier Express.

“It’s much shorter (50km and around two hours), but the flight-free travel company Byway assured me it was far less touristy.”

Stretching for more than 50km, the route passes through the hundred valleys – an area of land that was completely untouched before the train’s arrival 100 years earlier.

With mountain landscapes, waterfalls, thick forests, secluded valleys and rugged cliffs all visible through the train window, it’s certainly a route all holidaymakers should consider doing at least once.

Other highlights include lakeside views of Lago Maggiore in northern Italy.

It also passes over 83 bridges and viaducts as well as going through 31 tunnels.

Important destinations along the route where passengers might want to disembark Intragna and Domodossola and Lago Maggiore.

Routes can start in either direction, with journeys lasting two hours, with tickets costing £16.70 per person.

The little-known train route has been praised by railway enthusiasts on TripAdvisor, with a 4.5/5 star rating.

One person wrote: “A wonderful way of journeying from Domodossola to Locarno in Switzerland.”

Another person added: “This was an amazing experience, a beautiful scenic journey that I loved.”

While a third said: “Wonderful scenery, remarkably green, wooded, an unusual view of a hidden valley.

“The train is obviously important for those communities, and it provided a lovely journey to Lake Maggiore from the mainline station at Domodossola.”

Another trip that rail experts and enthusiasts seem to love is along a stretch of the Italian coast, and it takes just 25 minutes to complete.

OTHER EUROPEAN TRAIN ROUTES

The Italian Riviera is home to colourful buildings, stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters, and one of Europe’s most scenic trains.

Located along the Italian coastline in northern Italy, the Cinque Terre is a string of five villages, including Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.

The route can start in either direction, but most holidaymakers begin their journey in Riomaggiore, with the Italian train stopping at each of the stations, before arriving in Monterosso.

It takes roughly five minutes to travel between each of the stations in the Cinque Terre.

Holidaymakers who’ve managed to nab a window seat can expect seaside views overlooking crystal-clear waters and ragged cliffs.

Other views include glimpses of the Cinque Terre’s colourful buildings and green fields where farmers grow olives, grapes, and basil.

This is only “upside-down” train in Europe – it’s suspended in the air and tickets are just £2.50

Meanwhile, the Stourbridge Shuttle claims to be the shortest railway line in Europe, with its tiny track stretching for just 0.8miles.