Golden Tracks: Our Rail Holiday

When David and I retired, we knew we wanted to travel - but not in a rush. After years of tight schedules and deadlines, we longed for something slower, something meaningful. That’s when we discovered the magic of rail holidays.

We started our journey at London St Pancras, boarding the Eurostar with coffees in hand and excitement in our hearts. Paris welcomed us with early sunshine and flaky croissants before we continued through Burgundy’s vineyards and the snowy Alps on the TGV.

I fell in love with the rhythm of train travel—the gentle sway and the beautiful scenary. David, ever the history lover, struck up conversations with fellow passengers and pointed out castles as we passed. 

In Lucerne, we wandered cobbled streets and cruised across the lake. Then came the Glacier Express, snaking through the heart of Switzerland.

In Venice, we gave ourselves permission to get lost - down quiet canals, through lively piazzas, and into tiny trattorias with homemade pasta and warm smiles. Afterward, we hopped from city to city using our rail pass: we explored Vienna’s elegant cafés, relaxed in the thermal baths of Budapest, and took a slow morning walk along the Danube in Bratislava.

Everywhere we went, the train gave us the freedom to stop when we liked and stay as long as we pleased. No tour buses, no rigid itineraries—just us, the tracks, and a sense of adventure.