Clearly, it’s not just me who thinks trains are the new (old) planes, with 2025 having seen a 7% rise in UK train travel, and more Europeans than ever looking to hit the rails. It’s late December, and I’m heading out on a slow-train journey across the historic railways of the Swiss Alps and the Italian lakes. View image in fullscreen Jonnie Bayfield took the spectacular Gotthard route. Photograph: Jakub Korczyk/AlamyOutside, the French countryside soon blurs into Swiss hills, all behind a thin veil of white, wintry light. Next morning, we’re greeted with crisp blue skies for our mountain ascent via one of Europe’s most historic train routes, the Matterhorn Gotthard railway.

Source: The Guardian February 03, 2026 17:32 UTC