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The Long Way Round: Why Train Travel Feels Right for Autumn
After an unusually hot summer, the first signs of autumn feel particularly welcome. Cooler air, falling leaves, and the return of proper coats. This is the season for taking the long way round.
Train travel gives you time to watch the landscape change, settle into a book, or simply stare out of the window without feeling that you ought to be doing something more productive. The train doesn’t just get you to your holiday - it can become one of the best parts of it.
Travel at a gentler pace
Modern holidays can be surprisingly hectic. Even if you reach the airport with hours to spare, there are bags to check, security trays to navigate, and departure gates to hunt down. And probably a wildly expensive bottle of water to buy along the way.
The journey itself is rarely the bit we look forward to. A flight is fast, convenient (ish), and a means to an end.
Train travel almost demands that you slow down. You still need to reach the station on time, but once you’re aboard the hard bit is over. Get comfortable, open a book, and watch the world roll by.
Autumn is perfect for it. Misty mornings, earlier sunsets, and landscapes gradually changing from green to orange and red. It is a season that rewards looking out of the window.
A wonderfully analogue way to travel
Railway travel also suits the growing desire to switch off. So much of life - and our holidays - happens through a screen. We research, navigate, photograph, and document so much that we sometimes forget to simply enjoy where we are.
A long train journey won’t be a complete digital detox. There’ll almost definitely be Wi-Fi and charging points. However, the atmosphere might just persuade you to complete a crossword or play cards with your travelling companion. Embrace the possibility of getting distracted by the view.
Scenic travel without the luxury price
At the mention of a railway holiday, a lot of us picture private cabins, polished wood, and formal five-course dinners. Those trips certainly exist (and if your budget allows, go for it!) but they’re not the only option.
Your railway escape could be:
- A scenic journey during a UK break
- An overnight sleeper
- Several cities connected by rail
- A week exploring one country
- A longer route across Europe
- A dedicated luxury train experience
Sometimes an ordinary scheduled train follows much the same landscape as a premium tourist service. You might not receive a multi-course dinner, but you will still get the mountain.
Choose your kind of railway escape
Train travel can be as simple as heading to Edinburgh for an autumn city break, watching the countryside pass before arriving ready for crisp-weather exploring and a cosy pub.
If the journey is part of the attraction, continue into the Highlands on the West Highland Line, or travel overnight aboard the Caledonian Sleeper. Heading for the coast? The Night Riviera Sleeper runs between London and Cornwall.
Further afield, the Bernina Express crosses the Swiss Alps into northern Italy, while Norway’s Flåm Railway travels through steep valleys towards the fjords. Autumn brings colourful scenery, cooler sightseeing weather and fewer summer crowds.
For something longer, connect several European cities using daytime and sleeper trains. Travel through the Alps, explore Central Europe, or spend a week moving between destinations in one country. Stay for a few nights in each place and enjoy the journey instead of racing through it.
If you are ready to commit fully, make the train the entire point of the trip. Luxury journeys like the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express offer elegant cabins, fine dining, and plenty of old-fashioned glamour.
Tips for travelling by rail
The best option depends on how much flexibility you want, how confidently you can arrange connections, and how much admin you’re prepared to do.
Individual tickets can work well for fixed routes and dates. A rail pass may suit a longer or more flexible itinerary, although reservations, supplements and overnight accommodation are not always included. Organised railway holidays remove much of the planning, with tickets, accommodation and sometimes excursions arranged as a package.
Don’t forget the practical cover
A railway holiday may feel completely different from a week in the Balearics, but it is still money spent and worth protecting.
Trains can be delayed, connections missed and luggage lost or damaged. You could also need to cancel the trip unexpectedly or require medical treatment while you are away.
Depending on the policy and circumstances, travel insurance may provide cover for cancellation, curtailment, medical emergencies and personal belongings. Check the Policy Wording carefully, including what happens if transport delays disrupt the rest of your journey.
Make sure your policy covers your destinations and full travel dates, and declare all relevant medical conditions. If you plan to cycle, hike, ski or try another activity while away, check whether it is included or needs to be added separately.
Take the long way round
Rail travel will not suit everyone or every holiday. Sometimes you simply want to reach the sunshine as quickly as possible.
But when you have the time, a train offers something faster journeys often do not: the feeling of travel itself. Autumn, with its changing landscapes and invitation to slow down, is the perfect season to rediscover it.
Pack a book, choose a window seat, and watch cities become fields and forests rise into mountains.
