5 Must-See Sports Events in Summer 2025 – And How to Reach Them by Train

Written by Corentin Lacaille

Published today

Dreaming of attending major sporting events without flights or traffic jams? This article is for you! Whether you're there to support, cheer, or just watch, you'll find all the tips and travel routes to best organize your journeys to the various competitions lined up this year.

And why not use these sporty interludes to explore the regions and countries hosting the events?

⚽ Football – Women’s Euro – Switzerland – July 2–27, 2025

After heartbreak in France in 2019, this is the last chance for this golden generation to win France’s first major women’s football tournament. Unfortunately, Lyon defender Wendie Renard—who captained 93 times in 168 caps—as well as record-capped and top scorer Eugénie Le Sommer (200 caps, 94 goals), weren’t selected. In contrast, new stars Clara Mateo and Sakina Karchaoui made the squad.

Switzerland will host the tournament across eight cities, with England (reigning champion) and Spain (world champion) again among the favorites.

How to get around during the Women’s Euro in Switzerland

The key news: anyone with a match ticket can travel free on Swiss public transport on match day, going to and from the stadium. And yes—no hidden conditions. This applies across the entire Swiss network: trains, trams, buses, even boats—2nd class travel until 5 a.m. the day after the match. Upgrades to 1st class are available at the usual rate.

Everything you need—tips, schedules, connections—is on [sbb.ch].

Getting to Swiss cities from France:

• Geneva: Up to ~4 h by train from Paris, Lyon, Marseille.
• Basel: ~2–3 h from Paris, Reims, Metz via Strasbourg; tickets from ~€20 from Besançon or Dijon.

Journeys from station to stadium:

• Basel (St. Jakob Park): 35 min walk, or 7 min by S3 train, or tram + bus in ~15 min.
• Bern (Wankdorf Stadium): ~10 min by S‑series trains; or ~15 min by bus (line 20).
• Geneva (Stade de Genève): ~10 min train + 10 min walk or 5 min bus; or tram + bus options.
• Zurich (Letzigrund Stadium): 35 min walk, or 15 min by bus (31) or tram (3).
• St. Gallen: 5 min by S‑train; or 15 min bus (lines 1, 151).
• Lucerne: 5 min by train (S4, S5); or 10 min bus (4, 20).
• Sion: 25 min walk or 15 min bus (11, 12).
• Thun: 35 min walk or 15 min bus (2, 3).

As the tournament approaches, city-specific info will be posted on the Women’s Euro official site.

The HOURRAIL! Crew’s Tip: Base yourself in Bern—with central access and under 2 h to most stadiums (except St. Gallen at ~2h45)—and explore one of Switzerland’s loveliest cities.

🚴‍♂️ Cycling – Tour de France (Men’s) – July 5–27, 2025

Though a French overall win seems unlikely, the Tour remains one of the world’s biggest sporting events. The rivalry between Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard continues—they’ve dominated the general standings from 2021–2024. As for the French, hope lies in stage wins: sprinters like Arnaud Démare, Axel Zingle, Bryan Coquard, or climber Julian Alaphilippe and AG2R team member Nicolas Prodhomme.

How to travel from stage to stage:

• Start in the North: TER connects Lille–Boulogne-sur-Mer in 1 h, and Lille–Dunkerque/Valenciennes under 1 h.
• Then in Normandy and Brittany: Amiens, Rouen, Caen are about 1.5 h apart by TER.
• Mid‑France: Châteauroux is ~2 h by Intercités from Paris—good for a stage away from Paris.
• South‑West: Cities like Toulouse, Auch, Pau, Carcassonne are well-connected, often under €10. Toulouse–Luchon ~€10 and 2 h20 via regional trains.
• 3rd week – South:
  • Start in Montpellier (via Côte d’Azur, Toulouse, Avignon).
  • Avignon to Montpellier / Valence: ~1 h each by regional train.
• Alps stages: Courchevel & La Plagne are reachable by train—3 h from Lyon via Aime‑La Plagne or Moutiers‑Salins stations (~€20), or quicker/cheaper from Chambéry. From there, either walk to view or bike for a challenge.
• Final week: Swiss stages accessible by train for Swiss fans or Lyon locals.
• Great finale: Paris—arrival stage looping Montmartre, echoing last summer’s Olympic road race.

The HOURRAIL! Crew’s Tip: Take TER with your bike and friends to a village along the route for a festive yet sporty day—right at the heart of the Tour!

🚴‍♀️ Cycling – Tour de France Femmes – July 26–August 3, 2025

It's hard not to mention Pauline Ferrand‑Prévot—after a decade in MTB and gold at the 2024 Olympics, she returns to road racing aiming for the win. At 33, she's favorite, though Demi Vollering and Katarzyna Niewiadoma—on all three previous podiums—will challenge her. Their 2024 edition was decided by just 4 seconds. French riders Evita Muzic and Juliette Labous could shine in mountain stages, while veteran Marianne Vos (38) aims for a sprint stage win.

How to follow the women:

• Brittany (south & west): Vannes, Quimper, Brest—well connected to each other and Paris (~4 h).
• Station-to-station travel:
  • Vannes–Angers: ~€20 and 2h30
  • Angers–Saumur: ~€7 and 30 min
  • Saumur–Poitiers: ~€20 and 1h40
• Massif Central: Gueret–Clermont‑Ferrand ~3 h; Clermont–Noiretable ~1h30 by coach.
• Weekend in the Alps: Bourg-en-Bresse–Lyon ~1 h TER; finale in Chambéry. From Chambéry to Col de la Madeleine: 40 min train + 25 min bus (€7) on Altibus.
• Final finish: Train to Thonon-les-Bains (~1h30 from Annecy, ~2h50 & €20 from Lyon), then bus line 12 to the finish, info on chatel.com.

Route details and special transport services are on the Tour Femmes website.

The HOURRAIL! Crew’s Tip: Spend ~10 days in Chambéry (July 24–August 3) to see both men’s and women’s alpine stages—and enjoy hikes or bike rides between weekends.

🏉 Rugby – Women’s Rugby World Cup – England – August 22–September 27, 2025

England—creator of the sport and dominant force for five+ years, with 7 titles in a row in the Women’s Six Nations—enters as favorite. But New Zealand’s Black Ferns, who won the last final 34-31, will fight hard. France has finished top 3 five times (and 4th in 2010 in England). This year’s close defeat to England (42-43) shows they’re contenders. Over 300,000 fans are expected across 8 venues, including iconic Twickenham for the final.

Getting to match cities in England:

Start via Eurostar from Lille Europe, Paris Gare du Nord, or Bruxelles-Midi to London St Pancras (~1h20 from Lille, ~2h+ from Paris/Brussels) for ~€50 if booked 1–2 months ahead. From London, use nationalrail.co.uk. Sample routes (round-trip, single fares in parentheses):

• Paddington–Exeter St David’s: 2h20, ~€95 (single €65)
• Waterloo–Exeter St David’s: 3h20, ~€50 (single €25)
• Victoria/Bridge–Brighton: 1h, ~€40 (single €30)
• Paddington–Bristol Temple Meads: 1h30, ~€70 (single €45)
• Exeter–Bristol: 1h, ~€45
• Bristol–Northampton: 2h30 (~€110, via Birmingham)
• Euston–Northampton: 1h (~€50 single €25)
• Euston–Manchester Piccadilly: 2h30 (~€100/€50)
• Euston–York: 2h (~€115/€70)
• King’s Cross–Newcastle: 3h (€145/€95); Newcastle–Sunderland: 25 min (€10/€5)
• Sunderland–York: 1h30 (~€35/€20)
• Sunderland–Manchester Victoria: 3h (~€85/€45)
• York–Manchester: 1h30 (~€30/€20)
• York–Northampton: 3h30 (€140/€130)
• Manchester Piccadilly–Northampton: 2h (€100/€70)

Some connections (e.g., Exeter–Brighton) require routing via London.

Station–stadium tips:

• Exeter St David’s → Sandy Park: ~10 min train to Digby & Sowton (every 30 min).
• Brighton → Amex Stadium: ~10 min train to Falmer (every 20 min).
• Bristol Temple Meads → Ashton Gate: ~30 min by bus.
• Northampton → Franklin’s Gardens: ~10 min bus or 20 min walk.
• Manchester Victoria → Salford Community Stadium: ~50 min bus.
• Manchester Piccadilly → same stadium: ~15 min train to Patricroft, then 5 min bus.
• York → York Community Stadium: ~10 min walk + 25 min bus (line 9 Park & Ride).
• Sunderland → Stadium of Light: ~10 min bus.

Twickenham (SW London): About 15 min walk from Twickenham station; several bus lines (110, 281, 481, 681) stop nearby. Or use Richmond Underground station (~45 min walk but often quicker), with special matchday buses.

Visit the “Cities & Venues” section of the Women’s Rugby World Cup site (in English) under “Travel & Transport” for full info, plus “Things to do” for local activities.

The HOURRAIL! Crew’s Tip: Backing Les Bleues? Stay in Exeter, which hosts two of France’s three pool games plus their quarter-final. The semi-final is in nearby Bristol—a great chance to explore southwest England.

🏀 Basketball – Men’s EuroBasket – August 27–September 14, 2025

Fresh from a legendary Olympic final, France heads into the Euro with vengeance in mind—the only international competition they’ve ever won (2013). The roster might look very different without veterans Nicolas Batum, Nando de Colo, Victor Wembanyama, Evan Fournier, paving the way for emerging talents.

Other top contenders:

• Germany: led by Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, Isaac Bonga—they nearly beat France in the Olympic semis.
• Serbia: with MVP center Nikola Jokić and sharp-shooter Bogdan Bogdanović.
• First-timers: Cyprus (hosts), Portugal (first appearance since 2011), Iceland (qualified only in 2015 & 2017 before).

Where and how the games will be played:

EuroBasket 2025 spans four geographically spread countries:

• Tampere, Finland – Group B
• Limassol, Cyprus – Group C
• Katowice, Poland (replacing Kyiv) – Group D
• Riga, Latvia – Group A & Final rounds

Sample itinerary from Paris:

1. Paris Est → Berlin Hbf (Nightjet): Departs Mon/Wed/Fri 19:12, arrives next day 08:12. Prices €59.90 (couchette) to €94.90 (private sleeper).
2. Day train: Paris Est → Berlin Hbf departs 09:55, arrives 18:03 (SNCF Connect), under €100 (both classes with discount).
3. Berlin → Warsaw: ~6½ h via Deutsche Bahn, often <€30.
4. From Warsaw to Group cities:
   • → Katowice: ~2½ h train ~€30, or Flixbus ~3½ h for ~€20.
   • → Vilnius: Flixbus ~8 h, <€30.
5. Vilnius → Riga: 4 h train (€15), or bus (same).
6. Riga → Helsinki: Ferry (~2 h via Tallink).
7. Helsinki → Tampere: ~1½ h train (book via vr.fi).

The HOURRAIL! Crew’s Tip: France plays in Group D, so stay in Poland to catch key games. And taking off Paris at 19:12 gets you in Katowice by 19:00 the next day.

Further articles covering late‑2025 and early‑2026 events will be posted soon to help you plan your future travels.

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