Amsterdam's cultural scene: (re)discover the city with the City Card
by
Published on 4/9/26
How do we process your data?
We use cookies to improve your browsing experience and personalize our content. They are mainly used for statistical purposes.
Travelling in Europe without a plane has never been easier... provided you know where to start. Between rail networks, alternative itineraries and committed accommodation, the offer has greatly expanded in recent years, but it can also quickly become difficult to decipher.
Good news: some guides do an excellent job of selecting, explaining and inspiring. Whether you're new to low-carbon travel or already a train enthusiast, here are 4 guides to help you make the most of your trip. travel guides to explore Europe differently reducing your carbon footprint without giving up on adventure!
Well... Yes, it's a bit chauvinistic to start with our guide and yes, it's a bit self-promotional. But I promise, it's all for a good cause!
Travel by train with HOURRAIL! is a guide designed for those who want to move from dream to reality. It brings together 45 routes across Europe We pay particular attention to the overall coherence of the trip: routes, connections, on-site experiences.
From Berlin to Marseille, from Venice to Lapland, each itinerary has been designed as an invitation to slow down, to observe, to experience travel as an integral part of the journey.
What also makes the difference is the practical notebook Understanding discount cards, finding your way around rail passes, booking at the right time, avoiding pitfalls... These are all elements that can make all the difference between a smooth journey and a logistical headache.
This guide is aimed at both the curious and the convinced, and has a clear objective: make rail travel more accessible, easier to understand and, above all, more desirable. More info here :
Article
Travel by train with HOURRAIL: our travel book
If you're looking for a highly operational guide to organizing your next rail trip, voyagerentrain.fr is also a solid reference.
Designed as a real planning tool, this guide offers itineraries throughout Europe and advice on how to understand the European rail network. Passenger feedback and portraits of key players in the sector enrich the reading experience and add depth to the subject.
And if you want to discover France, voyagerentrain.fr has also released Travelling by train in France, a complete guide to rail travel in France!
For more inspiration, we remind you that you can subscribe to our newsletter bimonthly (inspiration and tips, every other Thursday in your mailbox) :
In his guide Guide Tao offers 1300 experiences in ten European countries: Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Greece and Austria. All itineraries depart from France, by train, boat, bus or bike.
It also highlights ethical and eco-friendly activities and establishments. From bicycle tours to cultural visits, from eco-friendly inns to ecolodges, Guide Tao promotes responsible travel, from transportation and activities to food and lodging!
Petaouchnok's extraordinary journeys in Europe
Petaouchnok offers experiences accessible by train, throughout Europe. The special feature of this guide is the originality and diversity of the experiences on offer: Iceland on horseback, tobogganing in the Austrian Tyrol, rollerblading in Switzerland, boating on the Klaralven river, and so on!
From the hills of Scotland to the Greek islands, from the frozen lakes of Sweden to the cliffs of Portugal, this guide invites us to travel responsibly on our beautiful continent.
For each experience, Petaouchnok also indicates the kilometers covered and the best season to experience it. And for sporting activities, the guide also indicates their level of physical difficulty. If you're looking for unusual and responsible travel ideas, this guide is for you!
While the guidebooks are invaluable in inspiring you and building your itinerary, they sometimes lack a key element: an overall view of the rail network.
This is precisely what Cartotrain a project dreamed up by passionate cartographer Jean-Luc Levoux: fold-out paper maps dedicated to train travel, so you can see at a glance what you can travel through.
The unfolded Cartorain map of Europe (recto)!
A simple but highly effective tool for visualizing lines and connections, identifying alternatives and imagining your itinerary differently!
Five cards are already available:
- 🇪🇺 Europe (large format to see the entire network)
- 🇫🇷 France (large format or pocket: practical information, night trains, cycling...)
- 🇮🇹 Italy (connections, route ideas...)
- 🏔️ Alps (train and coach connections, cycle routes, GR...)
Cartotrain doesn't replace guidebooks, but complements them perfectly: maps let you step back and explore freely. And at HOURRAIL! we love it.
Issue du monde de la communication et des médias, Sophie est Responsable éditoriale chez HOURRAIL ! depuis août 2024. Elle est notamment derrière le contenu éditorial du site ainsi que La Locomissive (de l'inspiration voyage bas carbone et des bons plans, un jeudi sur deux, gratuitement dans ta boîte mail !).
Convaincue que les changements d’habitude passent par la transformation de nos imaginaires, elle s’attache à montrer qu’il est possible de voyager autrement, de manière plus consciente, plus lente et plus joyeuse. Son objectif : rendre le slow travel accessible à toutes et tous, à travers des astuces, des décryptages et surtout, de nouveaux récits.
