Réductions exclusives ☺️

🕑 Horaires européens

Get our app

Travel by train with HOURRAIL: our travel book

Written by Sophie Renassia

Published on September 27, 2024, modified today

How to Book Tickets in Europe ? Is it really worth buying an Interrail pass? ? How do you get to Morocco or Lapland by train? What are the best destinations you can reach by overnight train? ? How to Pay Less for Your Tickets ?

Ever since our media outlet was founded, we’ve been receiving dozens of these questions every day on our website and across our various social media channels. So it was only natural that the idea of a low-carbon travel book has emerged. His name is Travel by train with HOURRAIL! : A comprehensive guide to help you experience magical adventures without a plane or a car—or to get your loved ones hooked on train travel.

First published in 2024, it returns in 2026 in an expanded edition, featuring 50 train trips and QR codes that let you find each itinerary in the app HOORAY!.

Available at your favorite bookstore or online (Fnac, Cultura, Hachette…).

A Comprehensive Guide to Traveling Differently

This guide is part of the coffee-table book category. In other words, it’s a large-format book with beautiful illustrations, and it was printed with great care. But this book is also—and above all—a useful tool. In fact, it's the kind of book we'd love to have on every coffee table to spark a conversation about traveling without planes or cars, and to encourage as many people as possible to take the plunge and low-carbon travel. Because we're convinced that once you try this new way of discovering the world—even just once—you'll be hooked.

Here's what you'll find in the 272 pages of this guide:

• Detailed itineraries for traveling to distant destinations without increasing your carbon footprint,
• Ideas for getting away by train and bike for a weekend, or for a ski trip without a car,
• Unusual Trips to discover extraordinary islands or trains,
• A comprehensive, practical guide with all our tips for getting the best deals on train tickets, as well as an overview of rail passes in Europe,
• QR codes for all routes, which redirect you to the app HOORAY! (free version) to find each trip and customize it to your needs (city, departure date and time, stops…), as well as our detailed articles.

An overview of the destinations and trips featured in the book

What's New in the 2026 Edition

For this new edition, we’ve added 15 new itineraries. That’ll let you venture farther north, take a series of train trips through the Alps, or even treat yourself to a few getaways in the sun. Among the new additions:

• the Lofoten Islands, in the far north of Norway,
• New European capitals without airports: Copenhagen, Lisbon, Rome…
• new loops on the train (particularly in Switzerland, in Northern Italy, or even a loop between Albania and Croatia (for the more adventurous),
• new French gems such as Mist, to get some fresh air in the Hautes-Alpes.

When it comes to legendary trains, the Retro Istria Express Also featured in the book: a night train with cars from the ’70s and ’80s that takes you to the Slovenian and Croatian coasts in the summer.

Some of the trips from the first edition have also been included again and expanded upon:

• in Scotland, the trip to Edinburgh becomes a complete loop across the country,
• in Andalusia, the loop is expanding with new stages,
• snow side, the chapter features even more favorites, including the Ski resorts accessible by train.

Copenhagen by train from France: one of the new features of the 2026 edition

50 Train Routes to (Re)Discover France, Europe, and Beyond

In this guide, we've carefully selected 50 exceptional itineraries to help you get away from it all—whether you're planning a long trip or just a quick weekend getaway !

What's on the agenda :

• Destinations that are easy to reach by night train, TGV, or even TER : to discover cities as fascinating and diverse as Berlin, Marseille, Venice, Madrid and Budapest,
• Itineraries to enjoy ski resorts or some gorgeous Bicycle Routes in France,
• Unforgettable trips Head to Lapland to see the Northern Lights, or to Scotland, Morocco, Tunisia, or even Turkey!
• Unusual Experiences : aboard a night train that is eventually loaded onto a ferry bound for Sicily, or during a sailing trip to Corsica, which you can then admire from the window of the little train U Trinichellu…
• Trips on Exceptional Trains : from the Circumetnea which circles the volcano in Sicily at Bernina Express which crosses the Alps from Switzerland to Italy, passing through the Friendship between Romania and Moldova, with its vintage Soviet-era cars and the bogie change at the border…

Overview of our train loop to the Arctic Circle

The Book and the App HOORAY! : The perfect pair for your train trips

Starting with the 2026 edition, QR codes scattered throughout the book will take you to the app HOORAY!. Scan them to continue reading and find the book's itineraries directly in the app.

You can then customize them for your trip in just a few seconds : Change your city, departure day, or departure time, and let the app recalculate your route. The best of print for dreaming, the best of the app for setting out !

Article

HOURAIL! app: the ultimate low-carbon and train travel app

Our Best Practical Tips for Low-Carbon Travel

We've also put together a comprehensive guide with all our tips for booking train tickets at the best price, understanding the different discount cards, and learning about the various rail passes available in Europe. For the 2026 edition, this practical section has been updated to help you book your tickets, choose your passes, and travel at the best price.

An example of a two-page spread from the "Practical Guide" section

Where to find the book Travel by train with HOURRAIL! ?

Travel by train with HOURRAIL! is available at your favorite bookstore or online for 24.95 € for the print edition and 16.99 € in digital format.

A perfect gift idea

Psst… Are you already thinking about what to put under the tree? ? This book makes a wonderful Christmas gift, whether for a train travel enthusiast or for the person you secretly hope to convince to embrace low-carbon travel for your next adventure together.

So you don't miss any of our upcoming adventures

Want even more ideas for train trips? ? Feel free to subscribe to La Locomissive, our free newsletter : Low-carbon travel inspiration and great tips, every other Thursday, delivered straight to your inbox.

Written by Sophie Renassia

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.

Linkedin