Travel by train with HOURRAIL: our travel book

Written by Sophie Renassia

Published on September 27, 2024, modified on February 24, 2025

“How do I book tickets in Europe?”; ‘Is it really worth it to take an Interrail Pass?’; ‘How do I get to Morocco or Lapland by train?’; ”What are the best destinations accessible by overnight train?”

Since the creation of HOURRAIL! we've received dozens of these questions every day on our website and our various social networks. So it was only natural that the idea of a low-carbon travel guide should emerge, as a continuation of our media. And today, we are proud to unveil our book “Travelling by train with HOURRAIL!", a complete guide to help you experience magical adventures without planes or cars, or to get your loved ones hooked on train travel.

A complete guide to alternative travel

This guide belongs to the “beau-livre” category. In other words, it's large, beautifully illustrated and carefully printed. But this book is also, and above all, a practical tool. In fact, it's a bit like the book we'd like to put on every coffee table to open up the discussion around plane- and car-free travel, and encourage as many people as possible to take the plunge into low-carbon travel. Because we're convinced: to try this new way of discovering the world, even just once, is to adopt it.

What you'll find:

• Detailed Itineraries for traveling to far-flung destinations without ever leaving the rails,
• Ideas for weekend getaways by train and bike,
• An ultra-complete practical booklet with all our advice on how to pay for your train tickets at the best price, and a summary of all Rails Passes in Europe!
• QR codes for all routes, linking you to our website for up-to-date practical information, further recommendations and detailed videos and articles.

45 train itineraries to (re)discover France, Europe and beyond

In this guide, we've carefully selected 45 exceptional itineraries to give you a change of scenery for a long trip or a short weekend!

On the program:

• Destinations easy to reach by night train, TGV, or even TER: to discover cities as fascinating and varied as Berlin, Marseille, Venice, Madrid and Budapest,
• Itineraries for ski resorts and superb cycling routes in France,
• Unforgettable trips to Lapland to admire the Northern Lights, Morocco, Tunisia, Albania and Turkey!
• Unusual experiences: aboard a night train that ends up being loaded onto a ferry to Sicily, or on a sail to Corsica, which you can then admire through the window of its little u trinichellu train...
• Journeys on exceptional trains: from the Circumetnea, which circles the volcano in Sicily, to the Bernina Express, which crosses the Alps from Switzerland to Italy, not forgetting the Prietenia between Romania and Moldavia (the last Soviet-era night train still in service)...

Our best tips and practical advice for your low-carbon travels

We've also put together an ultra-complete practical booklet with all our tips for booking your train tickets at the best price, understanding the various discount cards and rail passes in Europe.

The book is released since October 30, 2024. To order, it's here, or directly from your favorite bookseller!

And to celebrate the release of this guide, we'll be giving away copies to our newsletter subscribers on a regular basis. Don't hesitate to subscribe for your chance to receive free travel inspiration and tips in your mailbox every Thursday!