Rail Europe Campaign
For thousands of years, people across Europe have been drawn to thermal and mineral springs across the continent.
As ‘spa towns’ grew around these springs as health holiday resorts, grand train stations and railway lines were built to connect these retreats with Europe’s capital cities.
In partnership with our thermal friends at the European Historic Thermal Towns Association, we worked with RailEurope to make rail travel easier for tourists today.
RailEurope is one of the biggest train booking platforms in Europe. It allows travellers to purchase tickets from multiple train companies, making it easy to book multi-operator journeys on both national and regional trainlines.
RailEurope sells various rail passes, such as the Eurail Pass, which can offer flexibility and savings. The company is a great choice for accessibility: it is designed for international travellers, accepting overseas credit cards and providing information in multiple languages.
Today, visitors can travel The Great Spa Towns of Europe and European Historic Thermal Towns in this slow, historic and sustainable way.
The original way to go to the spa
Just as spa visitors originally travelled by train to arrive at their destinations, taking the train today takes us back to our roots.
The original way to discover Europe’s spa towns.
Train stations were designed to impress visitors as soon as they arrived. Grand architecture, works of art and open space still greets spa tourists as the arrive. Train stations are some of the finest examples of spa architecture.
Enjoy the View
Historic railway lines glide through Europe’s most scenic landscapes.
Rolling hills, shimmering lakes, vineyards, historic towns. Europe is fortunate to be brimming with picturesque spots.
Whether the track takes you high up the hillside or low besides the lake, the views from the window are spectacular.
Sit back and relax
Relaxing is the spa town way!
It was most common for spa visitors to spend long periods of time in The Great Spa Towns of Europe. Visitors would slowly travel by train, stay for months, to take in the benefits of the therapeutic environment.
Today, we return to this fashion. Slow travel is becoming more and more popular, as tourists look for holidays that let them unwind, instead of worrying about the itinerary or transport.
Let someone else do the driving.
Taking the train is simple, and allows you to enjoy your trip from start to finish.
A Sustainable Choice
Choosing to take the train generates far fewer carbon emissions than flying or driving.
Trains are energy-efficient, often powered by electricity from renewable sources, and they help ease road congestion and air pollution.
Choosing the train means choosing to travel responsibly, making one small choice to help reduce the overall impact on the environment.
Read more about sustainable, responsible and ecotourism in our guide to responsible travel in spa towns.
