The idea of a train journey being a destination in itself isn’t particularly new. After all, from the Orient Express to the Trans-Siberian, rail journeys have long offered totally new ways of experiencing a landscape.
And now a new train route is set to offer a fresh way of visiting the dreamy north Italian coastal region of Liguria. The new journey is run by Nightjet, the sleeper service run by Austria’s national rail provider ÖBB, and sees trains run from Germany and Austria across Italy and down the Ligurian coast.
The new service is actually two new routes – one from Vienna and another from Munich. Both routes go through Verona, Milan and Genoa before working their way down the coast to La Spezia, the second-largest city in Liguria.
Liguria is a region of Italy best known for its famous Cinque Terre region. This stretch of coastline boasts dramatic, craggy cliffs, azure seas and numerous colourful towns. In other words, it’s a lovely place for a coastal train ride.
Now, keen readers might’ve noticed that this is a night train service – and therefore probably not much use, you might think, for taking in Lugaria’s magnificent coastal views. However, the journey lasts much longer than just one night. The idea is that you’ll sleep while the train works its way across the Alps to Genoa, then be awake for the spectacular views along the coast.
The Munich train leaves at 8:09pm, while the Vienna train departs at 7:18pm. The trains link up at the Austria-Italy border and arrive in La Spezia at 11:10am. Ticket prices start at €30 for a seat, €50 for a couchette and €70 for a sleeper car – you can book tickets on the Nightjet website here.
The new routes from Munich and Vienna to Liguria have already launched – and they’re just two of the new routes added to the Nightjet network. New sleeper trains recently launched to Venice and Croatia, while another new route takes passengers from Prague to Switzerland and Germany. You can have a peek at all of Nightjet’s destinations here.
Did you see this spectacular new northern European train route?
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