Train trip through Europe

There are numerous scenic train trips throughout Europe. You will have to narrow down your countries of choice. Google...scenic train trips in Europe and start from there.

Train travel was once subsidized by most European countries and tickets were cheap. We lived in Germany from 87-91 and did a lot of train travel.

However, most countries have cut back on subsidies to rail. Italy is one country where rail travel is still relatively inexpensive.

I suggest you consider a trip to Italy. Don't miss Rome, Florence and Venice.
Before you buy a Eurail pass, check specific routes to see if it is better to by individual tickets. Also, you can save by purchasing tickets in advance. You want to do this for long trips where you can reserve seats, not short trips on local trains.

Lincolnshire is on your profile.

Are you resident or passing through? That way if you are looking for a pass you will know about Inter-Rail.

You mentioned not limited to dates. How about budget? The Orient Express will do a Paris to Istanbul trip in August.

Even if you are travelling yourselves, you can get some itinerary suggestions from greatrail.com.

Switzerland has the most scenic railways through the Alps, corkscrew tunnels, stone viaducts.
https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/travel-in-switzerland/panoramareisen.html

In Germany, along the Rhine River between Cologne and Mainz. Then the Black Forest line between Offenburg and Singen.

Switzerland is the epicenter of scenic rail trips in Europe. That doesn't mean there aren't other interesting options, but Switzerland has way, way more than its share of stunners. It's important, though, to minimize time on rail lines that spend a lot of time in tunnels bored through the Alps. There are people on this forum knowledgeable enough to help you with that. I am not one of them.

However, I know that Bernina Express is acknowledged to be one of the most scenic rail lines in Europe. The Seat61 website, which is the best single source for information on European trains, has a very handy webpage about the Bernina Express, including information on how to buy tickets on that train for much less than you'd pay by buying directly from the SBB. Go here and scroll down.

I have myself twice taken the Centovalli line from Locarno, Switzerland, to Domodossala, Italy. That's a very scenic ride that gives you a look at what used to feel like a back-of-beyond part of Europe. I was last in that area long ago and don't know what it's like today; I assume it is not all that much changed.

In addition to trains, Switzerland has a network of postbuses that travel up into valleys to places trains don't reach. There are marvelous scenic opportunities there as well.

You didn't mention hiking. I would guess that May might be too early for that in mountainous areas, but again others will be better informed than I am.

Look at https://www.seat61.com/ and select the "Great train journeys..." for inspiration

Thanks guys, you have all given me a lot of information looks like we have lots of reading to do.x

Try Brive-la-Gaillard to Aurillac and then the Cévenol south to Nîmes. Almost all single track, breath-taking gorges; plenty of places to stop en route for a day or so and then continue on. That trip remains in my memeory as the best ever train holiday. More ideas here.

Food for thought-I watched this documentary on DW Network the other night-fascinating! 26 minutes.

"A train journey through the Elbe Sandstone Mountains between Germany and the Czech Republic. Peculiar rock formations and the river Elbe shape this beautiful region. Since the mid 19th century, a railway line has been meandering through its valleys."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG0o_duevlA

We only travel by train in Europe. As Australia is so far away our trips usually last around 5 weeks. My main tip is to book as far ahead as possible with the relevant national railway and not through a third party site. As we have always had a defined itinerary we found booking each trip much better value than a rail pass. For general planning the rome2rio website is good as you can create a multi-city trip and see all the different options, and their links will take you to the relevant railway website. Our best “accidental” scenic trip was Prague to Usti nad Labem and return on a rainy day. It’s cheap, goes along a river past a castle and there’s a great lunch spot in Usti at a hotel accessed via cable car from a shopping mall!

from the Washington Post: The 10 best slow trains through Europe

I haven’t been on all of Europe’s rail lines, but I’ve experienced enough to know what a pleasure it can be. Here are 10 of my favorite slow-train journeys through Europe.

The Post missed the Centovalli line between Locarno, Switzerland and Domodossola, Italy. Probably a good thing.

A few personal favourites, mostly in Scandinavia:

• Kil-Torsby, the trip along the Fryken lakes in Värmland is frequently voted one the most scenic rail lines in Sweden,
• Kiruna-Narvik, also one of the top rail lines in Sweden (and Norway) when it comes to scenery.
• Borlänge-Mora. A trip to Dalarna is always nice, and as the train climbs the hills and bends around the shore of lake Siljan, it gives you a varied view of the landscape.
• Just about any route in Norway.
• Hamburg-Copenhagen, a bit boring but has some nice parts. Especially a couple of interesting bridges.
• Inlandsbanan, has been a slow travel-route for decades and is a great way to see the less populated parts of Europe.

And for tourist routes, Lennakatten from Uppsala to the east. Very popular among the locals, but rarely sees tourists from outside Sweden. Summer only though.