[b]Part 1 – Naples[/b]

The travel section of the Saturday Guardian Magazine on 23rd May 2023 included a few pages about train journeys in Europe (pages 72 to 77).

The featured image for this short article is a photograph of a EAV (Ente Autonomo Volturno)-owned Circumvesuviana train at Napoli Garibaldi station, © Falk2 and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 3.0).

[b]1. Time Travel on the Naples Line[/b]

The first of the articles, written by Sophia Seymour picks up on a new film about the region around Naples which “reveals rarely visited villas, seismic landscapes and a ‘civilisation buried mid-sentence’ – all accessible by train.” [1: p72]

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/05/24/the-guardian-lifestyle-travel-saturday-23rd-may-2026-part-1-naples/

The Guardian Lifestyle Travel - Saturday 23rd May 2026

Part 2 – Nice to Tende

The travel section of the Saturday Guardian Magazine on 23rd May 2023 included a few pages about train journeys in Europe (pages 72 to 77). This is the second part of a look at those pages. …

The featured image for this article is the Train des Merveilles (Train of Wonders), a scenic tourist train that runs between Nicye, France, and Tende, France. Services also run on to Cuneo. The train travels through the Roya Valley, through rugged gorges, picturesque villages, and numerous tunnels. The line is a feat of engineering, featuring hundreds of bridges and tunnels to traverse the steep terrain of Les Alpes Maritime. The viaduct shown in the featured image is the Viaduc de l’Erbossiera, a unique structure designed to run longitudinally through a river gorge having a singular upturned ‘U’-shaped pier (just off the left of the photograph), © Monaco Tribune, (although used on a significant number of different webpages). [14]

2. France’s Wonder Train

My wife and I stay regularly in Nice or in Les Alpes Maritime and have often travelled on the line between Nice, Tende and Cuneo – Le Train des Merveilles. A particular favourite location to stay has been the perched village of Saorge which overlooks a section of the line.

In recent years, the valley of La Roya has experienced devastating flooding. In October 2023, Storm Alex hit the valleys of the Royal and the Vesubie causing catastrophic damage.

The Institut Géographique National published excellent interactive maps showing the Roya and Vésubie valleys before and after Alex. These can be found here. [2]

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/05/24/the-guardian-lifestyle-travel-saturday-23rd-may-2026-part-2-nice-to-tende/

The Guardian Lifestyle Travel – Saturday 23rd May 2026 – Part 3 – Readers’ Favourite Railway Journeys – Part A

The travel section of the Saturday Guardian Magazine on 23rd May 2023 included a few pages about train journeys in Europe (pages 72 to 77). This is the third part of a look at those pages and focuses on some reader’s recommendations of journeys by train. It includes a few more uploaded by the Guardian online.

The featured image for this article is a Flexity Outlook Eurotram at Trindade station in Porto, Portugal, © Cornelius Kibelka and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [3]

3. Readers’ Favourite Railway Journeys

A. A Dramatic Metro Line in Porto

B. Fjords and Waterfalls in Norway

C. An Electric Gem in Germany

D. The Swiss Watchmakers’ Line

E. Charmed by the Vienna to Zagreb train

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/05/27/the-guardian-lifestyle-travel-saturday-23rd-may-2026-part-3-readers-favourite-railway-journeys-part-a/

The Guardian Lifestyle Travel – Saturday 23rd May 2026 – Part 4 – Readers’ Favourite Railway Journeys – Part B

The travel section of the Saturday Guardian Magazine on 23rd May 2023 included a few pages about train journeys in Europe (pages 72 to 77). This is the fourth part of a look at those pages and includes more reader’s recommendations of journeys by train. It includes a few more uploaded by the Guardian online.

The featured image for this article is a photograph of Le Petit Train Jaune which runs from Villefranche-de-Conflent to Latour de Carol/Enveitg in the Pyrenees, © A1AA1A and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 3.0). [33]

4. Readers’ Favourite Railway Journeys – Part B

F. Vintage Locomotives in Tuscany.

G. Alpine beauty on the Montreux to Interlaken line.

H. Slow travel at its best: Belgrade to Bar.

I. Through Italy’s Apennines to Rome from the Adriatic.

J. Best way to See the Pyrenees? On a Little Yellow Train!

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/05/28/the-guardian-lifestyle-travel-saturday-23rd-may-2026-part-4-readers-favourite-railway-journeys-part-b/

The Guardian Lifestyle Travel – 23rd May 2026 – Part 5 – Over Land & Sea: Magical Views and Sea-Hugging Routes on Europe’s Best Coastal Train Lines – Part A – Scotland, Ireland and Germany

The travel section of the Saturday Guardian Magazine on 23rd May 2023 included a few pages about train journeys in Europe (pages 72 to 77). This is the fifth part of a look at those pages.

The featured image for this article is a view looking Southeast towards the buffers at Kyle of Lochalsh Railway Station and across the Kyle to Skye in 1939, the ferry to Kyleakin is off scene to the right. A train is leaving for Dingwall and Inverness, managed by an ex-Highland 4-6-0 locomotive, © Walter Dendy and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [14]

Nicky Gardner, lead co-author of the guidebook ‘Europe by Rail’, has championed slow travel across the continent’s most scenic routes. Her writings highlight sea-hugging railways where travellers can take in spectacular coastal panoramas, deep fjords, and dramatic cliffs right from the carriage window. The short Guardian article featuring a few such routes was written by her and is directly quoted here.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/06/10/the-guardian-lifestyle-travel-23rd-may-2026-part-5-over-land-sea-magical-views-and-sea-hugging-routes-on-europes-best-coastal-train-lines/

Part 6 - Over Land & Sea: Magical Views and Sea-Hugging Routes on Europe’s Best Coastal Train Lines – Part B – Spain and Italy

The featured image for this article comes from the FEVE lines of Northern Spain. It shows a typical DMU in use on the FEVE network, together with a number of single-car units, these vehicles provide services across the network, (c) Elfo del Bosque and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 3.0). [151]

The travel section of the Saturday Guardian Magazine on 23rd May 2023 included a few pages about train journeys in Europe (pages 72 to 77). This is the sixth part of a look at those pages. …

Nicky Gardner is lead author of Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide (Hidden Europe, £21.99). The 19th edition of the book was published on 22nd June 2026. To order a copy for £19.79 go to guardianbookshop. com. Delivery charges may apply!

This second part of a look at the coastal routes highlighted by Nicky Gardner focusses on two railways – one in Spain and the other in Italy.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/06/28/the-guardian-lifestyle-travel-23rd-may-2026-part-6-over-land-sea-magical-views-and-sea-hugging-routes-on-europes-best-coastal-train-lines-part-b-spain-and-italy/