Best places to visit in Europe by train from the UK

Olly Beckett

Too often, flying can mean uncertainty, endless lengthy queues and delays. Thanks to the Channel Tunnel (aka the 'Chunnel'), many European beaches are within a day or so's train travel from the UK.

Ice trains waiting for the signal at Gare de L’Est, Paris © Olrat - Adobe Stock Image

Here, you'll find a selection of destinations popular and lesser-known, nearer and further afield to give you a flavour of what's possible when you ride the rails. Of course, you may also wish to stop at places along the way, making the journey a joyful, rather than painful, part of your holiday.

Where to stay: browse great value accommodation with ALL - Accor Live Limitless^*, which has properties in all shapes and sizes across Europe.

Ostend, Belgium

Travel time: approx 5 hours
Route: Eurostar from London St Pancras > Brussels > Ostend

Top tip: for a small additional fee (currently £12.50) you can travel to/from any station in Belgium with your Eurostar^* ticket; simply select the "Brussels-Midi/Zuid + Any Belgian Station" option.

Great sweep of beach at Ostend, Belgium © Alexandros Michailidis - Shutterstock.com

Ostend's 7 km-long, 80 m-wide sandy beach easily accommodates the many sunbathers and festival goers who flock here on summer days. A bustling 4 km-long promenade separates the sand from the city.

Head south to Mariakerke Beach for quieter stretches and to Langestraat for evening excitement in the city. For a fun day out Bruges is 15 minutes away by train.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	6	6	9	12	16	19	21	21	18	15	10	7
Hours of sunshine (daily)	2	3	4	5	7	7	7	7	5	4	2	1
Days with some rainfall	20	15	17	16	15	14	14	14	15	17	20	19

The above guide shows the weather in nearby Bruges, Belgium.

Where to stay: book with Hotel Mercure Oostende^* for a central location making it easy to reach the beaches as well as other destinations.

Texel, Netherlands

Travel time: approx 7 hours 45 minutes
Route: Eurostar from London St Pancras > Amsterdam (until summer 2025 you'll need to change in Brussels on the way back) > Den Helder > very short taxi or bus ride (#33) to the ferry terminal for your sea crossing to Texel

The western side of this Dutch island of Texel is one long peaceful beach. This is a place that's ideal for those who don't like intense heat because, in summer months, temperatures reach a maximum of 20°C.

There are long walking trails and a national park of vast dunes. As the highest point is just 30 metres above sea level, cycling here is a joy.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	4	5	8	11	16	18	20	20	18	14	9	6
Hours of sunshine (daily)	1	3	4	5	7	7	6	6	4	3	2	1
Days with some rainfall	20	13	17	13	14	14	15	15	17	17	20	20
Sea temperature °C	6	5	5	8	11	14	17	18	17	14	10	8

The above guide shows the weather in nearby Terschelling, Netherlands.

Where to stay: check into EuroParcs De Koog^*, a well-equipped holiday park ideally located on Texel for a beach break.

Biarritz, France

Travel time: approx 8 hours 45 minutes
Route: Eurostar from London St Pancras > Paris Gare du Nord > Metro to Paris Gare Montparnasse > Biarritz

Located close to the border with Spain, Biarritz has a wonderfully wide and wild beach where summertime temperatures hit an average high of 24°C.

Discover young surfers in Biarritz, Spain © Bacalao - Adobe Stock Image

The sand is washed by surf both mellow and, at times, more gnarly (good for both beginner and more experienced surfers). In town, you'll find elegant architecture, delicious food and a touch of glamour.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	12	13	14	16	19	22	24	24	23	20	15	12
Hours of sunshine (daily)	3	4	5	6	6	7	8	7	6	5	4	3
Days with some rainfall	17	16	17	18	17	13	12	13	12	14	16	16
Sea temperature °C	12	12	12	13	16	19	21	22	21	18	16	14

Where to stay: take your pick of ALL - Accor Live Limitless Biarritz hotels^* from Mercure and Ibis to the more luxurious Sofitel; something for all wallets.

Nice, France

Travel time: approx 10 hours 30 minutes
Route: Eurostar from London St Pancras > Paris Gare du Nord > Paris Gare de Lyon > Nice

Go in any direction from Nice and you'll come across one of those postcard-perfect Cote D'Azur beaches.

Bustling Promenade des Anglais, Nice, France © Elena Elisseeva - Shutterstock.com

You don't even have to go that far: the city's beach, which curves splendidly around the Bay of Angels, is pretty wonderful and the smaller, stonier yet more stunning beaches of Cap Ferrat are just a 30-minute bus journey away.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	11	11	13	15	19	22	26	26	23	19	14	12
Hours of sunshine (daily)	5	5	6	7	8	9	11	9	8	6	5	5
Days with some rainfall	9	9	9	10	9	8	5	6	7	9	9	8
Sea temperature °C	14	13	13	14	17	20	23	24	22	20	17	15

Where to stay: set up a home-away-from-home at Eurocamp's Green Park Campsite^* at Cagnes-sur-Mer on the French Riviera.

Barcelona, Spain

Travel time: approx 11 hours
Route: Eurostar from London St Pancras > Paris Gare du Nord > Metro to Paris Gare de Lyon > Barcelona

There are many reasons to love Barcelona, not least the long stretch of beach waiting for you immediately beside the city.

At the coast in Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain © Brian Kinney - Adobe Stock Image

Barceloneta Beach is perhaps the best and most convenient, but there are 10 other, often quieter, beaches to choose from along this stretch, from Platja de Llevant in the north to Platja de Sant Sebastiá adjacent to the elegant W Barcelona^* hotel.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	13	14	15	17	20	24	27	27	25	21	17	14
Hours of sunshine (daily)	5	5	6	7	8	9	10	9	7	6	5	5
Days with some rainfall	13	11	12	11	11	8	5	8	9	11	11	12
Sea temperature °C	13	13	13	14	17	21	24	25	24	21	17	15

Where to stay: choose from hotels in and around Barcelona for all budgets with ALL - Accor Live Limitless^*.

Ventimiglia, Italy

Travel time: approx 11 hours 40 minutes
Route: Eurostar from London St Pancras > Paris Gare du Nord > Paris Gare de Lyon > Cannes > Ventimiglia

While Ventimiglia's Old Town is a wealth of historic sights and tempting trattorias, the town's stony beach is lapped by clear water that's shallow enough for children to play in.

Laidback shores in Menton, France © Inu - Shutterstock.com

Head a little way out of town and you'll be rewarded with the sandy delights of beautiful Bordighera, back towards France there's the narrow sandy strip of Le Calandre beach.

Oh, and the train for Ventimiglia passes through some of the most gorgeous towns on the Cote D'Azur; it's definitely worth stopping off at one or two along the way, such as Menton.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	8	8	10	13	16	20	23	23	20	16	11	9
Hours of sunshine (daily)	5	5	6	6	7	8	9	9	7	6	5	5
Days with some rainfall	9	9	10	10	10	8	5	6	7	9	10	8
Sea temperature °C	14	13	13	14	17	21	23	24	22	20	17	15

The above guide shows the weather in nearby San Remo, Italy.

Where to stay: why not book some peace and space with a self-catering rental? Choose from the likes of VRBO^*, Booking.com^* and Belvilla^*, which collectively offer a wide selection of properties.

Split, Croatia

Travel time: approx 42 hours
Route: Eurostar from London St Pancras > Paris Gare du Nord > Paris Gare de L'Est > Austria's ÖBB Nightjet service to Vienna > EuroNight service to Split

After arriving in Split you'll disembark the train at exactly the point where ferries take you to dreamy Croatian islands such as Vis, Hvar or Korcula.

The centre of the old town, Split, Croatia © Tomasz Horowski - Fotolia.com

But do linger in the city for a few hours first, taking in the impressive Diocletian's Palace and celebrating your scenic and stress-free journey with an ice cream from Luka Ice Cream & Cakes.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	8	10	12	16	21	25	28	28	25	19	14	10
Hours of sunshine (daily)	4	5	5	7	8	9	11	10	8	6	4	3
Days with some rainfall	13	13	13	13	12	13	10	9	10	12	14	14
Sea temperature °C	14	13	13	14	18	21	24	24	22	20	18	16

Where to stay: find comfort with Suncamp Holidays^*, which has a holiday park, Campsite Split-Dalmatia Croatia^*, just outside of the city and nearby at Camping Stobrec Split^*.

Ready to roll to the beach? Search for train tickets with SNCF Connect^*, Rail Europe and Omio before finding the perfect place to stay with ALL - Accor Live Limitless.

ALL - Accor Live Limitless membership offers: 10% off hotel stays

More about Europe

Europe by month

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Olly Beckett

Posted on Friday 3rd May 2024 in: Beach Europe Summer

Be inspired

Get your weekly fix of holiday inspiration from some of the world's best travel writers plus save on your next trip with the latest exclusive offers

We promise not to share your details

Back to Travel inspiration Top ^

Latest ALL offers
ALL: Long hotel stays for low rates	Sale
ALL: Loyalty programme discount offers	Sale
ALL: Best price guarantee offer	Sale
ALL: Special offers on hotels worldwide	Sale
ALL: Advance Saver rates - pay less	Sale