Glacier Express & Autumn on the Moselle

Starting in the riverside town of Königswinter, the Drachenfels Cog Railway carries passengers more than 700 feet to up to the top of Drachenfels mountain. First operating in 1883, the line originally used steam-powered trains before changing in 1953 to the electric trains that continue to run today. This picturesque route passes Drachenburg Castle, a palatial 19th-century villa boasting romantic turrets and great views. On arrival at the top of the mountain, you will see the ruins of Drachenfels Castle, a 12th-century fortress that was destroyed 500 years later.

Step aboard the high-speed international rail service, linking London St Pancras to Paris and Lille in France, Brussels in Belgium and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Undoubtedly Switzerland's best-known train, the Glacier Express winds its way through some of Europe's most dramatic and beautiful scenery. Called 'the slowest express train in the world', the panoramic carriages allow us to soak up the spectacular views as we traverse incredible mountain passes, picturesque villages and valleys between the popular alpine resorts of St Moritz and Zermatt. Enroute, the train clings to the mountainsides on the Albula Line, zigzags and spirals its way round mountains and over bridges, and delves into the Rhine Valley - also known as the 'Swiss Grand Canyon'.

The Gornergrat Mountain Railway runs for just less than six miles from the pretty town of Zermatt to the summit of the Gornergrat some 10,135ft above sea level. It is the highest railway in Europe to run and mostly in the open air (the Jungfrau Railway runs to a higher point but is predominantly in a tunnel).

Introduced in 1981, France's TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) was the original European high-speed train. Linking Paris with Lyon, the new service revolutionised train travel and meant that travelling by air over medium and short distances was no longer seen as the best option, even for business travel.