Trainlink
vienna
Capital cities

Central Europe Capitals

Paris · Berlin · Vienna

3-5 daysSuggested duration
3 stopsIconic cities
GrandCapitals & termini
Lower CO₂Than flying

“Three capitals, one continent.”

Suggested
3-5 days
Stops
3
Character
Grand

Lower CO₂ than flying

Overview

This route links three of Europe's grand capitals — Paris, Berlin and Vienna — each built around monumental railway termini of its own.

“Three capitals. One continuous railway.”

The route

  1. Paris, photographed for Wikimedia CommonsParis · 1 nightGrand boulevards and monumental termini.
  2. Berlin, photographed for Wikimedia CommonsBerlin · 1 nightReunified, layered and constantly changing.
  3. Vienna, photographed for Wikimedia CommonsVienna · 1 nightImperial grandeur and coffee-house culture.

Suggested tickets

Suggestions only. Trainlink doesn't sell tickets: check prices, coverage and reservation rules with the seller.

The experience

View by
Paris, photographed for Wikimedia Commons Paris - Where the route beginsParis
Stay 1 night in ParisBooking.com

A city of great stations

Paris is a city built around its railway stations as much as its boulevards. Each of its grand termini opens onto a different direction across Europe, and this route starts from one of them heading east. Before you board, walk the Canal Saint-Martin or climb to Montmartre for a view over the rooftops.

Museums and monuments

The Musée d'Orsay, set in a former railway station, holds one of the world's great collections of Impressionist painting. Along the Seine, the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame frame a walk that could fill a day.

The Paris caféFood

A café terrace is the Parisian's living room, perfect for a croissant in the morning or a glass of wine at dusk. For dinner, a classic bistro serves steak frites, onion soup and crème brûlée.

Paris by seasonTraditions

On the fourteenth of July, Bastille Day brings a military parade down the Champs-Élysées and fireworks at the Eiffel Tower. In summer, Paris Plages turns the banks of the Seine into a city beach.

Paris → Berlin~9h 45mHigh-speed

East to Germany

The line heads east across the open fields of northern France before crossing the Rhine into Germany. From there it runs through rolling hills and forests to the flat plains around Berlin.

Berlin, photographed for Wikimedia Commons Berlin - A city rebuilt in layersBerlin
Stay 1 night in BerlinBooking.com

History in plain sight

Berlin wears its twentieth-century history openly, from remnants of the Wall to a skyline still being rebuilt. Its Hauptbahnhof, one of Europe's largest stations, sits at the very centre of the reunified city. The Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag dome and the East Side Gallery are all within easy reach.

Museum Island

On an island in the Spree, five world-class museums sit side by side as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The bust of Nefertiti in the Neues Museum is the most famous of their treasures.

Berlin street foodFood

Berlin's street food runs from currywurst, sliced sausage in curry ketchup, to the döner kebab, which the city helped make famous. At weekends, the market halls of Kreuzberg are the place to graze.

Berlin's calendarTraditions

In February the Berlinale film festival brings premieres and stars to Potsdamer Platz. At the end of the year Christmas markets fill the squares, and New Year's Eve ends with a huge party at the Brandenburg Gate.

Berlin → Vienna~5h 49mHigh-speed

South to the Danube

Heading south, the line crosses the plains of Brandenburg and Saxony. Depending on the route, it follows the Elbe through its sandstone gorge towards Prague or the Danube through Bavaria, before reaching Austria and Vienna.

Vienna, photographed for Wikimedia Commons Vienna - Journey's end, imperial styleVienna
Stay 1 night in ViennaBooking.com

The imperial capital

Vienna closes the route with the grandeur of a former imperial capital: wide boulevards, opulent palaces and a coffee-house culture that hasn't slowed down in a century. The Ringstrasse circles the old town past the State Opera, the Parliament and the Hofburg. Schönbrunn Palace, the Habsburgs' summer residence, is a short metro ride away.

Coffee and cakeFood

Take your time over a melange and a slice of Sachertorte in one of the city's historic coffee houses, where lingering is part of the tradition. For dinner, a Wiener Schnitzel is the classic choice.

The Viennese yearTraditions

Winter is ball season, with hundreds of balls held in the city's palaces and concert halls. On New Year's Day the New Year's Concert is broadcast around the world from the golden hall of the Musikverein.

Practical info

Booking

Trainlink doesn't sell tickets. Check each leg with the operator or a retailer before you travel.

Reservations

Rules vary by operator and country: some high-speed legs need a booked seat, others just recommend one. Check each leg before you travel.

Best time to travel

Spring and autumn suit city-heavy itineraries best, with milder weather for walking.

Trainlink plans journeys; operators and retailers sell the tickets.