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Best European Cities to Visit by Catching a Train from Paris

Originally published by Natalie in February 2020 and updated on Vanessa M in May 2024.

Paris’ picture-perfect location in the very heart of Western Europe makes it an ideal starting point for international travel.

From Paris, one can get to a handful of other major cities via the intricate train systems that connect the continent. Have the following few on your radar when planning your moves.

Amsterdam

The Netherlands and France would be bordering neighbors were it not for a little bit of Belgium separating them.

Amsterdam is the Netherlander capital, and it’s one of the hottest travel destinations in all of Europe. Known for legal marijuana and a thriving red light district, Amsterdam brings in millions of visitors each year, all looking too be part of the fun.

Amsterdam is also a cute rich in history, particularly the remnants of World War II. Museum culture is very much alive here and you’ll spend your days biking from attraction to attraction.

I find both Paris and Amsterdam to be incredibly charming cities, but for different reasons. Paris is a romantic, whimsical kind of charm while Amsterdam is more practically alluring. Both hold very different energies that become tangible as you move between them.

Paris to Amsterdam is a quick and easy journey. The direct train ride takes a mere 3 hours in total, however you’ll arrive at Amsterdam’s airport and still need to catch the metro into the city center. Add roughly 25 minutes for this.

Should you wish to stop off in Belgium en route, there is a train with a stop in Antwerp as well.

For more information on traveling between Paris and Amsterdam, click here.

Departure Station: Paris Nord

Arrival Station: Schiphol Airport

Operator: Thalys

Average Ticket Price: €80 to €250

Berlin

Looking at Western Europe, France and Germany definitely take up an overwhelming portion of the land mass. There are over 1000km between the capital cities, so this is not a suitable journey for a day trip.

Berlin is another tourism hotspot for the continent. It’s become the unofficial hub for contemporary arts, especially in the field of music, and as a result has transformed into a cultural melting pot for people from all over the world.

Berlin and Paris are very different. Berlin is rugged, colorful and loud. Paris, as we know, is dainty, sleek and quiet (for the most part). Combining these two cities into a single trip gives you a unique, contrasting experience of what level of diversity Europe has to offer.

The direct trains from Paris to Berlin are lengthy journeys that take over 12 hours to complete. There is a second line that operates in under 8 hours, with a stop and train change in Frankfurt.

For more information on traveling between Paris and Berlin, click here.

Departure Station: Paris Gare l’Est

Arrival Station: Berlin HBF

Operator: Deutsche Bahn Intercity-Express or Russian Railways

Average Ticket Price: €80 to €180

Barcelona

Most people are pleasantly surprised when looking at a map and seeing how close Barcelona lies to the border of France.

Situated on the far north of the Spanish coast, Barcelona almost touches the southernmost boarder of France. There are about 1030km between them, and the journey will take you right through the entire length of France, top to bottom.

What’s wonderful about both Barcelona and Paris is that they exist in their own dream-like characters; Paris in its Haussmann whimsy, and Barcelona in ³Ò²¹³Ü»å¾±â€™s surrealist dream-scape.

Foodies would do well to combine these two cities during a single vacation, as both are hubs for phenomenal local and international cuisine.

During your time in Barcelona, you have the opportunity to discover the city’s iconic attractions by joining Barcelona walking tours.

Thanks to new high speed lines that serve the Paris to Barcelona route, there are a variety of travel durations on offer to cover those 1030km. The fastest train option can get you to Barcelona in just 6 hours and 30 minutes, while a second line operates in 8 hours and 25 minutes.

Steer clear of the 18 hour journey that stops in Perpignan for 11 hours (unless this is somewhere you’d like to explore for half a day). Also note that once in Barcelona you can quite easily get to Madrid via a second train ride.

For more information on how to choose between Barcelona and Madrid, click here.

Departure Station: Paris Gare De Lyon

Arrival Station: Barcelona-Sants

Operator: Renfe SNCF

Average Ticket Price: €80 to €120

London

Despite being separated by the broad English Channel, Paris and London are close neighbors with just 460km between them.

This short distance actually makes London a plausible destination for a day trip from Paris, provided you can get onto the fastest train.

Since the UK is no longer technically part of the EU, traveling from Paris to London is going to become a much more popular journey thanks to the Eurostar that already connects the two lands by running under the water of the channel.

For a day of exploring the English capital, catch any of the 14 daily trains on offer. The journey takes no longer than 2 hours and 30 minutes one way.

Don’t forget that in spite of being closely situated, Paris and London have vastly different climates and you’ll need to prepare adequately for the change in temperatures year round. Always have a raincoat or umbrella handy when visiting London — thank me later!

For more information on traveling between Paris and London, click here.

Departure Station: Paris Nord

Arrival Station: London St Pancras

Operator: Eurostar

Average Ticket Price: €80 to €400

Milan

France paired with Italy makes for a dream European getaway. While Rome would be first on my list when choosing cities to visit, it’s unfortunately a bit too far for a train trip from Paris and I would recommend flying instead.

Milano, however, sits not very far inland from where Italy and France join boarders in the south.

There are a few daily trains from Paris that will get you to Milan in just over 7 hours. Give the distance, this is an efficient trip and you’ll get to see the majority of the French countryside en route, as well as the beginning of Italy’s own natural scapes.

Milan and Paris have a lot in common. Not only does a lot of their architecture hold similarities to the other, they are also both fashion capitals of the world. During fashion weeks you’ll find the train routes booked out by attendees needing to make their way between the two cities with ease.

From Milan you’ll also be able to easily catch a second train through to Rome if you so desire.

Departure Station: Paris Gare De Lyon

Arrival Station: Milano P.Garibaldi

Operator: TGV inOui

Average Ticket Price: €150 to €200

Brussels

Brussels is the capital of Belgium, and it holds many similarities to Paris including language and gastronomy. In fact, a lot of French locals who can’t handle life in the big city opt to relocate to Brussels due to how much smaller it is and the ease with which they can fit into daily life.

Paris and Brussels are incredibly close to one another; there are only 300km between them. This makes Brussels a popular day trip for travelers in Paris who want to get a taste of what Belgium has to offer while in Europe.

The train ride takes just an hour and 22 minutes; that’s faster than getting from the Left Bank to the right in rush hour traffic.

If you are opting for a day trip, try to catch the earliest train and get yourself into the center in time for breakfast. The first train to Brussels departs from Paris at 6am, daily. And the last train back to Paris departs Brussels at 9pm, nightly.

For more information on traveling between Paris and Brussels, click here.

Departure Station: Paris Nord

Arrival Station: Brussel-Zuid

Operator: Thalys

Average Ticket Price: €50 to €120

´Üü°ù¾±³¦³ó

Living in Europe, I’ve become a preachy believer in the notion that any opportunity to visit Switzerland should be grasped tightly with both hands.

Switzerland is a mountainous terrain comprised of vast lakes, valleys and natural wonders. Catching a train anywhere in the country is an act of relaxation and escapism in itself.

Summer or winter, rain or shine, there is nothing in Europe that quite compares to this unique landscape and natural beauty. ´Üü°ù¾±³¦³ó is not the capital, but it is one of the most important cities in the country with a population of close to 400,000 people.

I love ´Üü°ù¾±³¦³ó for it’s picturesque city scape that nestles around the Limmat River. There is also a lot of medieval history here, and the remnants of this can be seen in a lot of the surviving architecture.

You’ll be able to climb to the top of the Uetliberg and absorb breathtaking views over the city and the Swiss Alps in the distance. This is bucket list stuff for sure, and it’s accessible via a short train ride from Paris’ Gare de Lyon daily.

The train from Paris to ´Üü°ù¾±³¦³ó is direct and takes just 4 hours in total. If you leave early enough, this is totally doable as a day trip if you don’t have enough days to spare for a full  getaway.

Departure Station: Paris Gare De Lyon

Arrival Station: Zuerich Hb

Operator: TGV inOui

Average Ticket Price: €80 to €170

Monaco

Astounding to think that one can travel 6 and a half hours directly south and still be in France. This is the journey from Paris to Monaco, the seaside city on the southernmost coast of the French Riviera.

If Monte Carlo rings a bell then you’ve watched enough mob films to know what it’s about; marina yachts, overpriced resorts and casinos galore.

This is considered a luxury getaway in France, and vacationing here is very different to anything you’ll experience on the coastlines closer to Paris. Everybody in Monaco is either somebody important, or pretending to be somebody important.

This part of France also has a much milder climate compared to the north. It’s pleasant year round with temperatures in winter rarely dropping below 8°C, even at night.

As mentioned, the train journey directly between Paris and Monaco takes 6 hours and 30 minutes, with certain lines requiring an additional 30 minuets due to added stops.

For more information on traveling between Paris and Monaco, click here.

Departure Station: Paris Gare De Lyon

Arrival Station: Monaco Monte Carlo

Operator: TGV inOui

Average Ticket Price: €150 to €250

Luxembourg

Luxembourg is the tiny country situated between France, Belgium and Germany. It’s so small, in fact, that Luxembourg is both the country and the capital city all in one.

Because the joinery from Paris into Luxembourg takes just 2 hours by train, a lot of people visit as a day trip.

Thanks to its size, it doesn’t take very long to explore Luxembourg at all. A full day is plenty of time to see the most important attractions and explore a museum or two. The city is famous for being home to some of the most iconic artworks in the world.

In Luxembourg, the people speak French, German and Luxembourgish, which was officially recognized as a language in 1984.

It’s an easy city to visit if you’ve already been to either France or Germany, as there are many similarities spanning from the people though to the cuisines.

Departure Station: Paris Gare l’Est

Arrival Station: Luxembourg

Operator: TGV inOui

Average Ticket Price: €50 to €100

 Rome

It’s difficult to imagine anywhere more romantic than Paris until you’ve visited Rome. Rome is widely regarded as the most beautiful city in the world (Caput Mundi), and it is unique in that every corner breathes history! Paris is a romantic destination as a result of centuries of successful marketing.

So Rome is certainly wonderful for a tourist who has nothing to think about while visiting monuments or relaxing with a coffee in one of the city’s many wonderful squares and little alleys.

Traveling from Paris to this city is also possible, but there are few direct trains. The TGV high-speed train is the fastest and most comfortable way to get from Paris to Rome. This modern train will take you directly to Milan, where you will transfer to a second high-speed train, the Italian Le Frecce, to continue your journey to Rome. The train journey from Paris to Rome takes about 11 hours. 

Departure Station: Gare de Lyon

Arrival Station: Turin Porta Susa

Operator: TGV 

Average Ticket Price: €110 – €190

Vienna

Both Vienna and Paris are ideal for art lovers. Theater and opera tickets can be cheaper than bread in Vienna, but they are slightly more expensive in Paris. If you prefer to hear German over French, Vienna is the place to go. It is also less expensive than Paris, but equally appealing.

Traveling by train from Paris to Vienna is undeniably one of the most memorable ways to experience the heart of Europe. On this unforgettable trip, you can expect to see breathtaking landscapes, visit charming towns, and learn about the rich cultural heritage.

The fastest trains from Paris to Vienna take around 10 hours and 26 minutes and cover a distance of about 1,033 kilometers.

Departure Station: Gare de Lyon

Arrival Station: Wien Meidling

Operator: SNCF

Average Ticket Price: €55 – €251

Prague

The route from Paris to Prague travels through the heart of Europe, a region rich in culture, landscape, and historical sites. Prague’s medieval architecture and fascinating history are just as captivating as Paris’ romantic atmosphere and well-known attractions. Traveling from Paris to Prague will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of your time in Europe.

Traveling by train from Paris to Prague is a popular option because it offers convenience, beautiful scenery, and the opportunity to see how the landscapes change as you pass through France, Germany, and finally the Czech Republic.

Typically, the Paris to Prague overnight train route with transfers involves changing trains in cities such as Frankfurt or Munich.  High-speed trains travel from Paris to Frankfurt, Germany in about 3.5 to 4 hours. The train ride from Frankfurt to Prague usually takes 7 to 8 hours. The entire train journey, including transfers, will take 10.5 to 12 hours.

Departure Station: Paris Gare De L’Est

Arrival Station: Praha-Holešovice

Operator: SNCF

Average Ticket Price: €50 – €150

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is roughly the same distance from Paris as Rome, Madrid, Berlin, and Vienna. Previously, all of these cities were linked to Paris by night train. Today, only Vienna remains!

Copenhagen is a beautiful city. You could easily spend days there. There is plenty to do in Copenhagen to fill your days, depending on your interests; museums, galleries, parks, cruises, shopping, and nightlife are all readily available.

The fastest trains from Paris to Copenhagen take 14 hours and 13 minutes and cover a distance of about 1,029 kilometers.

Any time is a great time to visit Copenhagen, as each season has its own distinct charm. Nonetheless, please check the local weather and average seasonal temperatures at your destination before booking your vacation.

Departure Station: Paris Gare De L’Est

Arrival Station: København

Operator: SNCF

Average Ticket Price: €80.76 – €301

Oslo

Oslo, Norway’s capital, is the country’s largest city, boasting a high standard of living and plenty of oxygen. I believe we can all agree that Scandinavian cities are always the best choice among European cities to answer the following questions: “What are the best cities to visit in Europe?” as well “What are the best cities to live in Europe?”

Oslo’s compact and adorable size make it an ideal destination for a quick getaway. You can explore the city on a bike, on foot, or by public transportation, and you’ll still be able to see the majority of the attractions in a day or two.

Furthermore, by combining nature, culture, and modern design, the Norwegian capital has something for everyone, no matter what they are looking for. In the morning, visit world-class museums, and at night, enjoy Nordic cuisine at one of Oslo’s upscale restaurants.

The average train travel time between Paris and Oslo is 27 hours and 51 minutes for the 832 mile (1342 km) journey, but this can vary depending on whether you travel on weekends or holidays.

Wherever you roam in Europe, always remember that this unique continent offers some of the most accessible and safe terrain for ground level exploration. Almost all European cities are best explored on foot, which is why the popularity of free guided walking tours are spreading like wildfire.

Find one in your destination city today and book your spot!