Travelling the Balkans by train

Take to the skies, Flying Scotsman. Begone, Bernina Express. Our rail holidays to the Balkans travel the less-explored train routes tying together the mountains and cities of Southeastern Europe. You can trundle between riverside cities and hop over country borders. Dive through mountain tunnels before rolling across the Mala Rijeka Viaduct, one of the highest railway bridges in the world. And you’ll stay in a different city almost every night, from leafy Ljubljana to minaret-topped Skopje. All in the space of around two weeks.

Sound exhausting? Not when you travel the Balkans on an organised tour. Once you’ve hefted your luggage onboard, you can order a coffee, kick back and spend three hours watching the scenery come to you as a guide translates what you’re seeing.

That’s not to say that you don’t get to stretch your legs, though. Any Balkans rail holiday worth its salt includes a walking tour at each city you swing by – and they tend to target the cities that many travellers forget, from Sarajevo to Zagreb. Plus, optional half-day trips take you out into the national parks and islands.

Many places were devastated in the Yugoslav Wars that ran from 1991 to 2001. You’ll see rebuilt bridges in Mostar, while painted ‘roses’ memorialise shell damage on the roads of Sarajevo. Although whistle stop, a great railway holiday to the Balkans doesn’t just skim past these cities; you’ll hop off and spend time walking, learning and investing in locally run hotels, bakeries and bars.

As for your carbon footprint, it’ll be more like a carbon thumbprint. Trains create up to 90 percent less CO² emissions than planes. Plus – especially in the Balkans – it’s a communal, community-enhancing way of travelling. Consider how you’re directly investing in local transport, and it’s enough to make you swear off air travel for life.

A three-hour train trip from Sarajevo to Mostar reveals that the beloved bridge has been restored to a shine. Outside the old town, there are still visible scars of the Siege of Mostar – a reminder of the hundreds of civilians killed here.

At each stop, you’ll get the chance to visit off-rail wonders like Plitvice Lakes National Park, fairy tale Lake Bled and Mavrovo National Park, home to North Macedonia’s highest mountain. You might get the chance to drive up to Mount Vodno to see the sunrise light up Skopje below or tread in the sandalsteps of Roman gladiators in the ruined amphitheatre of Heraclea.

You’ll be paired up with a guide who knows the Balkans like the back of their hand. They’ll search out the bakeries that serve the cheesiest strukli, be at your side for the frequent border crossings, and teach you how to say hello and thank you in the numerous countries you roll through. They can also explain how many areas of the Balkans are recovering from the Yugoslav Wars, marked by war crimes that include genocide – and encourage you to follow in local guides' footsteps and handle the very recent history with care.

Accommodation will be pre-booked for you on a small group trip – mostly locally owned hotels within walking distance of the train station. Some trips include one night on an overnight train. All breakfasts but just a few dinners will be included, leaving you the freedom to eat where your budget (or taste buds) demand. Keep in mind that you’ll be lugging your own luggage on and off the trains; pack light and take advantage of the hotel’s laundry services.