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Ideas & Inspiration 4 Railway Experiences To Try on Your Next Cruise Destination Stop

4 Railway Experiences To Try on Your Next Cruise Destination Stop

Easy ideas for trips by train if your cruise ship stops in Flåm, La Spezia, Copenhagen or Hamburg.

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Every year, around 30 million passengers board cruise liners and head to scenic destinations all over the world. With so many beautiful locations to choose from, it can be challenging to decide where to go and what to do next.

For travellers craving adventure and something new, you can now elevate your trip with a railway experience.
By hopping on a train, you can extend your journey and explore your cruise destinations further.
Passengers get to relax and see the sights offered both on land and at sea.
After traversing rich blue waters, you can marvel at the scenic views outside of your train window.
Discover how to enhance your trip by following the guide to how to travel by train in Europe.

If you don't know where to start, listed below are four railway experiences that you can discover from four great cruise stops which have very easy access to train routes.

From Flåm, Norway

how to take the train if your cruise stops in Flam how to take the train if your cruise stops in Flam

Cruisegoers headed to Flåm will have no problems with accessibility, as the railway station is only a walking distance from its port. This has made it a top destination for cruises, as demonstrated by the Explora 1, which included it in its maiden journey when it sets out on July 2023.
This is the first of six ships from Explora Luxury Cruises, which promises an ocean escape that redefines luxury travel. Passengers can relax and create memories with the deluxe amenities on board.

This one-of-a-kind experience can be continued with Flåm's railway trip, which is world-renowned for its stunning views. The train journey itself is one of Norway's most popular tourist attractions, with its breathtaking mountain scenery.

From La Spezia, Italy

Taking train journeys if your cruise stops in La Spezia Taking train journeys if your cruise stops in La Spezia

Though La Spezia is a small city, it serves as a gateway for many top destinations in Italy.
Cruise passengers are welcomed by vibrant houses perched on ocean cliffs, and cruises like the Norwegian Cruise Line provide excursions within its towns.
Apart from this, Norwegian offers a unique freestyle cruising approach that entails the lack of fixed schedules for guests and allows them to explore freely on their own time.
This freedom extends to La Spezia station, as it has many destination choices.
One such option is the Cinque Terre, which are five fishing villages that are only accessible by train.
Cruisegoers can travel between the five villages and see scenic views which have been featured in countless movies.
Tourists can also have a once-in-a-lifetime experience if they manage to get a place at one of the restaurants overlooking Riomaggiore, where they can watch the sunset among picturesque pastel houses perched atop cliffs.

Genoa and Pisa are within 90 minutes of La Spezia – and there also direct trains from La Spezia to Florence, where passengers can visit the Accademia Gallery for historic Renaissance pieces such as The Hall of Colossus and Michaelangelo’s David.

From Copenhagen, Denmark

By train from Copenhagen if you stop there while on a cruise By train from Copenhagen if you stop there while on a cruise

Copenhagen, known as one of the happiest cities internationally, is famous for its canals and waterways.
These allow it to host multiple cruise lines, like Celebrity Cruises, which is a self-proclaimed resort at sea.
This cruise line offers a variety of family-friendly entertainment options like kids' areas, music concerts, and circus shows.
Once on land, the family can proceed to one of Denmark's busiest stations: København-h.
They can hop on a train and head to Odense, which is home to the Hans Christian Andersen Museum.
As the father of modern fairytales, the museum exhibits works dedicated to his stories, namely "The Emperor's New Clothes" and, most famously, "The Little Mermaid".

From Hamburg, Germany

train journeys from Hamburg if you stop there on a cruise train journeys from Hamburg if you stop there on a cruise

Charming and culturally rich, Hamburg thrives due to the international trade brought by its ports.
Holland America Line is among the many cruises that often find their way there. This cruise is built to host a significant amount of travellers, with ships that boast spacious accommodations.
This volume is perfect for the bustling Hamburg station that sees up to 450,000 passengers each day.
It also has its own set of attractions, from its shopping options to its various restaurants.
Travellers searching for historical locations can ride the hour-long train journey to Schwerin Castle. Here, you can tour its grand rooms and stunning gardens.
Other popular destinations with very easy access from Hamburg include Lubeck and Celle.

Author

Simon Harper

I wanted to share my passion for train travel and explain how anyone can take the fantastic journeys I have taken.

ShowMeTheJourney

This is one of more than 100 train travel guides available on ShowMeTheJourney, which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.

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