Train travel is the most underrated mode of travel, in our humble opinion, and yet it’s one of the best! There are so many perks to travelling by train, and it’s also much better for the environment than plane travel, so that’s always a win. Aboard a train, you can press your face right against the window and stare at all the gorgeous sights while they pass you by. AND! You get to arrive right in the heart of the bustling city of your choosing without having to fuss about pesky parking or travelling from a hectic airport.
What’s more, Europe is full of beautiful architecture, train stations included! So while you’re gallivanting through the continent, you’ll be able to discover culture, delicious foods, vast history, and some of the prettiest train stations of all!
1. Milano Centrale, Milan, Italy
Milan’s architecture is already pretty spectacular, in fact most of Italy’s is, and even the train station is no exception. Milano Centrale is the city’s main railway station which was built in 1931 in the Beaux Arts and Art Nouveaux architectural styles. As a result, Milano Centrale is made of fleets of white marble flooring, high ceilings culminating in glass arches, and lots of statues. It feels more like walking through a museum than rushing to catch a train.
Psst… You’ll get to see it in person on our Paris to Rome by Train trip!
2. St. Pancras International, London, England
Right next to King’s Cross Station (made famous by Harry Potter), is St. Pancras International, which is a very pretty train station inside and out! The facade of bright red bricks and many spires in the Victorian Gothic style makes the station stand out amongst the nearby London landscapes and hides a gorgeous interior of glass and many sleek shops. Upon arrival from the Eurostar, you’re greeted by a giant clock and a neon pink sign which reads “I want my time with you”. Good vibes all around.
It’s the starting point of our London to Budapest by Train trip!
3. São Bento, Porto, Portugal
Another train station that feels more like a museum is the gorgeous São Bento Railway Station in Porto. Checkered marble floors, high scalloped ceilings, and floor to ceiling windows – walking through this station makes it feel like you’re visiting a very rich and perhaps royal friend. The real stand out is the gorgeous murals of bright blue marble throughout, depicted in the traditional Portuguese Azulejos style.
Fun fact: the station was built on the old site of a Benedictine monastery, which was dedicated to Saint Benedict – hence the station’s name São Bento.
Image source:Rostyslav Savchyn / unsplash
4. Gare de Lyon, Paris, France
Did you know that France’s railway is the second largest in Europe? It follows that France would also be home to some of the prettiest train stations in Europe. With a building in Paris’ classic Haussman architecture, the Gare de Lyon is majestic. A glass roof for some extra natural light inside, a huge classic clock outside, and a sweeping staircase fit for a palace – is this a train station or Versailles?
If you want to see it for yourself, you can hop on our Paris to Rome by Train trip.
5. Liège-Guillemins, Liège, Belgium
Liège-Guillemins is much more than a simple train station. It’s also a piece of art. Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the building is made entirely of glass, steel, and white concrete, and it resembles a giant wave rolling and crashing over the city. Aside from the high speed trains and the tracks, the interior is quite minimalistic and it feels like a scene straight out of Dune or Blade Runner 2049.
Image source:Robin van Holst / unsplash
6. Antwerpen-Centraal, Antwerp, Belgium
Seems that Belgium is leading when it comes to prettiest train stations in Europe! Antwerpen-Centraal Station, aka Antwerp Central (if you didn’t get that), looks like a fantasy palace more than anything else. One word: lavish. The interior is made of marble and stone and the whole hall is filled with light thanks to the swooping skylights above. There are plenty of golden accents, as well bronze green. The exterior is just as grand and the station is well worth a visit even if you aren’t going anywhere.
7. Helsinki Central Station, Helsinki, Finland
Looking a little more dystopian, but no less grand, Helsinki’s station is built in a gorgeous Art Deco style with one of the biggest arches ever, and flanked on either side by two statues holding bronze globes. The statues seem to be looking over the station like sentinels, and it makes the building seem all the more impressive. Something straight out of 1984 perhaps or The Hunger Games – in the best way.
Image source:Florian Rebmann / unsplash
8. Wrocław Głowny, Wrocław, Poland
What better way for a city to greet you than with a bright sunshine coloured building? Wrocław Głowny is one of Poland’s busiest train stations, and one of the prettiest. First of all, it’s huge, and the entire exterior is a warm, inviting, and brilliant yellow. The station was imagined by the royal architect Wilhelm Grapow who wanted to create something grand – and very long apparently. The main hall is 200 metres long!
9. Voloss Station, Voloss, Greece
Another beautiful station is this one in Greece. Similar in colour to Poland’s entry above, Voloss Station is the colour of egg yolk and gold! Though it’s much smaller. This is one of the smallest stations on this list actually, and it’s really adorable. With a double pitched roof, white and green accents amongst the yellow, and even a small museum dedicated to its history, it’s well worth a visit just for fun.
10. Amsterdam Centraal Station, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Constructed in Gothic style with red brick and tall black spires, Amsterdam’s main train station is a real beauty to behold. You could honestly just spend your time sitting across from it, staring! (Though, you’d be missing out on some Amsterdam fun). Top tip: get an evening train so you can watch the red brick turn to fire when the setting sun hits it.
11. Madrid Atocha, Madrid, Spain
You’ve probably seen pictures of Singapore’s airport that hosts a luscious jungle inside, right? Well, Madrid’s Atocha station is basically the train equivalent of that! The main hall and waiting area is made pretty spectacular by a small forest of local and tropical trees inside, right in the centre, under a gorgeous glass dome. It feels like being in a botanical garden and creates a perfect atmosphere of zen before travel.
Image source:MP / unsplash
12. Gare do Oriente, Lisbon, Portugal
Another one for Portugal, Gare do Oriente in Lisbon is similar to Liège’s train station (probably because it was designed by the same architect!) in that it’s a very modern looking building, made up of these giant criss-crossing lattices of white steel that hover over the entire station. It looks like a piece of modern art more so than a station, and if you’re into photography you can get some pretty impressive symmetrical snaps here.
13. Toledo Metro Station, Naples, Italy
When you have to take the underground in any city, your first thought probably isn’t ‘wow, I can’t wait to see the interiors!’ because let’s face it, they can be kind of dingy and the same. BUT! Naples didn’t come to play. In 2000, the subway stations underwent a glamorous makeover, and the Toldeo Metro Station was designed in artist Oscar Tusquets’ imagination of water, earth, and light. See for yourself!
14. Budapest Keleti Station, Budapest, Hungary
Yellow might be the official colour of the prettiest train stations in Europe because we have a third one on the list! Budapest Keleti Station is one of three in Hungary’s capital city, and, lucky for you, it’s the stopping point of our London to Budapest by Train trip! So you’ll be able to see it in person (as well as a good chunk of Europe along the way). It features a beautiful glass arch with a clock in the middle, and the classic skylights inside, letting natural sun in over the platforms.
15. T-Centralen Metro Station, Stockholm, Sweden
And another metro station on this list, the T-Centralen stop in Stockholm, Sweden, rounds out our list of prettiest train stations in Europe with the cave-live hall, painted white and blue with laurels. Getting on and off here will quickly make you forget that you’re travelling underground. Instead, you’ll feel like you’ve been whisked to a fantasy land – it’s really quite magical.
