You’re really going to ask us to pick the most beautiful train station in Europe?
That’s like asking us which of our children are our favorite.
One is a literal breath of fresh air thanks to its indoor tropical garden. Another is a classical design encased in glass like a train station in a snow globe. And still another, with its iconic Victorian Gothic architecture, sends us decades into the past to ride a steam train with bulky cabin trunks at our feet.
When it comes to beautiful train stations and how to rate their beauty, we’ll leave that to you. But we will offer a few unbiased suggestions that spring to mind…
Image Credit: Getty, only_fabrizio. Image Location: Antwerpen-Centraal, Belgium
The most beautiful train stations in Western Europe
Where they are, how to get there, and why even those not obsessed with railway architecture should visit them.
Antwerpen-Centraal
Where: Antwerp, Belgium
Distance from Brussels by train: from 35m
Antwerp’s train station is the most beautiful train station in the world, or so say the thousands upon thousands of travelers who gawk at this jaw-dropping terminus. Metal, stone, glass, and wood elements each had their time in the limelight as the first railway station on the European continent evolved into what’s today one of the most stunning railway cathedrals in Europe.
Madrid Atocha
Where: Madrid, Spain
Distance from Barcelona by train: from 2h 29m
Ask anyone in Madrid what the train station with the palm trees is and they’ll tell you that Estación de Atocha is no plain railway platform. Madrid Atocha’s iron canopy is an iconic sight, but this Spanish train station gets top marks for its incorporation of a full-on tropical garden in the central nave. No fake potted plants here, just several thousand live plants from four continents.
Image Credit: Getty Images, PNC. Image Location: Madrid Atocha Station, Spain
Strasbourg-Ville
Where: Strasbourg, France
Distance from Paris by train: from 1h 45m
Walk through Strasbourg and you’ll see its German influence everywhere, including in its stately and sophisticated train station. Strasbourg-Ville was designed by a German architect in the Wilhelminian style back in the 19th century. More recently, a sleek glass shell was built around the original station, making the second largest station in France one of the best in the world.
Amsterdam Centraal
Where: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Distance from Antwerp by train: from 1h 15m
Amsterdam Centraal already wins travelers over with its lightning-fast connections between city center and the airport; the fact that it’s got a great face only makes it more endearing. Its Dutch Neo-Renaissance design, brought to life by the same architect who created the Rijksmuseum, is well-regarded as one of the most beautiful buildings in Amsterdam.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Julian Elliott Photography. Image Location: Milano Centrale, Italy
Milano Centrale
Where: Milan, Italy
Distance from Rome by train: from 2h 45m
For a fashion-forward city like Milan, Milano Centrale certainly has a Parisian vibe with its Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles. It’s an imposing structure, even when it’s not full of hundreds of thousands of passengers every day. If the huge, curved glass roof doesn’t keep your chin pointed up, the cityscape mosaics painted above the stairwells will.
The most beautiful train stations in the UK
Big Ben might have a clock, but King’s Cross has a wizard. Don’t leave the UK without checking out these glorious train stations.
St Pancras International, London, England
See St Pancras station when traveling to: Paris
What is the most beautiful train station in London? St Pancras International gets loads of love for being such a magical-looking train station. Its Victorian Gothic design, though nearly 200-years-old, never looks old or tired no matter how many times you see it. Maybe St Pancras had a spell cast on it? King’s Cross, gateway to Hogwarts, is right next door…
Edinburgh (Waverley), Edinburgh, Scotland
See Edinburgh (Waverley) station when traveling to: Inverness
If you thought St Pancras was magical, wait ‘til your train comes to a stop in Edinburgh (Waverley) station. Scotland’s never shied away from its fantastical nature and placing this circa-1840s station between Old Town and New Town enchantingly keeps the past and present of the Scottish capital linked. Just how magical is it? When spirits were low post-WWII, Edinburgh (Waverley) station became the first train station in the country to display a Christmas tree and keep Scotland smiling.
Image Credit: Getty Images, CaronB. Image Location: Shrewsbury Station, England, UK
Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England
See Shrewsbury station when traveling to: Wrexham
We bet Shrewsbury railway station wasn’t on your Trainline bingo card, but this 19th-century Shropshire train station is a beauty for you to seek out. Designed to match the Victorian architecture of the town’s school, Shrewsbury station also mimics the charm of Oxford and Cambridge colleges.
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Header Image Credit: Getty Images, Rudy Sulgan. Image Location: St Pancras International Station, London, England, UK