A rental car can help in remote parts of Europe, but it is not always the best choice for routes between major cities, mountain scenery, wine valleys, river towns, or crowded coastal stops. Trains can remove parking costs, city traffic, tolls, narrow roads, and the need to return to a parked car after every stop.
These five routes work well by rail because the train connects the places travelers are likely to visit anyway. A car may still help for rural hotels, remote villages, or side trips away from the tracks. For the main journey, these rail routes keep the trip focused on stations, scenery, and walkable stops.
1. London to Edinburgh, United Kingdom
London to Edinburgh is easier by train for travelers staying in the two city centers. LNER says its faster weekday trains take around 4 hours and 8 minutes between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley.
The station locations do a lot of the work. King’s Cross connects with the London Underground, buses, taxis, and nearby St Pancras. Edinburgh Waverley sits below the Old Town and close to Princes Street, the Royal Mile, hotels, trams, taxis, and local buses.
Driving between the two cities adds motorway time, fuel, possible congestion, parking, and the difficulty of arriving by car in central London or central Edinburgh. A car can help for a longer Scotland itinerary with rural stops, but it adds little to a trip focused on London and Edinburgh themselves.
2. Oslo to Bergen, Norway
The Oslo to Bergen railway gives travelers the mountain crossing without the driving. Visit Norway describes the Bergen Railway as a seven-hour journey between Oslo and Bergen, passing forested valleys, fjords, and the Hardangervidda mountain plateau.
A rental car can work for travelers who want extra nights in small towns or specific roadside stops. It also means longer attention on mountain roads, weather, tunnels, fuel, and winter conditions. On the train, travelers can use the transfer day for the scenery instead of route management.
Oslo and Bergen are also manageable without a car for many visitors. Both cities have walkable central areas, public transport, taxis, museums, harbor areas, restaurants, and hotels near the main station zones. The train is the stronger choice for a two-city Norway trip built around Oslo, Bergen, and the crossing between them.
3. Porto to the Douro Valley, Portugal
The Douro Valley is one of the easiest wine regions to overcomplicate with a car. Regular trains can take travelers from Porto into river towns such as Régua and Pinhão, while CP also operates the seasonal Douro Historical Train between Régua and Tua from June to October through the UNESCO-listed Douro Valley landscape.
The distinction is important. The historical train is a special heritage service with its own route, dates, times, and ticket rules. The regular Douro Line is the practical option for many travelers heading from Porto toward Régua, Pinhão, or farther into the valley.
The train helps travelers avoid narrow valley roads, parking in small towns, and the problem of driving around wine tastings. A car can still help for remote quintas, countryside hotels, or a multi-day route with several estates. For a focused Porto-to-Douro day, rail keeps the route tied to the river and reduces the need for a designated driver.
4. Koblenz to Mainz Along the Rhine, Germany
The Rhine Valley Line works well without a rental car because the stops are part of the route. Eurail describes the Koblenz-to-Mainz line as a route through German wine country, with riverside vineyards and towns along the Rhine.
Travelers can build the day around Koblenz, Boppard, Bacharach, Bingen, Rüdesheim, or Mainz without worrying about where the car is parked. That helps on a short itinerary where the goal is one or two towns, a river walk, lunch, a castle view, or a boat segment.
Driving along the Rhine can be attractive, but the driver has to watch traffic, signs, parking rules, and narrow town streets. By train, everyone gets the same river views, and the day can move in one direction instead of looping back to collect the car.
5. Nice to Menton Along the French Riviera, France
The French Riviera can be difficult by car because the coastal towns are close together, busy, and often tight on parking. Nice Côte d’Azur says TER tickets are valid for the selected route on all trains running that day. SNCF Connect lists Nice to Menton as a direct TER route, with frequent daily trains and typical journey times under 40 minutes.
A rail-based day can link Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco, and Menton without a parking search at every stop. Travelers can use the morning for a swim or harbor walk, continue to Monaco or Menton, then return by train without retracing a driving route through coastal traffic.
A car may help for hill villages, countryside hotels, or luggage-heavy itineraries away from the railway. For the shoreline between Nice and Menton, the train is usually the simpler tool. It keeps the route close to the coast and removes the parking problem from towns where space is limited.