We’ll explore a different destination for each Book Club, and a lucky Silver Travel Book Club reader can win a free copy of that month’s book.

This month, the Silver Travel Book Club invites you to board Slow Trains to Istanbul: A 4,570-Mile Adventure on 55 rides by Tom Chesshyre. From London via Paris, Naples, Nuremberg, the Swiss Alps, Budapest, Athens and into the furthest corners of Eastern Europe across Romania and Bulgaria, join Tom Chesshyre on his fascinating journey to Istanbul and back.
Ever dreamt of dropping everything and adventuring cross-country to the edge of Asia? That’s just what rail enthusiast Tom Chesshyre did, hitting the tracks for a 4,570-mile adventure on 55 rides, shadowing the old Orient Express route.
Interrailing was once the realm of young backpackers setting off to “find themselves” – and for many, it still is. But it’s also a joyful and eco-friendly twenty-first century adventure that’s open to us all, no matter our age or agenda. Dodging striking train drivers in Germany, getting stuck by the Bulgarian-Greek border, and negotiating tricky passport officials in Turkey is all part of the fun in this illuminating and meandering journey around Europe.
Europe by rail awaits. The freedom of the lines awaits. Why not hop on board?
For advice on planning your next journey—whether by train or beyond—contact our team on 0800 412 5678.
How to win a copy of Slow Trains to Istanbul
Comment below and tell us what’s the most memorable journey you’ve ever taken by train, or what slow travel experience is on your list? Share your story for a chance to win a copy of Slow Trains to Istanbul!
A winner will be chosen at random in early March 2025.
The competition closes on 28 February 2025.
Read more about all our Silver Travel Book Club reads.
36 Responses
The unforgettable rail journeys in Norway including the Artic express and the famous Flam is seeing us back again this year to sample some of the trains in Norway and Sweden. This time in the winter for a whole new experience.
I’ve always wanted to see Canada by train, hopefully the luxurious Rocky Mountaineer.
My most wonderful train journey was a trip from Wales to Wales via Scandinavia. Norway was spectacular and the overnight trip from Narvik to Stockholm was quite memorable as we leapfrogged the enormous iron ore trains. I think a future trip would be nearer home, taking the Caledonian sleeper en route to the Highland railways.
My slow experience by train would be to go through cape town and table mountain and end at kruger national park
My husband and I traveled to Australia in 2016 and rode on the Kuranda scenic railway through the spectacular Barron Gorge National Park in Queensland Australia.
It was undoubtedly one of the most spectacular railway journeys you could ever wish to take. Travelling in vintage timber carriages through the world’s oldest tropical rainforest…. Through ravines, past mountains, waterfalls, through tunnels, across man made wooden bridges, the sounds, smells and sights send your senses into overload…. I so need to go back 😫
The euskatren from Bilboa to San Sebastian was glorious.
Would love to do the Rockies
The Watercress line in Hants, is a marvellous experience. steam trains and beautiful scenery.
We travelled by train through Switzerland and I spent my whole time looking out the window at the Alps – wonderful.
Can only read about exploring distant climes at moment due to family health issue
The Ghan across Australia is on my bucket list!
Now the children have grown up I am really interested in doing the Rockies by Train but also would love to do the Orient Express
A long train journey to Calabria. I spoke a little Italian but at the end of that journey all the people in our carriage were translating English/ Italian. I made new friends.
I once took The Canadian train from Toronto to Vancouver. It was a fantastic journey that I would recommend to anyone.
As a child on the steam train from Glasgow to Inverness – trying to secure a table to put up in our carriage so my Mum and sister and I could play games.
We saw the Bar to Belgrade train from our coach when we were in Montenegro so would love to go on that – or the Glacier Express
I love long train journeys, such a relaxing way to travel, though my most memorable one was very stressful, travelling from London home to Copenhagen after my year as an au pair, so still very young and so afraid of missing one of the many stops for changing trains or not being able to find the connecting train on time, that I didn’t sleep at all for over 24 hrs – but I did get home safely and much more cheaply than flying
Sounds fabulous – take me there now!
I have my sights set on one of the Rocky Mountaineer train routes in Canada. I have driven part of the route but being able to just relax and marvel at the stunning scenery from a more elevated position would be wonderful.
We spent 10 glorious days in Istanbul last September and promised ourselves that we would return in 2025! Winning this prize would help us fulfil our promise to ourselves! Help us!!
Most spectacular was probably the Kuranda railway near Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
Many happy memories of train travel to Bavaria/Austria/Italy when I was a child. We didn’t have a car and always went abroad by train for our annual holiday. . As a child, I loved the night travel tucked up in my couchette berth and peering out of the window at the stations we stopped at.
The first time I took the East Coast train line from Edinburgh to London which takes in the spectacular coast line before Berwick upon Tweed, the Tyne Bridge, York and Durham and Peterborough cathedrals.
West coast of sct
Paris-Venice-Sicily.
Day trip to Pisa, returning to Florence during our honeymoon. A beautifully hot, late afternoon. We were on the train with extra stops & snoozily enjoyed the stunning landscape view together.
A night train from Shanghai to Beijing.
My husband and me were placed in a bunked sleeping compartment with 2 Chinese school girls. Their parents came in to stare at us. The toilet at the end of the carriage was an experience I never want to revisit.
The Lemon Express from Benidorm as so beautiful scenery and a wonderful guitar maker in a small village was fascinating.
The Ghan train from Alice Springs to Adelaide.
The train from Nice to Monaco, although short is very pretty – especially with the glass roof (if I recall correctly)
I’ve yet to take a long rail journey and looking to be inspired. I’ve been returning to travelling overseas after a long gap , rail would be new and I think I’d love it
KX _ mGlasgow-Mallaig.
In the 50’s we had to travel by train from Cape Town to Johannesburg. It took 3 days and I was only 8. Don’t remember it too well as I had boils on my arms and wasn’t too well!
You did ask for a memorable journey!!!
My most memorable train journey was through the Rockies on an authentic stream train from Silverton to Durango. On the way we had a rock fall that crimped the line and had a wonderful half hour delay where better to stop than half way up the Rocky mountains! Spectacular views and scenery.
I want to go on the orient express
The Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Calgary in Gold Class, spread over two days with an overnight hotel stay in Kamloops. Wonderful views in the panorama coaches very attentive staff and superb cuisine cooked from scratch in the galley in the coach.
My most memorable train journey was taking the Eastern and Oriental Express from Bangkok to Singapore over Christmas. Everything about it was sumptuous and it probably cost and arm and a leg at that time of year, but it was so long ago, I’ve fortunately forgotten.