Winter holidays by train

Once acquainted with Vienna’s grand coffeehouses, travel to Graz on the UNESCO Semmering line and on to Mozart’s appropriately opulent birth town: Salzburg.

The cooler months are a magical time to visit the Moselle, where hikes across orange hills studded with castles lead into evenings in fire-lit taverns.

Chocolate-box perfection awaits in Belgium. Take in the smell of hot waffles and float down the waterways of Ghent and Bruges.

Journey through Sweden, Denmark and Norway by ferry and train. You'll see why Scandinavia's cities rate so highly for happiness, from Malmö and its bucolic parks to Oslo's waterfront architecture.

It’s not for the fainthearted, but brave the chill and you'll experience the quiet of snow-covered beaches and vast white skies. Bleak, yet beautiful.

Winter done right: pine-shrouded winter hiking trails, lake ice skating, and one of the greatest Alpine railways in the world.

Do as the Romans did 2,000 years ago. In the depths of winter, there’s no better way to warm up than in Bath’s steaming mineral waters.

Experience wild landscapes as you skirt lochs, snake through glens and cross the Glenfinnan Viaduct on both branches of the famous West Highland Line.

A perfect winter escape in their own right, the historic towns of York and Skipton are also the ideal gateway to the sprawling Yorkshire Dales.

Berlin hosts many Christmas markets, including Europe's largest eco-market on the first three Advent weekends, with vegan festive treats and a focus on fair trade and local artisan craft.

Madrid knows how to see in the New Year. Join in the local tradition of squeezing 12 grapes into your mouth as the clock strikes, then fiesta till dawn.

Discover Lapland’s other-worldly landscapes and preserved traditions of foraging and hunting, that’s earned its title as the culinary capital of the north.

Island life isn’t just for summer. The charm of Sicillian hilltop towns and beaches extends well into the cooler months–and granita is still on the menu.

A milder Spain makes for an ideal winter getaway, for jaunts through Parque de María Luisa, tapas bar-hopping, and a dance-until-dawn flamenco scene.

You don’t need to fly for winter sun. Head south and traverse through Spain to the northern tip of Africa to uncover the riads and souks of Marrakech.

Ski-bums: hit the slopes of Schmittenhöhe and pick from standard ski, cross-country or ski-touring and wind down in the traditional taverns of Zell.

Switzerland’s car-free Saas-Fee can be reached via Bern, Basel and a short bus ride. It’s a family-friendly resort with a range of accommodation.

Davos shares its ski area with neighbour and royal favourite, Klosters, together working to become Switzerland’s first climate-neutral resort by 2030.