I went from Scotland to Sicily by train — here’s why you should try it

When it comes to great rail journeys, Scotland to Sicily may not be the most obvious route, but it does have a Phileas Fogg ring to it.

The occasion was a special birthday for my wife. Previous such milestones had been marked with trips to Machu Picchu, riding the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and a lazy weekend in Paris. This time we wanted something different.

Fortunately, my wife shares my love of trains and bold, ambitious itineraries; she was thrilled at the prospect of travelling from the shores of the North Sea to a Mediterranean island within touching distance of Tunis.

She also shares my love (which develops with the years) for beautiful places to stay. So rather than doing the journey in frenetic student interrailer fashion, we gave ourselves the luxury of time (16 days) and lovely hotels along the way. We did travel with Interrail passes on public trains, but in first class. Out went the backpacker hostels; in came the sophistication of the Rocco Forte group’s hotels — a favourite, and one that specialises in properties rich in history, decorated with contemporary flair and in cities we wanted to visit. Handily, we found a tour operator that would package them all up in one trip too.

Left: Adrian and his wife in Florence in 1990. Right: recreating the photo in 2023

The adventure was split into seven train days (with journeys from 90 minutes to 10 hours) with stays in eight of Europe’s greatest cities — Edinburgh, London, Brussels, Berlin, Munich, Florence, Rome and Palermo.

We had personal ties to many: I was born in London, my wife in Munich, our children in Berlin and we honeymooned in Florence. We wanted at least one travel-free day in each — to revisit old favourites and discover something new, often following tips from the hotel concierges. It was to be an epic journey; a Grand Tour of our lives that also chimed with the growing interest in travel by train.

Starting in Edinburgh, we drank in sun-tinged views from Calton Hill across to the castle and the seven hills surrounding the city, heard Brahms in St Giles’ Cathedral, wandered Georgian streets and enjoyed the first of many toasts in the tile-adorned Cafe Royal pub. Our first hotel was the Balmoral, a magnificent late-Victorian edifice with turrets and clock tower and one of the world’s truly great railway hotels: incredibly handy for Edinburgh Waverley, the departure point for leg one: the LNER service to London.

A bedroom at The Balmoral

We sat spellbound for the stretch along the Northumberland coastline, passing pretty Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Holy Island of Lindisfarne then the twin glories of Newcastle upon Tyne and Durham. A signalling problem meant we were held in York and the four and a half hour journey became one of seven — the only significant delay of the entire trip. We missed afternoon tea at the venerable Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair, but did make it to the hotel’s Donovan bar for pre-dinner cocktails and the buzz of one of the best bars in London.

With its tunnels, concrete barriers and flat landscapes, the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels Midi is hardly scenic. But in less than two hours you are plunged into the world of Tintin and Magritte, flavoursome blonde beers, the waft of waffles and chocolatiers. In the time it takes to drink a coffee and read the news you are on the Continent — and, as a short stroll through the gilded Grand-Place confirms, in one of its greatest cities.

As with all Rocco Fortes, the Hotel Amigo in Brussels provides a keen sense of place. There’s a Tintin Suite, original flagstones, sumptuous 18th-century Flemish tapestries — all blended seamlessly with the contemporary feel and style that is the hallmark of the group’s doyenne of design, Olga Polizzi (sister of Sir Rocco). There’s also, typically, an Italian flavour — notably in the Bocconi restaurant, where we dined on calamari and zucchini and succulent cuts of lamb (mains from £21).

One of the many joys of a multi-stop train journey is the opportunity to process what has been experienced in each place — and to mentally prepare for the next.

Which was just as well for Berlin (reached via Cologne), which we found shrouded in mist at its atmospheric Cold War-like best. We cheered the fleets of “Trabbi safari tours” and revisited old haunts — including the Hotel de Rome, a fabulous conversion of what used to be the grand headquarters of the Dresdner Bank (the underground spa is in the former jewellery vault), near the Unter den Linden and Museum Island, where we paid our respects to the legendary Egyptian beauty Nefertiti, whose bust takes pride of place in the Neues Museum (entry £12; smb.museum).

Berlin was cold. So we were glad to head south, and within four hours, travelling through Brandenburg forests and Bavarian hills, reached Munich, where we spent our first holiday together and where I was introduced to the joys of weisswurst, a white sausage containing minced veal and bacon, served with sweet mustard and pretzels.

Of course, weisswurst were on offer for breakfast at the Charles Hotel, the only new-build Rocco Forte hotel. The hotel pays tribute to its location in other ways too — through stylised representations of the fairytale castle supremo King Ludwig II and the cousin with whom he had an endearing friendship, Empress Sisi of Austria.

Next we took the Deutsche Bahn service to Bologna for a connection with the Trenitalia train to Florence. Arguably the most scenic leg of the journey, it brought us close to the Alpine peaks surrounding Innsbruck, through the Brenner Pass and then down on to the plains of northern Italy through the joyful landscapes of the Alto Adige (South Tyrol).

The city where we honeymooned beckoned. Inevitably we made our way up to Piazzale Michelangelo, where, against the classic backdrop of the Duomo and the medieval streets of Florence beneath us, we posed for a recreation of the photograph that encapsulated those halcyon days at the start of married life, 34 years earlier.

Stormy weather meant we spent more time in the Savoy than expected. But it’s a destination in its own right and with its fusion of Renaissance-era artworks and contemporary Italian flair, rooms with a view (on to Piazza della Repubblica) and a bar serving generous glasses of Franciacorta — a richer, more complex variation of Italian sparkling wine. We welcomed the downtime.

Railway stations always bring you back down to earth, so if being cocooned in luxury the whole time is what you want from a trip, this way of travelling is not for you. But we rather like the bustle, grittiness and sense of urgency in big stations.

The concourse of Firenze Santa Maria Novella was filled with excitable chatter, all eyes turned to a board signalling departures to Napoli, Bergamo, Venezia and, for us, Roma Termini.

From our reserved first-class seats (offering space, comfort and, in Italy, a snack and drink), we watched Tuscan hills whizz by and the clouds lift until in Rome — 90 minutes away — we at last felt we were in the south.

Another city; another Rocco Forte hotel. We were now familiar with the characteristics: statement lobbies with bold floral designs and artworks speaking to the locality; bars and restaurants styled with brio and serving beef carpaccio to die for; decor and furnishings elegantly fusing contemporary with classic (we loved the subtle trace of tartan in the curtains at the Balmoral); beauty at every turn; exquisite attention to detail. We became fond of the Irene Forte gels and body lotions in the expansive bathrooms; likewise the padded slippers and books to spark curiosity.

Hotel de Russie in Rome (named after distinguished Russian visitors, including members of the Romanov family and Igor Stravinsky) had a spectacular secret terraced garden full of palm trees and white climbing roses at the rear, a delightful backdrop come aperitivo hour in the courtyard bar.

In Rome we were happy to soak up the atmosphere while wandering to the Pantheon, the Caravaggio-filled San Luigi dei Francesi and the site of the mausoleum to Augustus and his wife, Livia, much in our minds having recently watched the re-screening of I, Claudius.

Rome was warmer, friskier, its ancient glories side by side with a modern metropolis full of fun and frenetic energy. We watched smartly dressed women jumping on to scooters and enjoyed another magical realisation: that in the Eternal City, La Dolce Vita is an eternal verity.

The final, most ambitious ride was the ten-hour run from Rome to Palermo, with a change of train in Sapri and that train-on-a-ferry crossing to Sicily.

We saw nothing much of Naples or Pompeii, or the fabled Amalfi coast, but there was a lovely run after Sapri when the track hugged the coastline and we glimpsed rocky promontories and waves breaking against the shore.

Then came the drama of the crossing from Villa San Giovanni to Messina, and a sublime stretch to Palermo affording views of the sea on one side and the contours of Mount Etna on the other. We looked forward to our final stay — in the Sicilian capital’s celebrated Villa Igiea, replete with art nouveau splendour and a lingering sense of fin de siècle frivolity.

By now we felt pretty light-headed ourselves. Mission accomplished: the romance of the rails and a European Grand Tour is alive and well.
Adrian Bridge was a guest of Rocco Forte Hotels (roccofortehotels.com) and Expressions Holidays (expressionsholidays.co.uk) which has 16 nights’ B&B from £5,980pp including two nights at each hotel, first-class rail travel from Edinburgh to Palermo, ferry, transfer and return flight from Palermo

Eight must-see attractions along the route

1. Take the Three Bridges Cruise in Edinburgh

Hop on a boat at Hawes Pier for a 90-minute adventure on the Firth of Forth that takes in the Forth Bridge and the two more recently built crossings: Queensbury and the Forth Road Bridge. You might even see a seal. Even more fun is that it’s combined with an open-top bus tour from Edinburgh to South Queensferry. The trip, including bus ride, runs from April to October (£30pp; edinburghtour.com).

2. Tour the “secret” galleries of London’s Mayfair

While the Royal Academy tends to be packed, the streets behind the capital’s famous arts venue are home to a host of exciting gallery spaces that few Londoners realise are open to the public. Let the art critic and broadcaster Maeve Doyle be your guide on a walking tour to Sprüth Magers, David Zwirner, Thaddaeus Ropac and more (£80pp; maevedoyle.art).

3. Chocolaterie Mary in Brussels

Of course there’s great art and architecture in Brussels, but the really tricky choice is which chocolatier to plump for. “You can’t go wrong with Mary’s,” says Marc Neuville, the head concierge at Hotel Amigo. A box of eight pralines is a particularly tempting treat (£17; mary.be).

4. Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport

Berlin’s original airport celebrated its centenary this year, and offers tours and exhibitions documenting the site’s evolution, from Zeppelin landings, monumental Nazi-era building and the Berlin Airlift, which made it the symbol of the free world. Closed to flights since 2008, the grounds have become a hugely popular outdoor playground (tours from £15; thf-berlin.de).

5. Urban art tour of Munich

One of Mathias Köhler’s pieces in Munich

ALAMY

Germany’s street art first started in Munich. One of its pioneers, Mathias Köhler (aka Loomit), has left his spray paint marks all over the city — initially illegally, and then with the full support of the local authorities. Let him guide you through colourful underpasses, carpark zones and the creativity hub of the formerly industrial Werksviertel-Mitte district (from £145pp; roccofortehotels.com).

6. Florence’s Mercato Centrale

In addition to stalls proffering mouthwatering ranges of prosciutto, pasta and biscotti, Florence’s historic food market, set in a late-19th-century cast-iron building, has an upper level that is home to a number of places to eat offering fresh prawns, creamy ravioli and lasagne just like nonna used to make (mercatocentrale.com).

7. See the Michelangelos without the crowds in Rome

The Vatican is home to some of the world’s greatest works of art, statuary and tapestries — but boy it gets crowded. There are slots before and after opening hours offering privileged access with a guide and almost no one else. Stand in the Sistine Chapel in contemplative stillness and marvel (from £2,500 for ten; roccofortehotels.com)

8. Craft shopping in Palermo

Opened this autumn, Manima World is a funky atelier space showcasing the ancient Sicilian craft of embroidery cast in a dynamic new way. From ottoman footstools to colourful cushions and finely worked linens, the products are the work of female artisans using traditional methods fitted to a digital age (free; manimaworld.com).

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