Five routes recommended by Biosphere Flux

Have you ever thought about taking a trip through unknown lands by train? From the Biosphere Flux team we have made a short list of routes recommended by us.
A great advantage of travelling in Europe is the comfort, leaving and arriving on time. It's another kind of experience: opening the window on alpine glaciers or savouring gourmet cuisine in a restored car from the last century. We offer you a list of routes made by us, which are not necessarily the fastest trips but the most memorable - all aboard!

The Chocolate Train

Route: Montreux to Broc, Switzerland
Duration: 9 hours, 45 minutes, round trip

This charming train runs during the summer and autumn. It climbs from Montreux overlooking Lake Geneva to the medieval town of Gruyere, home of the famous cheese. There is a tour of the cheese factory and the local castle, where you can have lunch and buy souvenirs. After the visit the train continues to Broc. There you will head to the Cailler-Nestlé chocolate factory, located between the Gruyere lake and the mountain peaks.

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The Bernina Express

Route: Chur, Switzerland to Tirano, Italy
Duration: 4 hours, 14 minutes

This train passes through 55 tunnels and 196 bridges, introducing passengers to the beauty of the Alps. It crosses the mountain south from Switzerland's oldest city to a charming Italian town of just over 9,000 people. One part of this route is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A Hotel on Wheels: Francisco Goya

Route: Paris to Madrid
Duration: 13 hours, 30 minutes

Leave Paris at night, enjoy a three-course dinner and the increasingly rural scenery on the train, sleep to the soothing rhythm of the rails, and wake up the next day in Madrid, ready to tour the third most populous city in the European Union. First class on this train includes a welcome drink, gourmet dinner, breakfast and an en-suite bathroom with shower.

Balcan Flexipass

Route: Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.
Duration: 5, 10 or 15 days

Explore the heart of the former Yugoslavia through the Balcan Flexipass (which offers unlimited travel for 5, 10 or 15 days through Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey). The train departs from Belgrade, and has different stops depending on the period and route you choose. Take a break at any of the various stops to go shopping or take in the local culture. "Relax, and budget extra for the inevitable weather delays," says Chris Deliso, a travel writer living in Macedonia. "The trains are old, and the local characters you'll meet are like the guys in Wim Venders' film The Salt of the Earth."

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The elegance of the last century: Orient Express

Route: London to Venice
Duration: Two days, one night

Aboard the Orient Express, as the train is known the calendar turns back to the 1920s and 30s of the last century, the golden age of rail on the continent. The operator spent $16 million restoring 35 cars to their original art deco style. Passengers are expected to dress smartly for dinner: at a minimum, suit and tie for men and the equivalent for women.