Explore the fascinating, multi-lingual European capitals just on our doorstep with this perfectly formed rail itinerary. Take a direct Eurostar service to Amsterdam and then continue by train to hilltop Luxembourg and Belgian capital Brussels.

Visit two lovely Christmas market destinations in one festive holiday by rail. Your first stop is Cologne, offering a choice of seven different markets and plenty of glühwein. Then it's on to Ghent, a pretty university city with cobbled streets and a twinkling Christmas market selling original gifts.

Take the train north to Scandinavia and enjoy traditional Danish and Swedish hospitality in capitals Copenhagen & Stockholm. Zoom in between destinations on ultra-modern high-speed trains and stop in Brussels, Hamburg and Cologne en route.

Travel overnight to stunning Hungarian capital Budapest for a 3-night stay before boarding the world-famous Venice Simplon-Orient-Express for an unforgettable overnight journey back to Paris, where you board the Eurostar back to London.