Dawlish News

Just a way of getting from A to B? Some of Europe's train journeys offer unexpected treats - great views of beautiful landscapes. All you need to know is where to look...
31 July 2006

1. La Spezia to Cinque Terre
The view: Cinque Terre and Italy's north coast.
What will I see? Referred to as the Bay of Poets, the area surrounding the Italian coastal resort of La Spezia was much-loved by the Romantic poets Shelley, Keats and Byron. La Spezia is also a good point to join what has to be one of Italy's most spectacular sections of coastal railway, where the line threads its way north towards Genoa via a series of tunnels through the Unesco World Heritage site of Cinque Terre. The pastel-coloured villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso occupy a spectacular location sandwiched between steep slopes terraced with dry stone walls and the sea. The train remains one of the best ways to explore this region. A large proportion of visitors also choose to hike along the panoramic route linking the villages - the Sentiero Azzuro - that starts in Monterosso and finishes in Riomaggiore. Each village has its own distinct character - Corniglia perches on a high spur above the sea, while the houses of Riomaggiore tumble through a deep ravine to the water's edge.
The ticket: Trenitalia (trenitalia.it).

2. The Great Western line
The view: The beach at Dawlish.
What will I see? The five-hour journey from London to Penzance is a daunting prospect. But don't despair, three hours or so down the line is the quaint seaside town of Dawlish, on the Devon coast. Here the train rides the sea wall, with nothing but the sand to obscure your view of the Atlantic breakers, which often lick the carriages when the weather is wild. And there are more treats waiting down the line - at Plymouth, the train scales Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge. Further still, a glorious three-mile stretch of sands come into view around Hayle - a delightful reminder that it's nearly time to put away your book because Penzance is getting close.
The ticket: First Great Western (08457 000 125; firstgreatwestern.co.uk).