Grand Tour of Europe

The classic first Eurotrip by rail: ten capitals and icons from London through Paris, Central Europe and Italy to Rome.

• Stop: London
• Stop: Paris
• Stop: Brussels
• Stop: Amsterdam
• Stop: Berlin
• Stop: Prague
• Stop: Vienna
• Stop: Venice
• Stop: Florence
• Stop: Rome

• Binnenstad: The medieval centre is the most visited area of Amsterdam and is home to tourist hotspots like Dam Square and the Red Light District. The area is filled with narrow streets, shops, tourists and coffeeshops. It also contains other interesting areas like the bookstores near Spui and the cafes of Nieuwmarkt.
• Canal District: A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Canal District was dug in the 17th century to attract wealthy home owners. And is still a posh neighbourhood and home to the Dutch cultural elite. The Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein are the city's prime nightlife spots.
• Jordaan: A traditionally working class area gone upmarket with plenty of art galleries, hip boutiques and happening restaurants. Also includes the shopping streets of Haarlemmerbuurt and the quiet islands of Westelijke Eilanden.
• Zuid: One of Amsterdam's prime areas, a trip to the city is not complete without a visit to the Museum Quarter. Snooty Oud-Zuid and Apollobuurt are filled with upscale boutiques, cafes and brasseries. You can chill in the Vondelpark with a bottle of wine or go hunt for bargains at the Albert Cuyp Market in multicultural De Pijp.
• Plantage: Intended to be an extension of the Canal District, lack of demand made this into a leafy area with lots of greenery, botanical gardens and Artis Zoo and a large university presence. Also includes the Weesperbuurt and the Oostelijke Eilanden.
• Oost: Oost is a large and diverse residential area. The Eastern Docklands and IJburg stand out as lively upper middle class neighbourhoods known for their modern architecture. Include the parks of Oosterpark and Park Frankendael.
• Source: Wikivoyage, https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Amsterdam?oldid=5327366 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

• Mitte: The "heart" of Berlin has many historically important sights, abundant cafés, restaurants, museums, galleries, and clubs.
• East Central: Made up of historically diverse neighbourhoods, Kreuzberg was in the West but almost encircled by the wall. It drew leftists, cheapskates and malcontents, including a large squatter scene that frequently clashed with police, Friedrichshain likewise had squatters after reunification while "Prenzlberg" was a much more laid-back residential neighbourhood. Today all those areas are gentrifying, or already gentrified, but there are still numerous cafes, clubs, and bars.
• City West: This used to be the urban heart of West Berlin with Kurfürstendamm (Ku'damm) and Tauentzienstraße still major shopping areas. While the party has since moved east, there are great restaurants and hotels as well as the Olympic stadium and Schloss Charlottenburg.
• Tempelhof and Neukölln: The rapidly-gentrifying northern parts of Neukölln now seamlessly pass over into East Central, and Tempelhof is still known as the site of "the mother of all airports" (now a park).
• Source: Wikivoyage, https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Berlin?oldid=5325677 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

• Old Town and Josefov: Old Town (Staré Město) – The nucleus of the right bank, the oldest part of Prague. Jewish Town (Josefov) – A small enclave within Old Town, the old Jewish ghetto.
• Castle and Lesser Town: Castle (Hradčany) – The immediate area around Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. Lesser Town (Malá strana) – The part of the historical centre between the castle and the river, and the site of most governmental authorities, including the Czech Parliament.
• New Town and Vysehrad: Nové Město – The district adjacent to Old Town, established in the 14th century. Vyšehrad – The site of the old Vyšehrad castle south of the medieval Prague.
• Source: Wikivoyage, https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Prague?oldid=5332638 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

• Innere Stadt (1): The central Old Town and most important part of the city where most sights and tourists can be found.
• Neubau (7): The seventh district features the acclaimed MuseumsQuartier, which connects directly the modern museums to the classic museums of the inner city, plus other artsy spots.
• Mariahilf (6): The sixth district continues on from the Naschmarkt up to the Mariahilfer Straße. It has popular bohemian neighborhoods.
• Inner East: The second district used to be the Jewish part of the Vienna town. It stretches from the more wild forests of the Prater to the newly gentrified areas of the Karmeliterviertel and Augarten.
• Landstraße (3): The third district is the largest inner district including the Belvedere Palace, the Schwarzenbergplatz, embassies and an industrial hinterland.
• Source: Wikivoyage, https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Vienna?oldid=5332721 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

• Colosseo: The heart of ancient Rome, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Forum of Augustus, the Forum and Markets of Trajan, the Capitoline and its museums.
• North Centre: Situated in the north part of Rome, home to the Villa Borghese, the Spanish Steps, and the elegant neighbourhoods of Parioli and Salario.
• Trastevere: The land to the south of the Vatican, on the west bank of the Tiber River, full of narrow cobbled streets and lonely plazas that served as the inspiration for artists such as Giorgio de Chirico. Now arguably the centre of Rome's artistic life.
• Aventino-Testaccio: Off-the-beaten-path neighbourhoods of Rome with plenty of surprises waiting for interested travelers, as well as some truly great food.
• Esquilino-San Giovanni: South of Termini, with an indoor market, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, and the Cathedral of Rome Saint John in Lateran.
• Source: Wikivoyage, https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rome?oldid=5332081 (CC BY-SA 4.0)