From The Straits Times    |

Europe's top train journeysRail ticketing firm Eurail, which sells train tickets valid across Europe to visitors, revealed its most popular routes for 2011 last week, proving that Italy is still top spot for travelers on the continent.

The journey from Florence to Rome was the most popular route traveled by Eurail pass holders in 2011, Eurail revealed this past week, with Italy dominating the list of the most-traveled routes.

Florence to Pisa was in second place, Florence to Venice in third and Milan to Venice in fourth.

It wasn’t until fifth places that another country got a look in, with the one hour hop between Bern and Interlaken in Switzerland, which was also home to the sixth most popular route, running between Luzern and Zurich.

Eurail said that after its main ticket, which allows travel through 23 different countries, the Italy-specific ticket was the most popular, with over 68,000 sold in 2011, up 8.5 percent on 2010.

“Italy’s railway network is as attractive as the country itself, offering an impressive high-speed  system connecting Italy from North to South,” Eurail said in the statement. “As a result, rail travel has become increasingly popular within the country.”

This month marks the 40th year since the concept of ‘interrailing’ was introduced in 1972, an activity that has gone on to become a popular way of seeing Europe for gap year students, traveling retirees and train-mad tourists.

Europe’s most popular rail routes
1. Florence to Rome
2. Florence to Pisa
3. Florence to Venice
4. Milan to Venice
5. Bern to Interlaken
6. Luzern to Zurich
7. Rome to Venice
8. Milan to Zurich
9. Salzburg to Vienna
10. Florence to Milan

— AFP RELAXNEWS