Renaissance old town with traboules (hidden passageways) and atmospheric streets
Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière
Ornate hilltop basilica with panoramic views over the city
gastronomyfoodarchitecture
More about Lyon
Lyon, France's gastronomic capital, sits at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers. Lyon Part-Dieu and Lyon Perrache stations connect to Paris (2 hours by TGV), Marseille (1.75 hours), Geneva, and other major cities. The city's position on the Paris-Marseille-Mediterranean TGV axis makes it supremely accessible.
Iconic seafront boulevard curving along the Baie des Anges with belle-époque splendour
Vieux Nice (Old Town)
Baroque labyrinth of narrow streets with Cours Saleya flower and food market
beachartfood
More about Nice
Nice, the jewel of the French Riviera (Côte d'Azur), basks in Mediterranean sunshine between azure seas and the foothills of the Alps. Nice-Ville station connects to Paris via TGV (5h30), Marseille (2h30), Monaco (20 min by TER), Genoa and Milan, and the spectacular scenic Train des Merveilles to Tende in the Alpine hinterland.
UNESCO-listed Renaissance palace system with art collections by Rubens and Van Dyck
Aquarium of Genoa
Europe's largest aquarium at the redesigned Porto Antico waterfront
maritimeUNESCOfood
More about Genoa
Genoa (Genova), capital of Liguria, was once one of the world's most powerful maritime republics and birthplace of Christopher Columbus. Genova Piazza Principe and Genova Brignole stations connect to Milan (1h30), Turin (1h45), Rome (4h30 via coast or 3h via new route), Nice (3h30), and the scenic Cinque Terre villages along the coast.
Our own photograph
— Simon Harper, co-founder of Conductor Sam
4dayExplore
Bern
Switzerland
UNESCO Old Town
Medieval arcaded streets with the Zytglogge clock tower and sandstone architecture
Bundeshaus
Swiss Federal Parliament building with free tours and a spectacular fountain plaza
historycultureUNESCO
More about Bern
Bern, Switzerland's charming federal capital, sits on a dramatic peninsula formed by a loop of the emerald-green Aare River. Bern station is a major Swiss rail hub with direct IC/ICE services to Zurich (56 min), Basel (55 min), Geneva (1h45), Interlaken (47 min for the Bernese Oberland), and international trains to Milan, Paris, and German cities.
Links use each city’s main station where matched. Check the stations and any connections before booking. Unmatched sections are omitted; these are route searches, not confirmed direct trains. Partner links may earn us a commission.
Before you book: stations, trains and food
How a rail pass fits this trip
This outline has 5 days with travel or an excursion: day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4, day 5. That is a planning count, not a confirmed number of pass days. Optional excursions, uncovered transport and night-train departure times can change it.
A pass travel day can cover several participating trains. Compare the pass plus reservation fees with individual tickets for the dates you actually travel.
When to compare a Global Pass
A multi-country route is a useful starting point for comparing an Interrail or Eurail Global Pass. Check participating operators and your country of residence; Interrail’s home-country use is limited to an outbound and an inbound journey.
When individual tickets can help
Price the shorter hops separately. A cheap ticket can let you save a flexible pass day for a longer journey. Compare Sam’s tickets with Trainline and Omio, including their fees and refund conditions.
Check services and reservations for your dates before booking. We may earn commission from Trainline, Omio and Stay22 links. Passes and tickets bought through Sam have their own checkout terms.
Your route. Sam handles the details.
Conductor Sam is an agent for European rail. You name the places
you want to see; it works out the legs, the changes and the
awkward gaps, then prices the tickets against a pass.
We have been there
1 of the 4 destination postcards use photographs taken by our own co-founder, not bought from a stock library.
Written from a corpus we curate
The notes on each stop come from a rail knowledge base we research and maintain ourselves, so Sam answers from it rather than searching the web for you.
Save this route, choose your dates and let Sam help with trains, reservations and the right pass.
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