Just the ticket: Europe's 10 best train station hotels for a first-class stay

The Guardian

30-03-2025

You might think the location is the best thing about this hotel – slap bang next to María Zambrano station – the ideal starting point for a tour of Andalucía's trio of spectacular cities: Seville, Córdoba and Granada. But the roof terrace is an unexpected win, too, with a sleek outdoor pool, alfresco sofas and loungers for a post-sightseeing snooze, and a nice menu of cocktails and light bites. The real gem, though, is the totally unexpected slide that swooshes down from the first to the ground floor, giving the lobby a lovely sense of fun. Breakfasts are also excellent.Doubles from £144 room-only, barcelo.com
The oldest railway hotel in London, the Great Northern, opened its doors in 1854, and was reborn some years ago as part of the Kings Cross redevelopment project. Just a stone's throw from St Pancras, it's perfect for a pre-Eurostar treat, with a range of rooms from compact couchettes in the style of a continental carriage, to airy Victorian-era rooms in gold and muted greens. The GNH Bar & Terrace offers alfresco aperitifs or cocktails in the moodily lit bar, while upstairs Rails offers a tempting menu of classic British dishes. Doubles from £291 room-only, gnhlondon.com​
Directly across the road from Madrid's Atocha station – the hub for exploring much of Spain by train – the Only You is a delight of a hotel. The ground floor is an open-plan bar and restaurant, called Trotamundos, with a show kitchen serving up poke bowls and Asian dishes. Rooms are light and airy with a clean, almost Scandi-chic feel, but the real bonus is the roof terrace, where you can take in expansive views across southern Madrid; the perfect spot for early evening cocktails and a plate of croquetas at the buzzy Sép7ima restaurant. Doubles from £187 room-only, onlyyouhotels.com
Exploring Scotland by train is an adventure and the Grand Central makes an ideal base for a first night, housed in Glasgow's main station. Behind the imposing Victorian frontage, rooms are chic, fun and modern, with pops of colour and crisp, unfussy decor. No journey should begin without a glass of bubbles at Champagne Central, a swishly elegant bar that feels like stepping back into travel's golden age, with a nice line in 'wee' plates (everything from haggis bonbons to corn cakes with beetroot hummus) and sumptuous afternoon teas. Doubles from £144 room-only, vocohotels.com
Just two minutes from Milano Centrale, this is an ideal overnight stay whether you're on a multi-country itinerary or exploring Italy by rail. The Nyx has shaken up Milan's slightly staid hotel scene with live DJs and retro arcade games in the lobby, street art along the corridors and slick, comfortable bedrooms. The Clash Bar and Restaurant does a good line in cocktails and the 12th-floor roof terrace is a great spot to start the night. Doubles from £146 room-only, leonardohotels.co.uk
Within easy walking distance of Marienplatz, the Oktoberfest and the Isar river, the Aloft is also slap-bang next to Munich's central station, making it an ideal stopover for either a late arrival into the city, or an early start. Rooms are a touch corporate, but the hip, communal areas more than make up for them, with a tree-dotted outdoor terrace, live music events at the WXYZ bar and a 24-hour re:charge gym with cardio machines and free weights. Doubles from £98 room-only, marriott.co.uk
Exploring the Scandi capitals by train – Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo are all linked by rail – is a great multi-city trip, and the Radisson Blu, set right next to Stockholm's central station, is super-convenient after a long day of travel. Head to the 17th-floor cocktail bar, HIGH, for sweeping views of the city, or to the restaurant, Stockholm Fisk, for the best locally caught seafood. Doubles from £124 room-only, radisson.com
The best-connected hotel in the city, Barceló Sants sits directly above the station. There's a fun, futuristic feel to the hotel, rather like staying on the set of a sci-fi movie, with oversized portraits of astronauts in the cavernous lobby, portholes with 'space views' in the neat white bedrooms and Eero Aarnio egg-style chairs dotted around the communal spaces. The two restaurants, Oxygen and Hydrogen, offer buffet dining and high-concept Heston-esque dishes respectively, while the Orbital bar keeps the space theme going. Doubles from £90 room-only, barcelo.com
Begin a rail adventure in Portugal and Spain with a stay at this elegant hotel housed inside Santa Apolónia station, on the banks of the River Tagus. Rooms are spare but chic in a palette of muted blues, some with balconies overlooking the water. Dinner at Impulso has a glamorous vibe, with the long bar in the centre designed to feel like a restaurant car, and a menu of all the local produce and ingredients that arrive into Santa Apolónia by train. Doubles from £131 B&B, editoryhotels.com
Situated just across the road from Belgium's hub for both Eurostar and high-speed Thalys trains, the Novotel is also within handy walking distance of all of the main sites in Brussels, including the Grand Place. This isn't a hotel for a romantic break, but the fuss-free rooms guarantee a good night's sleep, there's a pleasant outdoor terrace and the impressive buffet breakfast will set you up for the day, however long your journey. Doubles from £103 room-only, novotel.co.uk