Across Europe by Train in 1970 (29 Photos)
If you're tired of cookie-cutter package tours and standard beach getaways and need inspiration for a truly unique, unforgettable vacation, take a look back at how people traveled in the 1970s. A train trip across Europe—definitely food for thought, isn't it?
At the dawn of the 1970s, a train ticket from London to Italy cost just $24. As the train rhythmically clicked along the tracks with a soothing sway and ever-changing scenery rolled past the window, two strangers sharing a compartment might strike up a conversation over slices of bologna. That single conversation could easily last for hundreds of miles. And so, a new breed of traveler was born... 
In July 1970, LIFE magazine sent lucky photographer Carlo Bavagnoli on a train trip across Europe. 
His photo essay was dedicated to budget travelers—a new wave of free-spirited American college graduates eager for a taste of freedom before entering the corporate grind. 
They traveled in big groups, made friends on the go, slept in train stations, and strummed guitars while waiting for their next connection. 
Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany: a majestic architectural masterpiece perched atop a cliff. 
Of course, first-class travel was always an option too... 
The view from the window of the Mediolanum, a train that swept from Milan to Munich in under 6 hours. 
A train station platform in Portugal. 
All quiet on the goose front... 
Three American college students sleeping during the Oslo–Bergen train ride in Norway. 
Why can't standard train cars today be as stylish as they were back then? 
A Spanish train speeds past a fishing village en route to the Costa Brava, back before it was spoiled by mass tourism. 
New second-class discounts with the Eurailpass gave 26 college grads the chance to travel all across Europe—including France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and the new must-see stop on the itinerary: Amsterdam! 
A train crosses a bridge over the Douro River. 
Passport control at the Swiss border... 
Travelers enjoying the scenic view aboard Italy's seven-car Settebello train. 
Unlikely to be included in a Eurailpass, but impressive nonetheless! A barber onboard the French Mistral train. 
A 1925 steam locomotive carrying tourists back from a getaway in Blonay. 
