Christmas trains in Europe: Santa train rides for kids, country by country

6 min read

In Europe, the best Christmas trains for little kids are rarely run by the big rail companies. They belong to heritage railway clubs that bring out an old steam engine or a vintage railcar for a few December afternoons, put Santa on board and sell 80 seats at a time. We are building a guide to them country by country, with every ride page written in the language local parents search in, starting with France.

The short version

  • France: 11 Christmas and Santa trains confirmed for 2026, December 2 to 21, all with their own page in French
  • Nearest to Paris: Chanteraines, December 12 and 13
  • Steam: the Ouche valley Santa Express in Burgundy, from 7 euros a child
  • More countries coming next, each in its own language
  • Book only on each railway’s own site; every ride page links to it
Watercolor illustration: Rally the corgi stands on a red train seat looking out at falling snow, a lit Christmas tree and a white dove.
Rally on a Christmas train, watching the snow and a lit tree go by.

Christmas trains in Europe, country by country

  • Trains de Noël en France

    In French · 11 rides · Dec 2 to 21, 2026

    Santa trains from Brittany to Alsace and the Cévennes, with dates, fares and booking links.

  • Weihnachtszüge in Deutschland

    In German · coming next

  • Treni di Natale in Italia

    In Italian · coming next

  • Trenes de Navidad en España

    In Spanish · coming next

  • Santa trains in the UK

    In English · coming next

2027 ticket alert

European Christmas trains sell out fast

The best dates are often gone weeks before December. Leave your email and we will write once, the moment 2027 bookings open.

One email when 2027 tickets are released, nothing before. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

Every Christmas train in France for 2026

Each link opens our French page for that ride, with the full afternoon, times, fares, the free-under age and the official booking link. Your browser can translate the page if you need it.

How European Christmas trains differ from US ones

Watercolor of a conductor in a blue suit shaking Rally's paw while Rally sits on a red seat holding his ticket in his mouth.
Ticket in his mouth, Rally meets the conductor, just like kids boarding a Santa train.

Small trains, few departures

Most French Santa trains run on two to five days, with a handful of departures each afternoon. In the Doller valley in Alsace, each train holds about 80 people and there is no waiting list once online sales close.

Booking opens late and sells fast

Some associations open sales only a few weeks ahead. Pontivy in Brittany opens on Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 9:00 am French time. Put the date in your calendar.

The free age is different on every train

Under 3 on some rides, under 4 on others, and in the Cévennes children pay from age 1. Check before you count tickets.

Santa does not always ride along

On the Haut-Forez line he waits beside the track, and in the Ouche valley he greets children in a decorated carriage at the “North Pole” station.

The train in our book

Watercolor: Rally looks out the train window at a station where his family is waving from the platform.
Grandmommy and Papa waving on the platform, the last page of the book.

Rally was our corgi, and his train is a California one, the Pacific Surfliner from San Diego up to his grand-paw-rents. My mom dreamed up the story and talked about it for years, and she passed away before she could write it, so I did. Here is why this little book exists.

The book is also available as an ebook in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and Japanese, so the story can travel with you. Print a few free Rally coloring pages for the ride.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

The train story to read before you boardRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, hand-painted in real watercolor. Ages 0 to 5.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

More for holiday train families

Christmas trains in Europe: questions parents ask

Which European countries have Christmas train rides for kids?

Many do, usually run by heritage railway associations rather than national rail companies. We started with France, where we confirmed 11 Christmas and Santa trains for 2026, and we are adding more countries with pages written in each country’s own language.

What Christmas trains run in France in 2026?

We confirmed 11 for 2026: the Doller valley in Alsace, the Haute Somme narrow-gauge line, the Aa valley near Saint-Omer, Chanteraines just north of Paris, Pontivy in Brittany, Limoges to Eymoutiers, the Ouche valley steam train in Burgundy, Thoiras in the Cévennes, Ambert to La Chaise-Dieu, the Velay Express and the Haut-Forez line.

Is there a Christmas train near Paris?

Yes. The Chemin de fer des Chanteraines in Villeneuve-la-Garenne, just north of Paris, runs its Christmas train on December 12 and 13, 2026, with booking required.

When is the first French Christmas train of the 2026 season?

The Cévennes Santa train from Thoiras runs first, on Wednesday, December 2, 2026. The last is the Velay Express on Monday, December 21.

How much does a Santa train cost in France?

Confirmed 2026 fares run from 7 euros for a child on the Ouche valley steam train to 20 euros for an adult in the Cévennes and on the Limoges railcar. The age at which young children ride free varies by train.

Do I need to speak French to book?

The operators’ booking pages are in French, but they are simple online forms. Our French pages for each ride explain the dates, prices and rules, and you can read them with your browser’s translate button.

Where do I buy tickets?

Only on each railway’s official site or official ticketing page, which we link on every ride page. These are small volunteer associations that sell their own seats.

How do I find out when 2027 tickets go on sale?

Join the 2027 ticket alert on this page. We send one email when bookings open, and nothing before.

Which country is next?

Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom are next on our list, each with pages in the language local parents search in.

2027 ticket alert

European Christmas trains sell out fast

The best dates are often gone weeks before December. Leave your email and we will write once, the moment 2027 bookings open.

One email when 2027 tickets are released, nothing before. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

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