The Consumer Choice Centre (CCC) has released the latest European Railway Station Index and Utrecht Centraal has nabbed the third place for the best train stations in Europe in 2024. 

The best train stations in Europe in 2024

Compiled by the Consumer Choice Centre (CCC), the European Railway Station Index examines the 50 largest train stations across the continent to determine Europe’s most passenger-friendly railway stations.

To determine which train stations are the best, each station is rated based on factors such as passenger numbers, waiting times, frequency of delayed trains, tickets and in-station services, accessibility options, access to free internet, national and local railway coverage, ride-sharing or taxi services, and number of restaurants, shops and lounges.

Two train stations in Switzerland topped the ranking for 2024, with Zurich HB taking first place and Bern coming in second. According to the CCC, the top 5 stations in the ranking all offer the best all-around experience.

Utrecht Centraal one of the best stations in Europe

The only Dutch train station making it into the top ten for 2024 was Utrecht Centraal in third position - up two places from last year. The large variety of stores at the station in Utrecht is a major positive for passengers with 93,2 percent of respondents saying they shop at the hub.

Amsterdam Centraal which was in eighth position for 2023 dropped out of the top ten this year, landing in 12th place. This is most likely because of the large-scale renovations at the train station in Amsterdam as well as the many train delays caused by track maintenance.

Top 10 railway stations in Europe

According to the CCC, these stations are the cream of the crop:

• 1. Zurich HB, Switzerland
• 2. Bern, Switzerland
• 3. Utrecht Centraal, the Netherlands
• 4. Paris Gare du Nord, France
• 5. Paris Gare du Lyon, France
• 6. Paris Gare Montparnasse, France
• 7. Vienna HB, Austria
• 8. Rome Termini, Italy
• 9. Paris Gare Saint-Lazare 
• =10. London Bridge, United Kingdom
• =10. Leipzig Hbf, Germany

To check out the full ranking, visit the CCC website. 

Thumb image credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com