Runway to Rail: Madrid - Barcelona and Venice - Rome

In the last few years, Madrid has gained the reputation of being one of Europe's most active and attractive cities for its nightlife and cultural activities. Capital of Spain since 1562, Madrid's museums host, among others, Dalis, Miros and Picasso's Guernica. Madrid is a city of great contrasts: the Old City, the Madrid of the Hapsburgs, the Royal Palace, the Puerta de Alcala, the Retiro Park. At night, the city changes gears with its famous Madrid nightlife. The city's endless energy is hard to resist, and its sociable style invites you to jump right in.

Visit Palacio Real, Plaza Mayor, Prado Museum, Puerta del Sol, Puerta de Alcala, Plaza de Cibeles, Gran Via, Madrid Cathedral, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofia Museums and so much more!

Barcelona, the old Roman Barcino, is Spain's second city, always on the biting edge of fashion, architecture, food, style, music and good times. Walk its narrow streets and wonderful plazas, or along the Ramblas, stretching from Plaza de Cataluna to the Harbor, encompassing the magic of the city: stalls full of books, birds and flowers. The city's most powerful monuments open a window onto its history: the intricately carved edifices that comprise the medieval Gothic Quarter; the curvilinear modernism (Catalan Art Nouveau) that inspired Gaudi's Sagrada Familia; and the seminal surrealist works of Picasso and Miró, found in museums that peg Barcelona as a crucial incubator for 20th-century art. The recent restoration of the port area began with the development of a harbor for the Olympic Games of 1992. New modern squares, designed by leading artists such as Miro and Barcelo have created a new style alongside Gaudi's modernist buildings. Now the city is ready to show every visitor how it has been transformed into one of the most moderns and active cities in Europe.

Explore The Sagrada Familia, Picasso Museum, La Rambla, Barri Gotic, Park Guell, modernist buildings, Montjuic Hill, Barceloneta and so much more!

With sumptuous palaces and romantic waterways, Venice is straight out of an 18th-century Canaletto masterpiece. No matter how many times you have seen it in movies or on TV, the real thing is more surreal and dreamlike than you ever imagined. Its landmarks, the Basilica di San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale are exotic melanges of Byzantine, Gothic, and Renaissance styles. It is full of secrets, ineffably romantic, and - at times - given over entirely to pleasure. You must walk everywhere in Venice; and where you cannot walk, you go by water.

Explore Piazza San Marco, stroll across the Rialto Bridge, get lost in the endless canals, admire the Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, visit the San Giorgio dei Greci, walk around the Jewish Ghetto, learn about Venice's musical history, tour Venice's unique architecture at Campo Santa Maria Formosa, celebrate one of Venice's many festivals, go window shopping, and so much more!

Rome is undeniably stunning, from its rich ancient culture, delectable cuisine and coffees to its uniquely European experiences. This city is packed full of sights; with thousands of years of history layered upon itself - you'll find everything from Roman ruins to Renaissance art. It's also home to Vatican City, and sights galore.

Explore and discover the Roman Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine, discover the Vatican, the smallest independent state in the world; throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, marvel at the Pantheon, sit on the Spanish Steps, wander the Piazzas, eat the best gelato, climb Palatine Hill, walk the Ancient Appian Way and so much more!