As part of a much wider rail adventure across Europe (full write-up and map coming soon), I found myself carving out a day to visit one of the continent’s more unusual countries, including for its railways: Liechtenstein. And in true fashion, there was only really one way to approach it – I got off at every station in the country. All three of them.
Liechtenstein’s railway is a quirk of the European network that doesn’t really feel real until you’re there. The entire system consists of a single line – the route between Feldkirch and Buchs – which just so happens to pass through the country for about 10 kilometres. It’s not really for Liechtenstein in the way you’d expect a national railway to be – instead, it’s more of a through-route that the country borrows for infrequent stopping services. And yet, dotted along it are three stations – Schaan-Vaduz, Forst Hilti and Nendeln – which together make up the entirety of the country’s very limited rail offer.
The local network is operated by the Austrian federal railway company, otherwise known as ÖBB (in contrast to most support services in the microstate being provided by Switzerland), and consists of the S2 service between Buchs and Feldkirch. The service runs on an infrequent, effectively commuter-focused basis, with trains broadly clustered into peak periods – a handful in the early morning, then another small batch later in the day, with long gaps in between where nothing runs at all. It’s a “plan your day around it” railway rather than something you can turn up and use, and the timetable photo I’ve provided aboveprobably tells that story best.
However, this isn’t really isn’t a branch like you may imagine. Instead, it’s part of a key international corridor linking major European cities. While you’re stood on these quiet platforms, long-distance services between Zurich, Vienna, Budapest and other major central European cities are passing straight through at speed, completely bypassing the country – with local trains being provided by local stock on local timetables.
That contrast really hits at Nendeln specifically, which managed to unsettle my very UK-conditioned sense of railway safety. Despite sitting on a line that carries fast international traffic, the station is incredibly open. There are level crossings – including pedestrian ones – where people simply walk across the tracks, and not always in a particularly controlled way. Watching that happen while knowing that high-speed trains are passing through felt surreal in 2026, and it makes you realise just how differently railways are approached across some parts of Europe – particularly those with a lower quality rail service
There have been efforts to improve the situation and make more of the line. Proposals have included double-tracking sections of the route, therefore increasing capacity and potentially allowing more frequent stopping services, as well as upgrades to stations like Nendeln to improve accessibility and the safety situation.
As for actually covering all three stations, it ended up being a surprisingly satisfying challenge (but very walking heavy – by my own choice!) I started by taking the train from Buchs SG to Forst Hilti, before heading on foot into Vaduz to visit the capital. From there, it was a bus up to Schaan-Vaduz, then back onto the railway for a short hop to Nendeln, where I spent about half an hour taking it all in before continuing on to Feldkirch. All three stations done in the space of an afternoon! I’ve provided the full itinerary below.
So if the railway is this limited, what actually gets you around? Buses. As part of my station-ticking day, I hopped onto the bus network – centred around services linking Vaduz (the capital) and Schaan (the largest settlement) with the rest of the country and neighbouring towns. It’s frequent and well-connected, designed around the needs of people living in the country, unlike the railway in this instance.
Beyond the transport side of things, we should probably talk about the country itself, because it’s really special. Liechtenstein (a tiny country in the grand scheme of things) sits tucked into the Alps between Switzerland and Austria, and the setting is spectacular. The Rhine Valley runs along one side, while mountains rise almost immediately on the other, creating a landscape that feels a little compact. It all really does belong on a postcard!
Liechtenstein is one of those places that really shouldn’t work as a railway tourist’s destination – and yet, somehow, it absolutely does. It’s very satisfying, ticking off an entire country’s rail network in a single afternoon, hopping between Schaan-Vaduz, Forst Hilti and Nendeln while international trains thunder past.
It’s niche, and completely out of proportion with the scale of the wider European network it sits within – but that’s exactly what makes it exciting and very Harry-friendly! Add in the dramatic Alpine setting, the sheer novelty of it all makes its lot more than a box-ticking exercise for me.
Ultimately, that’s what made this just day-long stop so worthwhile. Liechtenstein perfectly captures the charm of travelling across Europe by train.
