The return of France’s train of marvels: from the Côte d’Azur to the Southern French Alps (opens in new tab)

The reopened Train de Merveilles route takes passengers from the glamour of Nice to a grandiose alpine landscapeNine-thirty on a sunny Tuesday morning, and the platforms at Nice-Ville station are buzzing. Office workers nudge their way past backpackers, passengers clamber on to trains heading east to Monaco and Italy, or west to Antibes and Cannes. My husband and I, however, are heading away from the glittering coastline and boarding the Train des Merveilles (Train of Wonders) into the Alpes-...