This London train station was just named as one of the world’s most luxurious
Key Points
- London Paddington has been named among the world's most premium train stations.
- King's Cross St Pancras International is the only other station from the UK to make the list.
- The top spot goes to Zürich Hauptbahnhof, for its lounges, dining, and shopping.
A historic London rail hub has been named among the world’s most premium rail stations thanks to its high-end amenities, comfort, and quality experience.
London Paddington, which has sat in the heart of London since 1838, was named among the top 10 world’s most premium train stations in the latest ranking by travel insurance company AllClear.
With its excellent connections to Underground and train services, first-class lounge with complementary refreshments and “diamond”-graded toilet facilities, Paddington took 9th spot on the list with an overall score of 65/100.
The station was also ranked highly due to the excellent variety of delicious dining spots in its vicinity.
AllClear analysed 40 train stations worldwide and compared them across several criteria to decide on a premium score for each.
Factors taken into account include access to first-class or premium lounges, the number and quality of dining options available, the volume of retail outlets, the number of excellent reviews, and the number of nearby luxury hotels.
Out of the top 20 train stations ranked as the most luxurious, only two are in the United Kingdom, the second being St Pancras International, which ranked at 12th with a score of 61/100.
Paddington was narrowly beaten out by Grand Central Terminal in the United States, which scored just one overall point higher despite scoring a 0 for lounge access, thanks to its far superior dining offerings and reviews.
The top-ranking train station in the world was Zürich Hauptbahnhof, which AllClear said had an exceptional combination of luxury passenger lounges, retail offerings, and highly-rated traveller reviews.
Second, third, and fourth place were held by the primary train stations in Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo, respectively, making Japan a top destination for luxurious travel hubs.
Other stations which ranked above Paddington included Toronto Union Station in Canada, Firenze Santa Maria Novella in Italy, and Amsterdam Centraal in the Netherlands.
Below are the world’s 20 most premium train stations, according to AllClear.
| Rank | Station | Country | Overall ‘Premium’ Score /100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zürich Hauptbahnhof | Switzerland | 83 |
| 2 | Osaka Station | Japan | 77 |
| 3 | Kyoto Station | Japan | 74 |
| 4 | Tokyo Station | Japan | 73 |
| 5 | Toronto Union Station | Canada | 68 |
| =5 | Firenze Santa Maria Novella | Italy | 68 |
| 7 | Amsterdam Centraal | Netherlands | 66 |
| =7 | Grand Central Terminal | USA | 66 |
| 9 | Paddington | UK | 65 |
| 10 | Roma Termini | Italy | 64 |
| 11 | Gare de Lyon | France | 63 |
| 12 | St Pancras International | UK | 61 |
| =12 | Antwerp Central | Belgium | 61 |
| =12 | Prague Main Station | Czech Republic | 61 |
| 15 | Gare du Nord | France | 60 |
| =15 | Milano Centrale | Italy | 60 |
| 17 | Munich Hbf | Germany | 59 |
| =17 | Vienna Hauptbahnhof | Austria | 59 |
| 19 | Waitematā Train Station | New Zealand | 59 |
| 20 | Taipei Main Station | Taiwan | 58 |
| =20 | Berlin Hauptbahnhof | Germany | 58 |
