Leaf-peepers have plenty to look forward during a fall trip to Europe, perhaps best exemplified by this gorgeous train trip ...

It's a situation you probably dread — one wrong platform, a tight connection, or a confusing announcement in a language unfamiliar to you, and suddenly, you're watching the European countryside blur ...

Two centuries ago, there were dozens of independent states in the part of Europe that was German-speaking. Today, there are only four: Germany, Austria, Switzerland … and Liechtenstein.