Nicky Gardner

Nicky Gardner is a Berlin-based writer and editor. From 2005 to 2023, Nicky was co-editor of hidden europe magazine. She is the lead author of Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide. The 19th edition of this book was published in June 2026. The co-author is Susanne Kries. Nicky and Susanne share a common interest in slow travel and green mobilities.

The two women were described in E&T Magazine (aka Engineering & Technology Magazine) as "the doyennes of European travel and the subtle connoisseurs of Europe's railways." That same article described Europe by Rail as "a sheer delight, an indispensable book for both real life and armchair travellers and a spectacular achievement, of which the likes of George Bradshaw and Thomas Cook would feel proud."

Nicky's writing has featured in media across Europe. Since 2022, she has served as the Guardian's "slow travel" expert but beyond that you'll find nicely woven words by Nicky in such disparate sources as La Vie du Rail, Common Ground, Kyiv Post, New Statesman, Russian Life, i news and the Independent newspaper. Nicky's articles on European travel, cultural and politics are regularly translated into other languages. In recent years her work has appeared in Italian, German, Russian, Ukrainan, Polish, Basque and Spanish.

Updated 06 July 2026