Travel
Flight-free travel: The best new European train routes launching in 2023 and 2024
A full list of new routes arranged by European country.
As flight-free travel gains momentum, European train journeys are experiencing a renaissance.
The latest inter-country route is set to link three under-the-radar cities in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.
Changing the way you travel is one the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint. As an example, flying from London to Paris emits 14 times more CO2 than travelling by train.
Luckily, countries across the EU are investing in railways that provide better – and faster – connections than ever before.
From budget-savvy night trains to cross-country tracks, here are all the latest European railway routes.
Austria
Vienna to Paris with Nightjet
Austrian national rail firm ÖBB has been trailblazing Europe’s sleeper train revival with Nightjet since 2016. In late 2021, it launched a new route between Vienna and Paris via Salzburg and Munich.
The journey takes 14 hours and runs three times a week in both directions, with prices from around €30 for a seat to €120 and up for a private compartment.
In summer 2023, Nightjet will launch new-gen trains that rival first-class flights in comfort. Expect wireless charging stations, free wifi, bicycle and snow sports equipment storage and private compartments with their own showers and toilets.
Vienna to Genoa and La Spezia with Nightjet
Nightjet’s new 2023 timetable saw its Vienna/Munich service to Milan extended to Genoa and La Spezia in Italy. From here, you can take trains on to Monaco, Nice and Cinque Terre.
Belgium
Brussels to Berlin via Amsterdam with European Sleeper
The long-teased European Sleeper, a Belgian-Dutch social cooperative, launch its first route – from Brussels to Berlin via Amsterdam – on 25 May.
With only one change, passengers on the European Sleeper can travel on to Paris, London, Prague and Warsaw. From 2024, the plan is to extend the service to Dresden and Prague.
Liège to Aachen and Maastricht with****Arriva, SNCB and NS (December 2023)
A new three-country train service will link Aachen in Germany, Liège in Belgium and Maastricht in the Netherlands.
The project is a collaboration between Arriva (part of Germany’s Deutsche Bahn Group), SNCB (the National Railway Company of Belgium) and NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen).
Czech Republic
Prague to Zurich with ČD
In December 2022, the Czech Republic’s national rail operator České dráhy (ČD) launched a new sleeper service linking Prague to Zurich, with stops at Frankfurt and Basel along the way.
The overnight journey, a revival of a service that closed down in 2017, will take slightly less than 14 hours. Travellers will have a number of different fare options, from six-bed couchettes to deluxe sleeper compartments with en-suite toilets and showers.
Tickets for a berth in a six-bed couchette start from €49.90.
France
Paris to Aurillac with SNCF (December 2023)
The Paris-Aurillac night train, which came out of service in the early 2000s, is set to make a comeback later this year.
SNCF Voyageurs has announced that Le Pyrénéen and L’Occitan night trains will link the French capital with the south-central commune from 10 December 2023.
A daily train will serve the city of Cantal during holiday periods, and on Friday and Sunday evenings in each direction the rest of the time.
This is part of a wider initiative to relaunch the country’s night trains, which has so far included the Paris-Nice and Paris-Lourdes services.
Paris to Berlin with TGV (2024)
France and Germany have announced a new TGV train route between Paris and Berlin that is due to start running in 2024.
Currently, a trip between the two capital cities requires travellers to change at a separate station such as Cologne or Frankfurt. The new high-speed link would allow passengers to make the journey in around seven hours.
Paris to Venice with Midnight Trains (2025)
French startup Midnight Trains is set to connect France and Italy with a new night train service from Paris to Venice via Milan from 2025, backed by the European Commission. This will make it faster and simpler for UK travellers to take the train to Italy.
Paris to Madrid with Trenitalia (starts late 2024)
In December 2022, FS Italiane Group – the owner of Italy’s national state-owned railway Trenitalia – announced plans for a new high-speed Frecciarossa train connection between Paris and Madrid.
The new train will link Paris and Barcelona, where the existing high-speed service already runs to the Spanish capital. It is projected to launch in late 2024, with hints that further services could connect Madrid with Italy via France.
Germany
Berlin to Stockholm with Snälltåget
Swedish railway company Snälltåget has rerouted its Berlin to Malmö train service through Hamburg and Denmark, while extending it to Stockholm. The full journey takes just under 17 hours with prices for the direct service from around €50.
Munich to Genoa and La Spezia with Nightjet
Nightjet’s new 2023 timetable saw its Vienna/Munich service to Milan extended to Genoa and La Spezia in Italy. From here, onward travel to Monaco, Nice and Cinque Terre is possible.
Stuttgart to Zagreb and Rijeka with Nightjet and EuroNight
In its new 2023 timetable, Nightjet extended its sleeper train service from Munich to Venice, Ljubljana and Zagreb to start in Stuttgart, Germany.
Seasonally, the route will also run to the coastal Croatian city of Rijeka, with a total journey time of around 15 hours.
The Nightjet to Venice travels via Munich, Salzburg and Treviso, while the service to the Croatian and Slovenian capitals is run by Croatian Railways HŽ and Slovenian Railways SŽ under ÖBB’s EuroNight.
Brussels to Berlin with European Sleeper
Details above.
Liège to Aachen and Maastricht with Arriva, SNCB and NS (December 2023)
Details above.
Italy
Genoa to Naples with NTV Italo
In late 2021, Italian high-speed rail company NTV Italo launched a Genoa service linking the previously poorly connected port city in Italy’s northwest to the south of the country.
The journey from Genoa to Naples takes just under seven hours and costs from around €80 return.
Milan to Paris with Frecciarossa
Also in late 2021, Frecciarossa – the high-speed arm of Italian national train operator Trenitalia – launched a swanky new train between Milan and Paris.
Faster and more luxurious than previous services on this route, the train takes just under seven hours. Tickets are as cheap as €29 – though splash out on an ‘executive’ fare to travel in a comfy armchair.
Portugal
Porto to Lisbon and Vigo with the Iberian high-speed rail network (construction starting in 2024)
Portugal has approved plans for a high-speed rail line between Lisbon, Porto and Vigo. It will be part of the wider Iberian high-speed rail network uniting the country and connecting it with Spain.
Currently it takes almost three hours to travel by train between Porto and Lisbon. The new rail link will slash the journey time to just 1 hour 15 minutes. Ultimately, the new line will connect the Portuguese cities with Vigo in Spain.
Netherlands
Amsterdam to Austria with TUI’s Ski Express
Snow sport lovers are bracing for a new overnight train launching between Amsterdam and some of Austria’s biggest ski resorts.
TUI’s ‘Ski Express’ will depart from Amsterdam every Friday night between 23 December and 31 March. After leaving the Dutch capital at 5:30pm, the service will stop at Utrecht, then continue directly to Austria.
Amsterdam to Zurich with Nightjet
Austrian-led night train pioneer Nightjet launched a route between Amsterdam and Zurich in late 2021. It leaves at 8.30pm and arrives at 8.05am.
Sleeping options range from couchettes (from around €60) to sleeper cabins (from around €120).
Liège to Aachen and Maastricht with Arriva, SNCB and NS (December 2023)
Details above.
Amsterdam to Barcelona with European Sleeper (Spring 2025)
Soon-to-launch Dutch-Belgian train operator European Sleeper hopes to launch a new night train service from Amsterdam to Barcelona in spring 2025. This would vastly improve north-south rail connections in Europe.
Amsterdam to Berlin with Qbuzz (January 2027)
Qbuzz is taking advantage of the EU’s ‘open access’ railway package by applying for three new train connections: Amsterdam to Eindhoven, Amsterdam to Berlin and Amsterdam to Paris.
If approved by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), these could be operational from January 2027.
Spain
Madrid to Alicante and Valencia with Ouigo, Avlo and Iryo
In November 2022, SNCF-owned Ouigo launched a new high-speed, low-cost route between Madrid and Valencia. From summer 2023 it will also run to Alicante. Tickets will initially be priced at €9 one-way with one suitcase, but will cost around €30 after the launch period.
But Renfe’s Aryo is set to beat it to the punch – the low cost operator will launch its own Madrid to Alicante service on 27 March starting at just €7. Iryo will launch a similar service on 2 June.
In 2023 and 2024, Ouigo plans to extend its service to reach Cordoba, Seville, Malaga and the Costa del Sol.
Barcelona to Madrid with Iryo
Travelling between Spain’s capital and its top tourist city got faster and cheaper in November 2022 with this new high-speed rail service from Iryo.
Iryo – a consortium between Spanish airline Air Nostrum and Italian train company Trenitalia – runs 16 return trains daily between Barcelona and Madrid, taking as little as 2.5 hours each way and costing just €18.
On 31 March 2023, the low-cost rail provider will also launch a service between Malaga, Madrid and Cordoba, with a journey time of three hours. From June 2023, Renfe’s Avlo will also link Madrid with Malaga and Seville.
Madrid to Marseille via Barcelona with Renfe (mid 2023)
Spain’s state owned rail network is set to launch new high-speed AVE services to France in 2023. Trains are expected to initially run on alternate days but will later be ramped up to twice a day.
Barcelona to Lyon via Montpellier and Nimes with Renfe (mid 2023)
Renfe’s plan to extend its train services into France includes another new route due to launch later this year between Barcelona and Lyon.
Further routes to Paris are expected by the end of the year.
Slovenia
Ljubljana to Budapest with Hungarian Railways
Launched in December 2021, the Hungarian Railways train from Ljubljana, Slovenia to Budapest, Hungary runs through Graz in Austria for a scenic ride. The journey takes 7.5 hours and prices start as low as €16 each way.
Sweden
Stockholm to Hamburg with SJ EuroNight
Launched in September 2022, the Stockholm Central to Hamburg-Altona night train is powered by renewable energy. It departs daily at 5.30pm and arrives at 6.30am, passing through Copenhagen along the way.
The cheapest option is a seat in a carriage (from €25). A bed in a shared compartment starts at €45, while a private compartment for two people with a sink starts at €165. Private compartments for one-to-three people come with their own shower, toilet and breakfast starting from around €205. Pet-friendly train compartments are also available.
Combined with existing Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn services, the service can also be used to travel from London to Stockholm in less than 24 hours.
Switzerland
Zurich to Rome with Nightjet
In a 2020 press conference, Nightjet announced it will launch a new night train between Zurich and Rome in winter 2022. It remains to be seen whether the plans will go ahead as scheduled. Currently, the operator’s only Rome routes include Vienna, Salzburg, Villach and Munich.
UK
London to Bordeaux with HS1 (approximately 2026)
The UK’s High Speed 1 (HS1), which operates the Channel Tunnel railway line, is gearing up to launch a new route from London to Bordeaux. Currently, passengers must pass through Paris to reach the French wine region, with a journey time of almost six hours. The new line will bypass the capital and slash the travel time to around five hours.
Author
Travel
A 4-year cruise or a €1 house in Italy: Inside the schemes helping Americans skip Trump’s presidency
Searches by Americans for moving abroad soared in the 24 hours after the first polls closed, according to Google data.
Following the recent US election result, Google searches for ‘how to move to Europe’ increased by more than 1,000 per cent in some countries.
Searches by Americans for moving to Canada and Australia soared by 1,270 and 820 per cent respectively in the 24 hours after the first polls closed, according to Google data.
The interest in leaving the States has not gone unnoticed by marketing firms.
A residential cruise ship is now offering Americans a four-year ‘escape’ trip while a Sardinian village has relaunched its €1 house scheme.
Cruise company offers four-year escape from Trump
Cruise firm Villa Vie Residences is marketing a four-year round the world trip to Americans looking to skip Donald Trump’s second term as president.
The Tour La Vie programme offers passengers a stay of up to four years onboard while visiting 140 countries – which doesn’t include the US.
The irreverently named packages include a one-year ‘Escape from Reality’ cruise, a two-year ‘Mid-Term Selection’ option, a three-year ‘Everywhere but Home’ cruise, and the four-year ‘Skip Forward’ trip.
Guests would join the Villa Vie Odyssey, a residential cruise ship which set sail from Belfast in September, several months into its voyage.
“We came up with this marketing campaign before we even knew who would win. Regardless of who would have won, you would have half of the population upset,” CEO Mikael Petterson told US news site Newsweek.
“Quite frankly, we don’t have a political view one way or the other. We just wanted to give people who feel threatened to have a way to get out.”
Prices start at a little under $40,000 (€38,000) a year. For those opting for the full four-year escape, single-occupancy cabins start at $256,000 (€243,000) while double-occupancy costs up to $320,000 (€303,000).
The price includes all food and drinks (alcohol only at dinner), WiFi, medical visits, weekly housekeeping service and bi-weekly laundry.
Sardinian village relaunches €1 house scheme for Americans
In rural Sardinia, the village of Ollolai has revived its €1 house scheme, now targeting Americans exhausted by the election.
The homes-for-the-price-of-an-espresso offer has been relaunched for US citizens “worned [sic] out by global politics” and “looking to embrace a more balanced lifestyle”, local authorities write on the village’s website.
“Of course, we can’t specifically mention the name of one US president who just got elected, but we all know that he’s the one from whom many Americans want to get away from now and leave the country,” village mayor Francesco Columbo told US news site CNN.
“We have specifically created this website now to meet US post-elections relocation needs.”
Those needs include slowing down and recharging with Ollolai’s dreamy Mediterranean lifestyle.
“Nestled in pristine nature, surrounded by incredible cuisine, and immersed in a community with ancient traditions in the rare Earth’s Blue Zone, Ollolai is the perfect destination to reconnect, recharge and embrace a new way of life,” the website claims.
Available properties will soon be listed online with prices ranging from €1 for houses needing substantial renovations to €100,000 for those that are ready to live in.
This is not the first time the village in Sardinia has put houses for a pittance on the market. In a bid to halt a steep population decline, Ollolai began selling off abandoned homes in 2018 to people willing to carry out $25,000 (€24,000) of renovations within a three-year timespan.
Author
Catalonia has said they want to rid Barcelona of its 10,000 holiday lets in the next 5 years.
Catalonia’s recent ban on Airbnb-style holiday rentals breaches EU law, according to a complaint filed with the European Commission by an industry group.
The European Holiday Home Association claims that the ban, introduced by Catalonia in June this year, breaches the provision of services directive.
The Spanish region announced that they wanted to rid Barcelona of its 10,000 tourist flat licences over the next five years. The city has not granted new licences since 2014 but this has not helped to stem a housing crisis, with locals saying they can not find places to live at affordable prices.
Why has Barcelona’s Airbnb ban been challenged?
“We are convinced that EU law has not been respected,” Viktorija Molnar, Secretary General of the European Holiday Home Association (EHHA), said in a statement released on Wednesday.
“By submitting the EU complaint, we hope that the European Commission will take a step further and open a formal infringement procedure against Spain,” added Molnar, whose group represents short-term rental platforms like Airbnb and Expedia’s Vrbo.
The move follows legal concerns raised by the European Commission itself that restrictions brought in by the Spanish region were disproportionate to the aim of tackling housing shortages.
EHHA argues that “unjustified, disproportionate and unsuitable” restrictions breach the EU’s Services Directive, which regulates a swathe of activities from hotels to legal advice. They also said that claims about the impact of Airbnb on housing affordability are “politically inflamed”.
The lobby group may have support from the European Commission itself, whose officials wrote to Spanish authorities to protest the law in February according to a document seen by Euronews Travel.
“The Commission services consider that the restrictions laid down in [Catalonia’s] Decree-law 3/2023 are not suitable to attain the objective of fighting housing shortage and are disproportionate to that objective,” the document said.
Spanish authorities could have also considered less swingeing restrictions and hadn’t offered evidence that short-term rentals were responsible for housing market tensions, it added – noting that there were three times as many empty dwellings as tourist rental properties in Catalonia.
Barcelona is just one European holiday destinations trying to find ways to tackle overtourism.
Cities like Venice have banned cruise ships from stopping on their shores, Athens regularly restricts visitor numbers at the famous Acropolis and Amsterdam is moving its red light district out of the city centre to try and clean up its image.
How the European Commission is taking on holiday rentals
Brussels has already taken action to bring the sharing economy within the regulatory fold, offering new rights to platform workers and hiking value-added tax on short-term lets and ridesharing apps such as Uber.
But the issue could prove totemic for Commission President Ursula von der Leyen – who has created the first-ever European Commissioner for Housing as part of her second mandate, set to take office within weeks.
She has told Denmark’s Dan Jørgensen to “tackle systemic issues with short-term accommodation rentals”, in a mission letter that handed him the housing brief alongside responsibility for energy policy.
A spokesperson for the Catalan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
CORRECTION(20 November, 10:02): corrects spelling of Molnar’s name
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The move has been criticised by other tech companies who have branded Microsoft as being a “panic mode”.
In opening remarks to a company conference in the United States on Tuesday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has set the stage for where the company is taking its artificial intelligence (AI) business.
AI developers are increasingly pitching the next wave of generative AI (GenAI) chatbots as AI “agents” that can do more useful things on people’s behalf.
But the cost of building and running AI tools is so high that more investors are questioning whether the technology’s promise is overblown.
Microsoft said last month that it’s preparing for a world where “every organisation will have a constellation of agents – ranging from simple prompt-and-response to fully autonomous”.
Microsoft elaborated in a blog post Tuesday that such autonomous agents “can operate around the clock to review and approve customer returns or go over shipping invoices to help businesses avoid costly supply-chain errors”.
Microsoft’s annual Ignite conference caters to its big business customers.
Microsoft criticised
The pivot toward so-called “agentic AI” comes as some users are seeing limits to the large language models behind chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s own Copilot.
Those systems work by predicting the most plausible next word in a sentence and are good at certain writing-based work tasks.
But tech companies have been working to build AI tools that are better at longer-range planning and reasoning so they can access the web or control computers and perform tasks on their own on a user’s behalf.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has criticized Microsoft’s pivot. Salesforce also has its “Agentforce” service that uses AI in sales, marketing, and other tasks.
“Microsoft rebranding Copilot as ‘agents’? That’s panic mode,” Benioff said in a social media post last month. He went on to claim that Microsoft’s flagship AI assistant, called Copilot, is “a flop” that is inaccurate and spills corporate data.
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