Travel
Eurostar, Trenitalia, Deutsche Bahn: What are the best and worst rail operators in Europe?
The report’s authors say the results of its survey underline the need for improvements to rail services across Europe.
Europe’s rail services fall short of expectations and expensive ticket prices don’t necessarily translate to higher-quality services, a new report has found.
The survey from the campaign group Transport and Environment (T&E) ranked 27 different rail operators across the continent. Each was evaluated on eight different criteria: ticket prices, special fares and reductions, reliability, booking experience, compensation policies, traveller experience, night trains and cycling policy.
It comes amid a growing consensus that rail travel in Europe needs to be improved with T&E saying it underlines the need for industry-wide reforms.
Which rail operators are the best in Europe?
Italy’s Trenitalia came out on top of T&E’s ranking, earning an average score of 7.7 out of 10, with the operator standing out for its travel experience. It is followed by Switzerland’s SBB with a score of 7.4 which was found to have the most punctual trains in Europe.
Also with a score of 7.4 was Czechia’s RegioJet, which has some of the most affordable ticket prices in the continent, according to the report.
Which rail operators are the worst in Europe?
Eurostar was at the bottom of the list with an average score of 4.9 out of 10 across the eight criteria. T&E says this reflects its steep prices – which are worth 25 per cent of the score – and poor reliability.
The report found that Eurostar was almost twice as expensive as other European operators on routes of comparable lengths.
A Eurostar spokesperson says the operator is “surprised” by the survey results and doesn’t agree with the conclusions of the report.
They point to recent changes since the data was collected, saying the booking experience is now the same for all trains, cycling policies have been updated, and a service to buy discounted last-minute fares has been relaunched.
The Eurostar spokesperson adds that automated refunds aren’t offered to allow customers to choose the type of compensation they want to receive.
“We are confident that if this report were redone again, the scores would be higher,” the operator says.
Eurostar is joined at the bottom of the list by Greece’s high-speed Hellenic Train, and France’s low-cost rail service Ouigo.
What are the most reliable rail operators in Europe?
Reliability and ease of booking are worth 15 per cent of an operator’s score in the ranking.
In the top three overall, Switzerland’s SBB is in the lead for reliability alongside Belgium’s SNCB, and Spain’s Renfe.
When it comes to booking experience, SBB also tops the list, followed by Deutsche Bahn and Austria’s ÖBB. This covers features like how long tickets are offered in advance and if they can be sold by external platforms.
Just 11 out of the 27 operators included in the survey achieved punctuality rates over 80 per cent, however.
Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, Portugal’s CP, and Sweden’s Snälltåget rank lowest for reliability.
What are the most and least expensive rail operators in Europe?
Comparing price per kilometre, travelling by train in the UK was particularly expensive. Great Western Railway was the most pricey, with fares two and half times higher than the average EU/Swiss operator.
Eurostar was the second worst for price – at twice the price of other European operators. The report notes that it is noticeably expensive when compared to other international rail companies, costing up to five times as much as RegioJet.
The third most expensive was the UK’s Avanti West Coast, with fares one and a half times more than the average EU/Swiss operator.
The most cost-competitive operator in Europe was Germany’s new entrant, Flixtrain. It was found to be four times cheaper than Deutsche Bahn, the main rail operator it competes with in Germany. Ouigo and RegioJet join Flixtrain in the top three most affordable operators.
For special fares, like discounts for families or specific age groups, Bulgaria’s BDZ, Portugal’s CP, Greece’s Hellenic Trains, Sweden’s SJ, and Italian operators Italo and Trenitalia scored the best out of the 27 operators.
The report also found that high prices don’t necessarily mean better service. ÖBB and Trenitalia had some of the best price-to-quality ratios in Europe, while Eurostar and Avanti had high fares but were found to deliver subpar services.
High ticket prices are ‘driving passengers away’
Victor Thévenet, rail policy manager at T&E, says the “ticket” to making rail travel accessible to all Europeans is to make train travel more affordable.
Research by McKinsey has found that 49 per cent of people cite prices as the primary factor in choosing a mode of transport. Europe on Rail has also found that 73 per cent of people believe rail travel should generally be cheaper than air travel on the same routes.
“Sky-high ticket prices are driving passengers away from trains,” Thévenet explains, adding that bringing costs down is a “shared responsibility between the industry and governments”.
“Rail operators need to set customer-friendly fares, while Member States and the EU should ensure fair competition and lower rail tolls.”
How can European rail be improved?
Some improvements to European rail are already in the works.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently committed to creating a Single Digital Booking and Ticketing Regulation. This would allow passengers to easily book tickets for trains that cross country borders and operators without worrying about missing connections. They would also benefit from full EU passengers’ rights in the case of delays.
“The EU has opened a window of opportunity to finally mandate that train companies share their tickets with booking platforms to enable cross-border booking in just one click,” says Thévenet.
“Together with the rollout of the European standard for command and control system ERTMS, which will increase train capacity and punctuality, these regulations have the potential to make rail more reliable and easier to use. It is now time for the Commission to show these are not empty promises.”
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Travel advisories have been lifted after they were imposed 15 months ago in October 2023.
The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) changed official travel advice which warned against “all travel” or “all but essential travel” to the majority of Israel.
Travel advisories have changed for key tourist destinations including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Eilat, the Dead Sea, Galilee and Haifa. Visitors are now only advised to check advice before they travel to these areas.
The FCDO still advises against all but essential travel to areas within some parts of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories including Gaza and the West Bank. It also advises against travel to areas within 500 metres of the border with Syria and Gaza.
FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the area between the Lebanon border and (but not including) Route 89 excluding Nahriyyah.
Travel advisories have been lifted after they were imposed 15 months ago in October 2023.
The updated advice says the frequency of rocket attacks has decreased significantly but warns that there is “increased risk of political tension” which could cause demonstrations and clashes around anniversaries of significant events.
“The Israeli government declared a state of emergency across the whole country on 7 October [2023] and this remains in place,” the FCDO says. It adds that international air and land borders could close at short notice and visitors should check the latest information before they travel.
Is it safe to travel to Egypt?
Escalating tensions in the region have left many concerned about travelling to neighbouring countries.
Despite lifting travel warnings for Israel, the FCDO still advises against visiting large areas of Egypt. This includes within 20km of the Egypt-Libya border – except for the town of El Salloum, where it advises against all but essential travel – and the North Sinai Governorate.
The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the northern part of the South Sinai Governorate, beyond the St Catherine-Nuweibaa road, except for the coastal areas along the west and east of the peninsula.
Its advice is the same for the Ismailiyah Governorate east of the Suez Canal, the Hala’ib Triangle, the Bir Tawil Trapezoid and the area west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta regions, except for:
- Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings
- the Faiyum Governorate
- the coastal areas between the Nile Delta and Marsa Matruh
- the Marsa Matruh-Siwa road
- the oasis town of Siwa
- the Giza Governorate north-east of the Bahariya Oasis
- the road between Giza and Farafra (but FCDO advises against all but essential travel on the road between Bahariya and Siwa)
- Bahariya Oasis, Farafra, the White Desert and Black Desert
Is it safe to travel to Lebanon right now?
Lebanon lies to the north of Israel and shares a border. Despite a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese Hizballah coming into force on 27 November, the FCDO says the security environment remains unpredictable.
It advises against all travel to Lebanon and urges Britons to leave by commercial means. Foreign offices in other European countries, including Ireland and France, have also advised against all travel to the country.
Is it safe to travel to Syria right now?
The FCDO advises against all travel to Syria due to “ongoing conflict and unpredictable security conditions”. It urges all British nationals to leave the country by any practical means.
The Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad fell in early December, bringing a shocking end to his family’s 50-year reign following an offensive by Islamist rebels.
Is it safe to travel to Jordan right now?
Jordan shares a border with Israel and the West Bank as well as with Syria.
The FCDO advises against all travel to within 3km of the border with Syria but borders remain open and most tourist destinations in Jordan have been unaffected by the instability.
Some flights to Amman and Aqaba airports have been affected so it is worth checking before you travel.
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Travel
Switzerland unveils the world’s steepest cable car leading up to James Bond revolving restaurant
Each car hangs from an 11-metre arm to cope with the incredibly steep incline.
The world’s steepest cable car has just opened in Switzerland’s Bernese Alps.
Connecting the village of Stechelberg on the valley floor with Mürren, the track has a gradient of 159.4 per cent.
The journey takes just four minutes to climb 775 metres over a track nearly 1,194 metres in length.
The two cars hang from an 11-metre-long arm to cope with the steep incline and have space for up to 85 passengers. The route is fully autonomous, with constant monitoring by cameras and sensors allowing it to operate without staff on board.
The first car made its journey up the cableway on the evening of Friday 13 December at an official opening ceremony. It began welcoming regular passengers on Saturday 14 December.
Visit a mountaintop made famous by James Bond
The new cable car is part of the ‘Schilthornbahn 20XX’ project which involves building a new route made up of three sections. It will eventually run from Stechelberg and Mürren via Birg up to the Schilthorn, cutting the current journey time from 32 minutes to around 18 minutes.
The Swiss mountain’s ‘Piz Gloria’ restaurant was made famous by the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
This revolving restaurant is located at the peak of the Schilthorn and has 360-degree views of more than 200 other mountain peaks. If visibility is good, you can even see Montblanc.
Designed by Bernese architect Konrad Wolf, it claims to be the world’s first revolving restaurant.
Its name comes from Ian Fleming’s 1963 novel of the same name in which it is the mountain-top hideout of the villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld. The production team for the movie found the restaurant partially complete and contributed to finishing its construction in return for exclusive use for filming the 1969 movie.
A new cableway between Mürren and Birg also opened at the same time as the world’s steepest cable car. The final stretch from Birg to the Schilthorn is expected to open in March 2025 with the finalisation of the entire project in spring/summer 2026. This top section has been closed since mid-October because of the project.
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The route is the first directly linking the two capitals’ city centres.
Paris and Berlin are about to get a little closer.
A year after its nighttime counterpart hit the rails, the highly anticipated daytime high-speed train linking Paris and Berlin is ready to launch on 16 December, Germany’s Deutsche Bahn has confirmed.
The new route promises faster, direct and daily journeys between the two bustling capital cities, and at a competitive price.
How long will the new Paris-Berlin train take?
Currently, travelling during the day between Paris and Berlin involves a connection and usually takes between nine and 10.5 hours.
The ÖBB Nightjet overnight train between the two capitals, meanwhile, takes around 13 hours and 15 minutes and only departs three times a week – on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
This overnight service also was suspended just eight months after it launched due to major works on the rail network. It resumed service in early November, about three months after it was paused.
The new direct train service will run daily and take around eight hours, departing Paris Gare de l’Est at 9.55am and arriving at Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 6.03pm.
In the other direction, the train will depart at 11.54am and arrive at 7.55pm.
According to the rail operators, it is the first to link the two capitals “from city centre to city centre”.
The inaugural journey will set off from Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 12.02pm on 16 December, with dignitaries including François Delattre, the French ambassador to Germany, and Kai Wegner, the governing mayor of Berlin, in attendance.
How much will the new Paris-Berlin train cost, and where will it stop?
The new high-speed ICE train sets off just in time for Christmas. It will stop in Strasbourg, Karlsruhe and Frankfurt along the way.
Tickets are on sale now, starting at €59 one way.
“This creation of a connection contributes to a common objective of our two countries: to promote carbon-free mobility,” managing director of TGV-Intercités Alain Krakovitch tweeted after announcing the new service in September.
“Compared to the plane, the [train] journey between Berlin and Paris generates only one hundredth of the CO2 emissions,” he added.
Deutsche Bahn plans to make trains more reliable
Germany’s reputation for punctuality has, in recent years, not extended to its trains. In both 2022 and 2023, over a third of long-distance trains were delayed, DB figures show.
Short-term construction works, rail repairs, staff strikes and extreme weather were the main reasons behind the delays.
The operator hopes to improve the situation in the coming year, in part by adding more long-distance services with fewer stops.
Since October, it has also allowed passengers to pre-book 12 months ahead, up from the current six.
As infrastructure improvements continue, DB hopes that delays will gradually ease over the next two years.
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