Travel
Paris and Berlin linked: High-speed train service launches with fares from €59
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.
Travel
Romania and Bulgaria will be in the Schengen zone from January. What will change for travellers?
It’s been a rocky road to Schengen membership for both eastern European countries.
As of 1 January 2025, Romania and Bulgaria will officially become full-time members of the Schengen Area, which allows free movement between member states for 450 million citizens.
The two countries have been members of the European Union (EU) since 2007, but as they were not part of the border-free area, travellers were still required to show passports upon entry.
Now, border controls for the two countries will be simplified.
Here’s what travellers to Romania and Bulgaria need to know about the changes.
Schengen membership: A milestone years in the making for Romania and Bulgaria
Back in 2011, the European Commission (EC) determined both eastern European countries were ready to become Shengen members.
Despite the pronouncement, neither were immediately granted entry into the group.
Fellow EU members, including Germany and France, denied their joint candidacy over governance and immigration issues, delaying their Schengen accession year after year. But the opposition gradually eased.
Last year, the Netherlands – one of the last two holdouts – lifted its veto, leaving Austria as the only country still in opposition. They lifted their veto in November, leaving the path free for Romania and Bulgaria to enter.
Despite Austria’s resistance to Romania and Bulgaria’s Schengen membership, the EC lifted air and sea checks earlier this year, signalling bigger changes to come.
Do you need a passport to enter Romania and Bulgaria?
When Romania and Bulgaria join the Schengen zone in the new year, it will be easier for travellers to visit the two countries. At least in principle.
Citizens of Schengen countries do not need to show their passports when flying between countries in the Schengen zone, although not always when travelling by road.
But while Romania and Bulgaria will be fully-fledged members, the EC isn’t ready to pull all border checks yet.
The EC anticipates maintaining checks at land borders between Hungary and Romania and between Romania and Bulgaria for “at least” six months to “prevent any serious threat to public policy and internal security” – a decision likely made to appease Austria.
This means if you are driving or arriving by train or bus into Romania and Bulgaria, you will still need to carry your passport.
Travellers arriving by air or sea from other Schengen countries will no longer have to show passports upon arrival, however.
Meaning, passengers on flights, cruises and ferries will not be subject to passport checks.
Which European countries can you enter without a passport?
Travellers without EU citizenship should remember that stays in Bulgaria and Romania count towards time spent in the Schengen zone, which cannot be longer than 90 total days within 180 days.
If a traveller spends 30 days in Bulgaria or Romania and enters another Schengen country such as Greece, for example, those 30 days will count toward the 90-day maximum stay in the Schengen Area.
Exceeding this limit can result in penalties, including fines or bans on re-entry.
How many countries are in the Schengen Zone?
The latest country to join the Schengen zone was Croatia in 2022.
Every year, 1.25 billion trips take place within this area and 3.5 million people cross the borders of its member countries every day.
Now, including Romania and Bulgaria, the Schengen zone comprises 29 states. 25 belong to the EU and four are associated states of the European Free Trade Association: Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
The Schengen Area was created in 1995 following the signing of the Schengen Agreement 10 years earlier between five member states of the European Economic Community: Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Several other agreements followed until the 2007 enlargement, integrating nine additional countries into the free movement area.
Travel
Ferry fares increase in 2025: Here’s how to save money on Europe’s most popular routes
Ferries can offer excellent value for money.
As the end of the year approaches, thoughts begin to turn to plans for next summer and a welcome getaway to another country. Travelling by ferry is a popular option, with the European ferry sector transporting some 794 million passengers a year.
Ferry route-finding site FerryGoGo has crunched the numbers to find out what we could be paying for our ferry trips in 2025. On average, a crossing with two people and a car in the high season will set travellers back €1,017, slightly less than the €1,097 evaluated in 2024.
Part of this is down to the inclusion of eight new routes in the study this year, some of which are shorter and therefore cheaper. Co-founder of FerryGoGo, Jan Willem van Tilburg, noted that, although the overall average cost has reduced, value for money is getting worse.
He tells Euronews Travel, “The price per mile has increased by seven cents per mile, likely due to inflation and the inclusion of shorter routes. For instance, routes such as Portsmouth to Caen and Portsmouth to Jersey are cheaper overall because they cover fewer miles, but they are less efficient and therefore more expensive per mile. A similar pattern is seen with routes like Barcelona to the Balearic Islands.”
What are the most expensive ferry crossing in Europe?
According to the study, the most expensive ferry crossing in Europe in 2025 is from Denmark to Iceland. Priced at €2,222 for two people, a cabin and a car on a round-trip itinerary in high season.
Sailing just once per week, Smyril line sails the M/S Norrona from the Danish fishing town of Hirtshals, passing the Shetland Islands and docking briefly in Torshavn on the Faroe Islands. The final leg sees the ship arriving in the small Icelandic town of Seydisfjordur a whole 66 hours after leaving Denmark.
Onboard are the usual ferry amenities, such as cinemas, a children’s playroom and a gym. In addition, the Norrona offers an indoor pool, open deck hot tubs and a football pitch, as well as a multitude of decent restaurants to choose from.
Although the cost for this crossing is still the highest in Europe, on a per kilometre basis, it’s actually very good value. FerryGoGo pointed out that, per hour, this mini-cruise costs under €17 per person, or €0.73 per kilometre.
Compared to 2024, the cost of the Hirtshals-Seydisfjordur crossing has decreased by 19.7 per cent – down €546 from this year’s price of €2,768.
The best and worst value ferry crossings in 2025
In terms of bang for your buck, the best value to be had for the distance travelled is the 854 km route from Barcelona to Rome. Costing €755 return for two and a car, it works out at just €0.44 per kilometre.
Other crossings that come in at great value, all under €0.70 per kilometre, include the 40-hour trip from Sete in southern France to Nador in Morocco, Germany’s Travemunde to Helsinki and Bilbao in France to Rosslare in Ireland. All three of those crossings are over 1,000 kilometres long, requiring one, maybe two nights on board too.
“In general, we’ve observed that the longer the crossing, the cheaper it is per mile,” explains van Tilburg.
“For example, crossings from Ireland and the UK to Spain are relatively cheap when you consider the cost per mile. Similarly, the crossing from Barcelona to Civitavecchia-Rome is one of the most cost-effective crossings per mile.”
In terms of the worst-value crossings, the most expensive per kilometre is the popular route from Barcelona to Palma, Mallorca. Covering just 270 km and costing over €1,000, it works out to a fee of €1.89 per person, per kilometre. Up there with the expensive trips is also Barcelona-Ibiza and the shortest route on the list, the six-hour hop from Rostock in Germany to Trelleborg in Sweden.
The Harwich to Hook of Holland ferry has seen the biggest price increase
Across the surveyed routes, some services had largely remained at a similar price to 2024, but many did not. Almeria to Nador was the service with the biggest fall in price, dropping 29 per cent to €586 this year.
Travemunde-Helsinki and IJmuiden-Newcastle also dropped in price by around 20 per cent, while Hirtshals-Seydisfjordur and Bilbao-Rosslare are around 15 per cent cheaper this year.
Of the routes where price rises have been seen, the most dramatic increase is on the Harwich to Hoek van Holland service, where prices are up almost 60 per cent. From a cost of under €400 last year, this year’s report puts the fare at €620.
The Liverpool to Belfast ferry also increased in price substantially, going from €500 to €768. Other routes had moderate rises of around 20 per cent, although van Tilburg noted that the use of dynamic pricing means prices may still go up.
Dynamic pricing is widely used in transportation and works by increasing the fares on particular services as more of the seats sell out. January is a key month for ferry bookings, therefore the prices quoted in the report could well change in the new year, says van Tilburg.
“If you’re travelling with a car, it’s best to book early,” he notes. “Parking decks on ferries tend to fill up quickly as the season approaches, leading to rapid price increases. Booking before January can also help you save – Stena Line, for example, often offers discount codes.”
Travel
‘Not for sale’: Anti-tourism protestors destroy hundreds of sunbeds in Tenerife
Despite winter closing in on Spain’s tourist resorts, the anti-tourism sentiment shows no sign of slowing.
A wave of vandalism struck two popular beaches in Los Cristianos, Tenerife, last week. More than 230 sunbeds were defaced and sprayed with anti-tourism graffiti such as “Canarias se defiende” (The Canary Islands defend themselves) and “Canarias no se vende” (The Canary Islands are not for sale).
Discovered in the early hours of Thursday morning, 5 December, sunbeds on both Las Vistas and El Camison beaches were damaged by several unknown individuals in what Arona City Council describes as a ‘coordinated attack’.
Las Vistas suffered the destruction of 100 sun loungers and El Camison 136, while a nearby shopping centre was also daubed in graffiti.
A video shared online in the days after shows vandals slashing sunbeds with a knife. Canarian Weekly reports that the damages are estimated at €5,000.
“We are against all types of vandalism and the lack of civility of some people who attack Arona’s heritage, which causes serious harm to both residents and visitors,” said Mayor Fátima Lemes in a statement. She reiterated that such violations are punishable by law and appealed to citizens for help in identifying the perpetrators.
The latest in a wave of anti-tourism protests
The Canary Islands have become a hotspot for anti-tourism sentiment. In April, tens of thousands of protestors took to the streets in the archipelago, demanding limits on what they see as uncontrolled development harming the environment and people’s way of life. Some activists went on a hunger strike in Tenerife in an attempt to halt the construction of a new hotel and beach resort.
Demonstrations spread to many of Spain’s popular tourist destinations, including the Balearic Islands, Alicante, various cities on the south coast and Barcelona. In most instances, protests were peaceful, although there were some reports of foreigners being squirted with water pistols and shouted at to ‘go home’.
However, some activities have been more concerning. In July, apartments in Seville had lock boxes smeared with faeces amid demand for an end to Airbnb licenses. In October, anti-tourism protestors waving flags and banging drums stormed the beach in Playa de las Americas, Tenerife, crowding around sunbathing visitors in an attempt to intimidate them.
There has been an attempt to defuse the situation in many cities and regions. In Barcelona, for instance, short-term tourist apartments will be banned from 2028. Palma de Mallorca is capping the number of cruise liners that can dock at the port, and Tenerife has introduced a limit on the number of visitors to some of its national parks.
Why the Spanish are unhappy with tourism
Protestors who have been approached by the media stress that they’re not against the tourism industry per se. Tourism provides more than a third of the Canaries’ economic input and 40 per cent of its jobs, so the locals understand the value of visitors.
Activist Daniel Cabrera told the Standard, “We want tourism. What we do not want is over-exploitation and garbage tourism that does not benefit the local economy.” He further explained that 75 per cent of the money from island hotels and other businesses ends up outside Spain, adding, “That can’t be tolerated.”
The problem lies in what local people consider to be an unchecked expansion of tourism in the country. They say this is leading to rising housing costs, environmental issues and strain on public services.
According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), 34 per cent of Canary Islanders were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2023, the highest figure in Spain after Andalucia.
But not all locals feel the same way. Augusto Ferreira, a restaurant owner in the Canaries, organised one counter-protest called ‘Lanzarote Loves Tourism’, in an effort to highlight the importance of tourism to the islands’ economy.
The Spanish National Statistics Institute reported a 10.3 per cent year-on-year increase in visits to the Canary Islands, with 14 million international tourists arriving in 2023. Those millions, in turn, brought a record-breaking 20 billion euros to the islands.
-
EU & the World6 days ago
Michael Jackson’s 3 Children: Everything to Know About the King of Pop’s Kids
-
Sports5 days ago
Monza Rally Show: triumph for Fourmaux, retirement for Nibali
-
Sports6 days ago
Patrick Vieira holds on to the tie. And calls for time for Mario Balotelli
-
Sports6 days ago
Michail Antony: stable condition after terrible accident
-
EU & the World5 days ago
‘Mary’: The Netflix Movie Release Date, Plot, Cast & More
-
Sports6 days ago
Paul Vanoli praises the defense: “Found the square.”
-
EU & the World5 days ago
How to Watch ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Episode 13 Tonight
-
Travel5 days ago
Eurostar, Trenitalia, Deutsche Bahn: What are the best and worst rail operators in Europe?