The EU’s high-speed railway network has nearly doubled in a decade, according to the latest official figures.

Lines capable of carrying trains at 250 km/h and more criss-crossed 8,556 km across the continent in 2023, according to Eurostat. That’s up from 5,812 in 2013.

However, the bloc’s total railway network shrunk by 1.3 per cent in that time, stretching only 200,947 km in 2023. “Europe is not upgrading its railways fast enough,” warns Carlos Rico, rail policy officer at campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E).

Despite railway lines being the backbone of Europe’s clean transport transition, the latest figures reveal a map of uneven progress.

Which European country has the highest density of railway lines?

Czechia has the highest density railway network in Europe, with 123.2 metres of railway lines per square kilometre.

Almost all its lines were built under the reign of the monarchy from the nineteenth century onwards, national railway manager Správa železnicand states, and taken over by the communist regime which prioritised rail transport over roads.

It is followed by Belgium (119.2 m/km²), Germany (109.5 m/km²) and Luxembourg (104.8 m/km²).

As Eurostat analysts note, the countries with the highest density of railway networks are all located in the centre of northern Europe, reflecting both their high population density and relatively high volumes of freight transport.

At the other end of the spectrum, the lowest railway network densities were found in Greece (14.0 m/km²), and Finland (19.4 m/km²) – which has the lowest population density in the EU.

Sweden (26.8 m/km²), Estonia (27.2 m/km²), Portugal (27.8 m/km²), Latvia (28.9 m/km²) and Ireland (29.8 m/km²) round out the bottom of the list.

How important is railway network density?

High railway density usually translates into a higher accessibility to railways, explains Rico. However, simply having a station close by doesn’t guarantee an easy ride.

“For a railway system to triumph it needs to be affordable and reliable,” he emphasises. “If the network is very large but frequencies are poor, prices are too high and delays are constant, it will not be able to capture a significant demand.

“And without those passengers, the system will be harder to maintain financially.”

Czechia scores well on the affordability front, with low ticket prices and special fares. But punctuality let it down in T&E’s rail operator rankings at the end of last year.

Within the EU, high-speed railway lines often span national borders, facilitating seamless travel around the bloc. This network has seen significant growth, Eurostat reports, rising by 47 per cent in the decade to 2023.

Spain is leading the way with 3,190 km of high-speed lines, a 66 per cent increase from 2013.

This reflects its status as by far the biggest benefactor of EU funds for high-speed rail between 2000 and 2017, receiving almost half of the funding on offer for the whole bloc.

However, T&E’s Rico explains, it’s also the result of very low construction costs compared to other countries.

Lower land and labour costs keep prices down in Spain, but economies of scale have played a significant role too. The lowest costs per kilometre were achieved when the country had the largest amount of projects in development at the same time.

France is fairly close behind with 2,748 km of high-speed lines, a 35 per cent increase from 2013. It is followed by Germany with 1,163 km and Italy with 1,097 km.

How can we get the EU’s rail targets on track?

Put simply, Europe’s railway network still has a long way to go to support the continent’s energy and climate goals.

The European Court of Auditors warned in 2020 that the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) network, Europe’s key policy for cross-border rail, is unlikely to meet its goals on time.

T&E is urging countries to funnel sufficient national funds into these projects. The European Commission, it argues, should fund top priority investments that boost transnational connections.

Rail represents only 0.4 per cent of transport emissions in the EU while transporting 7 per cent of the passengers.

“High speed lines are a part of the solution, but they are not the silver bullet,” says Rico. “Rail will contribute to transport decarbonisation in coordination with road electrification and clean fuels for aviation and shipping.”

To realise the “climate potential of rail”, he adds, we need increased competition, simplified cross-border ticketing, and a common signalling system in Europe (the ETCS). This latter piece of the puzzle will enable better connectivity and services without the need for new infrastructure.

Visitors to Albufeira may soon need to cover up when they walk around the popular coastal city under a new tourist code of conduct proposed by the city council.

Newly proposed rules mean fines of more than €1,500 could be issued if tourists are found wandering around the resort town in their swimwear.

Albufeira is the latest of several popular tourist destinations in Europe to adopt a so-called ‘bikini ban’.

The proposed rules target “excessive” tourist behaviour

The mayor of Albufeira, José Carlos Martins Rolo, has opened a public consultation over new rules around tourist behaviour in public areas.

Located on the southern Algarve coast, it’s common to find tourists who’ve spent a day at the beach wandering the city ‘partially naked’ in swimwear or even ‘completely naked’, which has been a problem for the city’s family-friendly image.

Visitors will still be free to wear swimwear such as bikinis or swimming trunks on beaches and in popular bathing spots, as well as in external hotel areas such as pool areas.

However, anyone who is ‘scantily clad’ outside of these exceptions could receive a hefty fine of up to €1,500. And if tourists are caught completely naked, the fine issued could extend up to €1,800.

Albufeira is a popular holiday hotspot for families with its beautiful beaches, fun waterparks, and golf courses. It has also, however, adopted a holiday drinking culture with a buzzing nightlife.

At the heart of the town lies The Strip, a so-called party street filled with themed bars and nightclubs. It attracts many hen and stag parties from elsewhere in Europe.

The proposed document says that “urgent” change is needed to tackle tourist misbehaviour, particularly in the wake of an incident last year when eight British male tourists were identified dancing naked – during the day – on top of a bar at Rua da Oura.

The proposed rules will also address other issues to deal with “abusive behaviour”, such as banning alcohol consumption in the street, public urination, defecation and spitting, as well as public sex acts, including from within businesses and terraces (such as open beach bars) that can be seen from public areas.

It’s hoped that the fines will act as a “preventative measure”.

Are the new rules targeted at British tourists?

The Algarve received 5.2 million visitors last year – a record-breaking number, according to the Algarve Tourism Board (RTA).

Of these, 4.4 million tourists came from Britain, followed by 1.13 million German and  967,000 Irish tourists. The nightlight and beaches of Albufeira are particularly popular with Brits.

Local mayor Rolo first proposed a new tourism strategy in April 2024 when he said that while the sun and beaches of Albufeira would continue to be a draw for visitors, the town needed to be promoted outside of its popular summer season.

Rolo added that he wanted to revert or demystify “the widespread image of Albufeira as a mass tourism destination”, “reduce the dependence on the British market” and encourage the town to become an “internationally-leading sustainable tourist destination”.

The public has 30 days to share their opinions on Albufeira’s proposed code of conduct. The expectation is that these rules will be in place ahead of the peak summer season.

So-called bikini bans are rising among Europe’s holiday hotspots

Albufeira is not the only tourist destination to propose introducing dress code laws.

Some parts of Spain, such as Barcelona and Majorca already have rules stating that you cannot go topless or wear swimwear in local shops and restaurants. If you do, you face a fine of up to €300.

In Malaga, the city hall has put up signs in English reminding visitors that local rules around littering, states of undress, rowdiness and reckless driving of e-scooters also apply to them.

In the coastal towns of Split,  Dubrovnik and Hvar in Croatia, ‘disturbances to public order’ laws have been passed against anyone walking around bare-chested or in swimwear. Again, if you do, you face a fine of up to €150 – and up to €4,000 if you’re visibly drunk in public.

In Nice, France, anyone – tourists and locals alike – going topless around town can be fined €35 on the spot, or face a €38 fine if bathing topless where it’s prohibited. However, you’re more likely to be reprimanded, as only “around 5 per cent of police stops” result in a fine, deputy mayor Anthony Borré told local news outlets last year.

Italy was one of the first destinations to tackle tourist clothing when, in 2022, the mayor of Sorrento on the southwestern Amalfi Coast introduced a €500 fine for anyone found wandering around in a two-piece swimsuit.

An airline losing your luggage is a surefire way to ruin the start of a holiday. You don’t want to have to be buying emergency clothes when you should be sipping cocktails on the beach instead.

But there’s good news that should mean less lost luggage.

Lufthansa Group airlines – including Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings – are rolling out a new feature.

From now on, they’ll use the Apple AirTag tracking feature to help find lost luggage.

How will AirTags help find lost luggage?

If you have an AirTag in your bag, the airlines will let you share the location of the Tag with them, making for an easy way to show them that your bag hasn’t arrived at its destination.

Apple has made it even easier by introducing a feature that lets AirTag and FindMy network users generate a link to share their item’s location.

Airlines introduce improved baggage tracking systems

“Thanks to our app and website, passengers can now find solutions quickly and easily in the event of irregularities,” says Oliver Schmitt, Head of the Lufthansa Group Digital Hangar.

Schmitt explains that integrating customers’ AirTag data has already improved baggage tracing. This allows airlines to track bags more efficiently and quickly, an easy win for customer service.

“Customers want bag tracking,” says Tero Taskila, CEO of beOnd, a Maldivian airline headquartered in Dubai, citing the airline’s post-flight surveys.

“We plan to implement Apple AirTag in the second half of 2025 as it’s relatively simple for airlines to integrate this technology.”

How do AirTags work?

AirTags are like tiny digital detectives for any item you want to keep track of.

About the size of a large coin, they send out a Bluetooth signal that nearby devices in Apple’s Find My network can detect. These devices then relay the location of your AirTag to iCloud, allowing you to check its whereabouts in real time on a map via the Find My app.

Savvy travellers have been using AirTags to track their luggage for a while now, often beating airlines to the punch when bags go missing.

Social media is full of amusing stories of passengers playing detective – spotting their suitcase at the wrong airport or even proving to an airline that their ‘lost’ bag is actually sitting in a storage room just down the hall.

Airlines might be less likely to lose your luggage this summer

From 2007 to 2022, baggage mishandling decreased by almost 60 per cent, according to Monika Mejstrikova, IATA’s Director of Ground Operations.

In 2022, there was a surge in mishandled bags, mainly due to the sudden resurgence of travel after Covid travel restrictions, staff shortages and the unpreparedness of the aviation industry.

According to statistics from SITA, which handles IT systems for 90 percent of airlines, the number of bags that were delayed, lost, or damaged rose from 4.35 in 2021 to 7.6 pieces of luggage per 1,000 passengers in 2022.

Airlines embracing better technology and integrating AirTag tracking should mean a bag is reunited faster with its owner if it does get lost.

Advice on what to do to reduce the chance of losing checked-in luggage

According to IATA, 99 per cent of all baggage travels with the passenger as planned, and the vast majority of mishandled bags are returned to the passenger within 48 hours.

Mishandled bags are most commonly due to tight flight transfer times, often caused by air traffic control delays. Sometimes, there’s just not enough time to get your bag onto the next flight.

Always use a traditional luggage tag alongside your AirTag and snap a quick photo of your suitcase before you fly. A clear image and visible contact details can help airline staff quickly identify and return your bag.

If your bag doesn’t show up at baggage reclaim, report it at the airport before you leave and make sure you get details of who to contact if your baggage is not sent on to you.