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
Want to explore France by train this September? Look out for these cheap ticket sales.
Sad to see the end of summer? September is still a great time for a train adventure thanks to extended deals from French national rail operator SNCF.
Throughout the month, its ‘Les Jours Traincroyables’ campaign promises to “extend the summer” with a series of ticket offers on Intercités, Ouigo, TER and TGV INOUI trains.
Various flash sales are planned until 30 September offering discounted journeys on regional and longer distance high-speed services.
To secure cheap train travel in France and beyond, here are the dates to put in your calendar.
Flash sales on French trains this September
SNCF Voyageurs’ month of discounts kicks off with a Ouigo flash sale on 4-5 September. It will see 200,000 tickets on the operator’s classic and high-speed trains sold for a maximum of €19 each.
The high-speed train service offers low-cost travel throughout France and onward to destinations in Spain.
Stay on alert from 10-13 September, when 30,000 tickets between Normandy and Paris costing no more than €12 will be released in the Nomad Train Flash Sale.
Cheap tickets (between €3 and €13) will also be available in the eastern region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, and to or from Paris, all month long.
Further west, under-26-year-olds can take advantage of €4 to €15 tickets for travel in Brittany, while down south in Nouvelle-Aquitaine under-28s can travel for just €2.
Heading to the northern Hauts-de-France region? Here, bargain €2 train tickets have no age limit – and 5,000 of them will be released each day throughout September.
To catch the end of the green season in the mountains, travel on Saturdays for a 40 per cent group discount on TER Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes trains.
Cheap train travel in Europe this September
The train ticket deals aren’t limited to French destinations. Between 18-29 September, you can discover Europe thanks to €39 tickets with TGV INOUI and TGV Lyria.
TGV INOUI operates high-speed trains to over 200 destinations in France and Europe, including in Germany, Italy and Spain, while TGV Lyria operates between France and Switzerland.
A further sale on TGV INOUI and Intercités trains from 23-27 September will offer tickets from €19 to €29, with an upgrade to first-class costing just €1 extra.
For cheaper train travel in Europe all year round, take advantage of the Carte Liberté, which offers fixed rate discounts to frequent travellers and is currently available at up to €80 off.
Author
A recent study has found that flights are safer than they’ve ever been.
There’s a one in 13.7 million chance that a passenger anywhere in the world will die onboard an aircraft, according to a new study.
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US analysed global passenger and fatality data between 2018 and 2022 and found deaths on planes dropped by an average of 7 per cent year over year.
Those results follow a pattern of “continuous improvement” that started in 1968 when the death rate fell an average of 7.5 per cent per year even as more flights took off and landed.
It comes as US aircraft manufacturer Boeing faces a series of technical issues that forced the company to ground the test flights of their 777-9 model. The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) also reportedly has launched inspections into the 787 Dreamliner due to faulty pilot seat movements.
Death rate 36 per cent higher in some countries
The incident rate depends on what countries people are flying to and from, with researchers dividing countries into three tiers for low, medium and high risk based on air safety record.
The lowest risk is the Tier 1 group which includes the European Union, Australia, Canada, China, Israel, Japan, Montenegro, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Some examples of countries in the Tier 2 group include Bahrain, Bosnia, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Hong Kong, India, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
The rest of the world’s countries are in Tier 3 or the high-risk group.
For the first two tiers, the death risk falls to one per 80 million passenger boardings, the study found. These countries account for more than half of the world’s 8 billion people.
“At that rate, a passenger could on average choose one flight at random every day for 220,000 years before succumbing to a fatal accident,” the report continued.
The fatality risk is around 36 per cent higher for tier 3 countries, the study found, but fatalities are still falling.
“While [these nations] continue to get better over time, their passenger death risk remains many times as high as the risk elsewhere,” the study says.
The study also didn’t include any accidents that were direct attacks on passengers, like a suicide bombing at Kabul airport in 2021 that killed 170 Afghans and 13 US military troops.
Over 4,000 deaths from catching COVID on a plane
The study accounts for the COVID-19 pandemic which they defined as the period from March 2020 to December 2022. While there were fewer airline passengers during the pandemic, those who travelled faced a “new source of danger” if exposed to the virus on a flight.
Airlines at the time told passengers that COVID-19 transmission was “all but impossible,” the researchers say in their study, even though the US surgeon general estimated that 96 per cent of flights during that time had at least one positive passenger.
Despite that new risk, researchers say that there “is no evidence that those who did fly suffered a greater risk of death from plane crashes or attacks than would have been expected had the pandemic never occurred”.
“Outside of on-board transmission of COVID-19, passenger safety did improve sharply,” the study said.
In total, the paper estimates that roughly 4,760 people died from contracting a COVID-19 infection on a flight from March 2020 to December 2022.
The MIT researchers do admit that it’s hard to know the exact number of deaths since passengers who got an infection after a flight could’ve passed it on to others who might have passed away.
“These estimates about COVID-19 deaths are necessarily imprecise,” the study says. “And while they use lower-end parameter estimates, they could well be too high”.
Their data also doesn’t count any passengers under 18 and doesn’t differentiate the age of any passengers over 65, which the researchers say is important because mortality goes sharply up for the elderly.
Author
In northwestern Spain, villagers blocked zebra crossings to protest too many tourists – but ended up causing a huge traffic jam.
Spain has seen many overtourism protests this year, but one small village has been making its grievances known in a very unusual way.
In the Galician village of O Hío in northwest Spain, locals took it upon themselves to protest against the volume of tourists by blocking zebra crossings.
Walking up and down them for a total of 37 minutes, they caused total traffic gridlock – worsening the exact problem they hoped to highlight.
Nevertheless, residents stand by their decision.
Why are Spanish locals blocking zebra crossings?
“Traffic problems are already common, but this year they have tripled at least,” resident Mercedes Villar told local newspaper La Voz de Galicia. “It’s an avalanche of cars that not only pollutes but also affects everyone’s lives because they park wherever they want. We have the right to live too.”
Locals from the small coastal village say, while they’re not against tourism per se, they want authorities to find a mutually beneficial solution so that residents and visitors can co-exist happily.
They say their driveways are being blocked, traffic accidents are increasingly common and that parking-controlling yellow lines are being ignored.
“The protest was meant to raise awareness and sound the alarm,” another villager told La Voz. “We want people to be civil and understanding and, if they see that there is no parking space, to leave, as we all have to do in any city.”
Rogue parking by tourists creates ‘danger’ for locals
Villar, who is the spokesperson for the residents’ association, added that while locals tend to park their cars properly, visitors who don’t are creating “a situation of insecurity and danger”.
Villagers raised concerns that the situation causes access problems for emergency vehicles, citing residents who needed to be collected by ambulance, but found the exits from their houses blocked or their transport delayed due to the sheer number of vehicles on the streets.
Speaking to La Voz, Villar added that the significant amount of traffic had led to “uncivil” behaviour, including visitors littering the roads and parking areas.
She also says that too much traffic has led to the deterioration of some roads. “We want orderly and polite tourism that respects the environment. This is a paradise, but paradises also get ruined,” she said.
Locals have been invited to discuss their complaints
Like many Spanish people protesting against overtourism, Villar believes that the growing popularity of her local area has a lot to do with social media’s impact.
“This is sold as a beautiful place with no people, but now that is not true,” she explained, adding that residents tend to avoid beaches during tourist season as they are simply too busy.
She hopes that the zebra crossing protests will have laid bare how “annoyed” locals are with the situation.
It seems to have worked – in response, the local council has invited disgruntled locals to a meeting to discuss their complaints later in September.
From Cantabria in the north to Málaga in the south, growing numbers of Spanish people are calling for the government to change the face of mass tourism, which they believe is getting out of hand.
They say its impact is having a negative effect on property prices and rents as well as standard of living for residents.
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