This summer will be a great time for travelers to explore Europe. For the first time in two summers, the continent feels open and ready for visitors, and that includes the option of travelling by train.
There are new developments and changes to be aware of, whether you are a seasoned Euro-explorer or riding the rails for the first time.
Competition on key routes is helping lower costs and provide more choice, but it takes far longer than in aviation. New services between European cities are making it easier to see some of the continent's dreamiest destinations for less.
Mike Hyde, the chief data officer at trainline.com, says that the Italian national rail operator is running services from Milan through to Paris. They are competing with SNCF, their French counterparts. Competition is coming to life this year as we exit from the Pandemic.
There are a number of key services, including German and Swedish Flixtrain routes, Italo inter-city services in Italy, French-operated OuiGo trains in Spain and Lumo services on the British East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh. The idea is to have more choice and more competitive fares.
The days of ghost trains on key routes are long gone. Many European routes are already busy with holiday traffic.
Travel habits have changed since the beginning of the Pandemic. We are seeing a lot of demand for digital ticketing, which means carrying your tickets on your phone.
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The Paris-Milan Trenitalia route started with two daily services in each direction, but has now increased to five. The London-Amsterdam service is bouncing back. The Thalys Soleil trains connecting the Netherlands with Provence and the Berlin-Stockholm night trains are making a return this summer. Catering for a greater number of passengers is one of the goals. If you know what you want to do, you should book soon.
Paris is in six of the top 10 cross border routes. London to Paris is the second most popular route afterBrussels to Paris.
The environmental upsides are one of the selling points of rail over air travel. A journey from London to Paris by air emits ten times as much CO2 as a journey by rail. Longer-distance rail routes are gaining in popularity as travelers look for more sustainable travel choices.
Trainline has noticed a growth in the popularity of bookings that take a popular route like Paris or Brussels to London, but then add on a medium-distance continental journey. Taking advantage of the NightJet service to get from Paris to Strasbourg, or from Paris to Marseille, or from Paris to Geneva, is one example.
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Business travelers, remote workers, and anyone looking for a holiday will be suited by this.
If you haven't traveled in Europe in a while, the recovery of sleeper services is likely to be a pleasant surprise. The network of options is more extensive now than it has been in the past. Hyde sees this as an ongoing trend. There should be more innovation in this area.
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The restored service from Paris to Nice is one of the first things most of us can do in the summer in France. The final leg of the Orient Express route has been restored by Turkey and Bulgaria. A year-round Germany-Sweden service is one of the new routes being planned by both established national operators and open-access companies.
The appeal of a free-wheeling few weeks taking advantage of an Interrail or Eurail pass has only been amplified by the two years of lockdown. Interrail turns 50 this summer, and is offering a 50% discount for a limited time, which is sure to cause a lot of nostalgia among the millions of travelers who have taken advantage of the good-value fun and freedom the pass has offered. It can be difficult to make an Interrail pass work with high-speed premium services.
What you need to know about Europe.
Pass validity is one of the main challenges. Taking slower local services and aiming for more meandering routes is the best way to get around this. Passholders can have as much fun as ever and see Europe in a leisurely fashion that shows it off in the best light.
Looking for more information? For access to live train times and railway station information, visit trainline.com.
Tom Hall is a co-author of the guide to train travel in Europe.
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