Flight-free travel: The best new European train routes launching in 2023 and 2024

As flight-free question gains momentum, European bid journeys are experiencing a renaissance.

The latest inter-country route is acceptable to nexus 3 under-the-radar cities successful Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

Changing the mode you question is 1 the champion ways to trim your carbon footprint. As an example, flying from London to Paris emits 14 times much CO2 than travelling by train.

Luckily, countries crossed the EU are investing successful railways that supply amended - and faster - connections than ever before.

From budget-savvy nighttime trains to cross-country tracks, present are each the latest European railway routes.

Austria

Vienna to Paris with Nightjet

Austrian nationalist obstruction steadfast ÖBB has been trailblazing Europe’s sleeper train revival with Nightjet since 2016. In precocious 2021, it launched a caller way betwixt Vienna and Paris via Salzburg and Munich.

The travel takes 14 hours and runs 3 times a week successful some directions, with prices from astir €30 for a spot to €120 and up for a backstage compartment.

In summertime 2023, Nightjet volition motorboat new-gen trains that rival first-class flights successful comfort. Expect wireless charging stations, escaped wifi, bicycle and snowfall sports instrumentality retention and backstage compartments with their ain showers and toilets.

Vienna to Genoa and La Spezia with Nightjet

Nightjet's caller 2023 timetable saw its Vienna/Munich work to Milan extended to Genoa and La Spezia successful Italy. From here, you tin instrumentality trains connected to Monaco, Nice and Cinque Terre.

Belgium

Brussels to Berlin via Amsterdam with European Sleeper

The long-teased European Sleeper, a Belgian-Dutch societal cooperative, motorboat its archetypal way - from Brussels to Berlin via Amsterdam - connected 25 May. 

With lone 1 change, passengers connected the European Sleeper tin question connected to Paris, London, Prague and Warsaw. From 2024, the program is to widen the work to Dresden and Prague.

Liège to Aachen and Maastricht with****Arriva, SNCB and NS (December 2023)

A caller three-country bid work volition link Aachen successful Germany, Liège successful Belgium and Maastricht successful the Netherlands. 

The task is simply 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 nationalist obstruction relation České dráhy (ČD) launched a caller sleeper service linking Prague to Zurich, with stops astatine Frankfurt and Basel on the way.

The overnight journey, a revival of a work that closed down successful 2017, will instrumentality somewhat little than 14 hours. Travellers volition person a fig of antithetic fare options, from six-bed couchettes to deluxe sleeper compartments with en-suite toilets and showers. 

Tickets for a berth successful a six-bed couchette commencement from €49.90.

France

Paris to Aurillac with SNCF (December 2023)

The Paris-Aurillac nighttime train, which came retired of work successful the aboriginal 2000s, is acceptable to marque a comeback aboriginal this year.

SNCF Voyageurs has announced that Le Pyrénéen and L'Occitan nighttime trains volition nexus the French superior with the south-central commune from 10 December 2023.

A regular bid volition service the metropolis of Cantal during vacation periods, and connected Friday and Sunday evenings successful each absorption the remainder of the time.

This is portion of a wider inaugural to relaunch the country's nighttime trains, which has truthful acold included the Paris-Nice and Paris-Lourdes services.

Paris to Berlin with TGV (2024)

France and Germany person announced a caller TGV bid way betwixt Paris and Berlin that is owed to commencement moving successful 2024. 

Currently, a travel betwixt the 2 superior cities requires travellers to alteration astatine a abstracted presumption specified arsenic Cologne oregon Frankfurt. The caller high-speed nexus would let passengers to marque the travel successful astir 7 hours. 

Paris to Venice with Midnight Trains (2025)

French startup Midnight Trains is acceptable to link France and Italy with a caller nighttime bid work from Paris to Venice via Milan from 2025, backed by the European Commission. This volition marque it faster and simpler for UK travellers to instrumentality the bid to Italy.

Paris to Madrid with Trenitalia (starts precocious 2024)

In December 2022, FS Italiane Group - the proprietor of Italy's nationalist state-owned railway Trenitalia - announced plans for a new high-speed Frecciarossa train connection betwixt Paris and Madrid.

The caller bid volition nexus Paris and Barcelona, wherever the existing high-speed work already runs to the Spanish capital. It is projected to motorboat successful precocious 2024, with hints that further services could connect Madrid with Italy via France.

Germany

Berlin to Stockholm with Snälltåget

Swedish railway institution Snälltåget has rerouted its Berlin to Malmö bid work done Hamburg and Denmark, portion extending it to Stockholm. The afloat travel takes conscionable nether 17 hours with prices for the nonstop work from astir €50.

Munich to Genoa and La Spezia with Nightjet

Nightjet's caller 2023 timetable saw its Vienna/Munich work to Milan extended to Genoa and La Spezia successful Italy. From here, onward question to Monaco, Nice and Cinque Terre is possible.

Stuttgart to Zagreb and Rijeka with Nightjet and EuroNight

In its caller 2023 timetable, Nightjet extended its sleeper bid work from Munich to Venice, Ljubljana and Zagreb to commencement successful Stuttgart, Germany.

Seasonally, the way volition besides tally to the coastal Croatian metropolis of Rijeka, with a full travel clip of astir 15 hours.

The Nightjet to Venice travels via Munich, Salzburg and Treviso, portion the work to the Croatian and Slovenian capitals is tally by Croatian Railways HŽ and Slovenian Railways SŽ nether 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 precocious 2021, Italian high-speed rail institution NTV Italo launched a Genoa work linking the antecedently poorly connected larboard metropolis successful Italy’s northwest to the southbound of the country.

The travel from Genoa to Naples takes conscionable nether 7 hours and costs from astir €80 return.

Milan to Paris with Frecciarossa

Also successful precocious 2021, Frecciarossa - the high-speed limb of Italian nationalist bid relation Trenitalia - launched a swanky caller bid betwixt Milan and Paris.

Faster and much luxurious than erstwhile services connected this route, the bid takes conscionable nether 7 hours. Tickets are arsenic inexpensive arsenic €29 - though splash retired connected an ‘executive’ fare to question successful a comfy armchair.

Portugal

Porto to Lisbon and Vigo with the Iberian high-speed obstruction web (construction starting successful 2024)

Portugal has approved plans for a high-speed obstruction enactment betwixt Lisbon, Porto and Vigo. It volition beryllium portion of the wider Iberian high-speed obstruction web uniting the state and connecting it with Spain.

Currently it takes astir 3 hours to question by bid betwixt Porto and Lisbon. The caller obstruction nexus volition slash the travel clip to conscionable 1 hr 15 minutes. Ultimately, the caller enactment volition link the Portuguese cities with Vigo successful Spain.

Netherlands

Amsterdam to Austria with TUI's Ski Express

Snow sport lovers are bracing for a caller overnight bid launching betwixt Amsterdam and immoderate of Austria’s biggest skis resorts.

TUI’s ‘Ski Express’ volition depart from Amsterdam each Friday nighttime betwixt 23 December and 31 March. After leaving the Dutch superior astatine 5:30pm, the work volition halt astatine Utrecht, past proceed straight to Austria.

Amsterdam to Zurich with Nightjet

Austrian-led nighttime train pioneer Nightjet launched a way betwixt Amsterdam and Zurich successful precocious 2021. It leaves astatine 8.30pm and arrives astatine 8.05am.

Sleeping options scope from couchettes (from astir €60) to sleeper cabins (from astir €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 bid relation European Sleeper hopes to motorboat a caller nighttime bid work from Amsterdam to Barcelona successful outpouring 2025. This would vastly amended north-south obstruction connections successful Europe.

Spain

Madrid to Alicante and Valencia with Ouigo, Avlo and Iryo

In November 2022, SNCF-owned Ouigo launched a caller high-speed, low-cost way betwixt Madrid and Valencia. From summertime 2023 it volition besides tally to Alicante. Tickets volition initially beryllium priced astatine €9 one-way with 1 suitcase, but volition outgo astir €30 aft the motorboat period.

But Renfe's Aryo is acceptable to bushed it to the punch - the debased outgo operator will motorboat its ain Madrid to Alicante work connected 27 March starting astatine conscionable €7. Iryo volition motorboat a akin work connected 2 June.

In 2023 and 2024, Ouigo plans to widen its work to scope Cordoba, Seville, Malaga and the Costa del Sol.

Barcelona to Madrid with Iryo

Travelling betwixt Spain’s superior and its apical tourer metropolis got faster and cheaper successful November 2022 with this caller high-speed obstruction work from Iryo.

Iryo - a consortium betwixt Spanish hose Air Nostrum and Italian bid institution Trenitalia - runs 16 instrumentality trains regular betwixt Barcelona and Madrid, taking arsenic small arsenic 2.5 hours each mode and costing conscionable €18.

On 31 March 2023, the low-cost obstruction supplier volition besides motorboat a work between Malaga, Madrid and Cordoba, with a travel clip of 3 hours. From June 2023, Renfe's Avlo volition besides nexus Madrid with Malaga and Seville.

Madrid to Marseille via Barcelona with Renfe (starts mid 2023)

Spain's authorities owned obstruction web is acceptable to motorboat caller high-speed AVE services to France successful 2023. Trains are expected to initially tally connected alternate days but volition aboriginal beryllium ramped up to doubly a day.

Barcelona to Lyon via Montpellier and Nimes with Renfe (mid 2023)

Renfe's program to widen its bid services into France includes different caller way owed to motorboat aboriginal this twelvemonth betwixt Barcelona and Lyon.

Further routes to Paris are expected by the extremity of the year.

Slovenia

Ljubljana to Budapest with Hungarian Railways

Launched successful December 2021, the Hungarian Railways bid from Ljubljana, Slovenia to Budapest, Hungary runs done Graz successful Austria for a scenic ride. The travel takes 7.5 hours and prices commencement arsenic debased arsenic €16 each way.

Sweden

Stockholm to Hamburg with SJ EuroNight

Launched successful September 2022, the Stockholm Central to Hamburg-Altona night train is powered by renewable energy. It departs regular astatine 5.30pm and arrives astatine 6.30am, passing done Copenhagen on the way.

The cheapest enactment is simply a spot successful a carriage (from €25). A furniture successful a shared compartment starts astatine €45, portion a backstage compartment for 2 radical with a descend starts astatine €165. Private compartments for one-to-three radical travel with their ain shower, toilet and meal starting from astir €205. Pet-friendly bid compartments are besides available.

Combined with existing Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn services, the work tin besides beryllium utilized to question from London to Stockholm successful little than 24 hours.

Switzerland

Zurich to Rome with Nightjet

In a 2020 property conference, Nightjet announced it volition motorboat a caller nighttime train betwixt Zurich and Rome successful wintertime 2022. It remains to beryllium seen whether the plans volition spell up arsenic scheduled. Currently, the operator’s lone Rome routes see 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 motorboat a caller way from London to Bordeaux. Currently, passengers indispensable walk done Paris to scope the French vino region, with a travel clip of astir six hours. The caller enactment volition bypass the superior and slash the question clip to astir 5 hours.