The European rail network is taking travelers to fascinating destinations, and more tourists are opting for flight-free routes.
American travelers are starting to enjoy the advantages of European trains, like preferring to take sleeper trains over a plane to save money and travel comfortably.
Going to bed in Zurich and waking up in Vienna? Sounds like a great travel plan!
The rail system is expanding, and now more routes will be soon available for travelers. From sleeper trains to high-speed services to great options to see the best of Europe without all the airport stress.
Besides being an environmentally friendly alternative, train travel can help visitors save money, travel comfortably, and easily visit fascinating destinations.
These are the top new European routes launching in 2023 and 2024:
From Brussels To Berlin In 2023, And Prague In 2024
Starting in May 2023, the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) will offer passengers the opportunity to travel from Brussels to Berlin, stopping at Amsterdam and other cities like Antwerpen, Rotterdam, and Deventer.
The route will be expanded in 2024, including the German city of Dresden and reaching Prague in the Czech Republic. This a great opportunity to visit these countries and try this sleeper train. Passengers depart at 19:22 from Brussels and arrive at 6:48 in the morning in Berlin.
Sleeper Train From Vienna To Paris Or Genoa With New Trains
ÖBB is also offering other popular sleepers from Vienna with its brand Nightjet, like the route from Vienna to Paris, which began serving travelers in 2021.
This summer, Nightjet will include brand new trains that will allow passengers to travel more comfortably and will cover technological needs—like free wifi and wireless charging stations—, add more storage, including snow sports and bicycle spaces, and new private compartments with modern showers and toilets.
From Vienna to Paris, it will take passengers about 14 hours both ways. From Vienna, it departs at 19:40 and arrives in Paris at 9:42 in the morning.
And, a few months ago, in December, ÖBB announced a new exciting alternative for this route to Italy. Instead of Paris, travelers can switch directions in Germany and continue to Italy.
As part of an alliance with Trenitalia this year, the ÖBB Nightjet will also run from Vienna to Genoa and La Spezia.
Travelers can take this sleeper and depart from Vienna at 19:18 and arrive in La Spezia the next day at noon and pay $71—price reference for April 15; prices vary depending on the date and availability.
From Genoa and La Spezia, tourists have great connectivity options to other popular destinations in Italy. Trenitalia also has other interesting recently added routes for travelers to explore this beautiful country.
Another Sleeper From Prague To Zurich
The rail company České dráhy (ČD) announced by the end of 2022 that they would resume services for the night route from Prague to Zurich with stops at the German cities Frankfurt and Basel.
This route was closed in 2017, and now passengers can travel from the Czech Republic to Germany and Switzerland on this route in 2023, with tickets starting at $58.
This sleeper service has also been improved with brand-new trains, wi-fi, and comfortable seats, a modernization process that will be finished by summer 2023.
The itinerary takes less than 14 hours, departs from Prague at 18:21, and arrives in Zurich at 8:20 am.
From Paris To Berlin In 2024
Last summer, the German rail operator Deutsche Bahn and the French rail operator SNCF announced new high-speed train services connecting Paris to Berlin in around 7 hours.
According to recent updates, the new night service will begin in 2024.
Currently, the flight from Paris to Berlin takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes, but both nations expect to provide a comfortable and cheaper train service for travelers to make this eco-friendly alternative more appealing and practical as travelers also avoid airport chaos and change destinations while they sleep.
Trenitalia Connecting Paris To Madrid
The Italian rail company Trenitalia wants to conquer the market and will connect Paris to Madrid—making a stop in Barcelona— with its high-speed trains by the end of 2024.
The details for this route should be announced soon.
