European train travel is experiencing a renaissance now, changing the way of travelling for wanderers who want to travel through magnificent views while also reducing their carbon footprint.
According to Lonely Planet, the coming year is set to be exciting for train travel enthusiasts with several new routes that they can now add to their must-experience lists, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
The same source has emphasised that the new winter schedules started on December 11 of this year, bringing a multitude of new travel opportunities for 2023.
In this regard, Lonely Planet has selected eight European train journeys which must be experienced by all rail-travel lovers.
Vienna–Milan with Nightjet
The company Nighjet operated by the ÖBB (Austrian Railways) in the Austrian capital, is expanding more and more with some attractive additions.
The Vienna-Milan route, which runs through the Ligurian port city of La Spezia down the coast, ranks as one of Europe’s top new travel experiences for the year 2023. From this underrated location, travel enthusiasts can look forward to the spectacular hiking trails and colourful villages of the Cinque Terre.
In addition, during the next year, this journey can be made aboard one of NightJet’s next-generation sleeping cars.
Travel from Prague to Zurich
Recently, Switzerland’s Zurich is rapidly becoming a night train hub. After a five-year absence, the Canopus train run by the Czech Railways ČD now again connects the Swiss city with the magnificent Prague via Dresden and Leipzig.
This gives passengers the choice of two separate night routes between the two cities, as an existing night train runs on a different route. Canopus also offers a wider choice of accommodation options than the existing service.
The Holyhead-London route
The North Wales Line stands out as one of the oldest railways in the world and is a scenic route along the north coast built between 1844 and 1850. It links ferry services from Dublin with Irish mail trains to London.
Four additional daily departing lines have recently been added to Avanti West Coast, though its poor service on this and other routes has been widely criticised in the UK. The extra trains are also part of a hoped-for upgrade between London, the West Midlands, North West England, and North Wales.
Night train from Hamburg to Stockholm
From September, direct night trains from Hamburg to Stockholm have started running again after, for some time, due to regulatory problems, most carriages supplied by the Swedish state rail operator SJ were not allowed to cross Denmark.
After that, passengers have the option of choosing a mixed or single-sex bed, for example, sleeping for one, two, or three; luxurious sleep; or bargain places that all offer an overnight crossing of the Öresund Bridge.
Travel across Spain on new high-speed trains
A new high-speed Iryo is aiming to shake up the Spanish rail scene. All who claim a trip with Iryo are promised that journeys will be fast and comfortable, offering a similar four-class service to Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa passenger trains.
Have a long sleep at Sirkeci station in Istanbul
The year 2023 will again touch the dormant tracks at the Sirkeci station in Istanbul with arrivals and departures. Although Sirkeci has been left behind, plans to restore passenger trains along the coastline of this older part of Istanbul, hugging the ancient Theodosian walls, aim to provide an eight-station service connecting Sirkeci to Kazlicesme in the west.
Travelling from Montreux to Interlaken in Switzerland without changing trains
One of the most attractive services in Switzerland is GoldenPass Express. Each of the passengers can experience the journey passing from Montreux to the shores of Lake Geneva, then up above the lake over passes and through spectacular alpine scenery.
From this month, the GoldenPass Express continues to travel without changing passengers to Spiez and Interlaken Ost.
Follow the train journey from Moldova to Ukraine
Although the Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought great consequences, the continued operation according to the plan of the railways of Ukraine has been a symbol of stability.
Despite the fact that it may be some time before travellers from outside Ukraine can take the train to Kyiv again, the resumption of this service in November after 24 years is to be welcomed. Thus, the train called “Victory Train” now includes a stop at Ungheni station in the west of Moldova, from where a connection can be made to Iasi, Romania.
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