Italian high-speed rail operator Italo is preparing a major expansion into Germany with a €3.6 billion investment plan aimed at challenging Deutsche Bahn’s dominance of the country’s long-distance rail market.
TOKYO | Imperial Palace East Gardens – Akihabara – Tamiya flagship store – Skytree
Autumn 2025. We – Sam and Danny, Michel and Wille, and Timothy – are travelling to Japan for a quite classic tour of the Land of the Rising Sun. We are flying separately as we used miles. On the planning: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Osaka, and Expo 2025, Hiroshima, Himeji, Miyajima, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Hakone, and…
NMBS / SNCB considers demolition of Antwerp-Berchem Railway Station building from 2030
Antwerp-Berchem Railway Station no longer meets the standards of a modern transport hub, and NMBS / SNCB is now examining the possibility of demolishing the existing building and replacing it entirely. Rail infrastructure manager Infrabel has earmarked €37 million for a major overhaul of the station, while the federal government has decided that works will…
2026 | Security and geopolitical tensions reshape Belgians’ holiday plans
Security concerns and geopolitical tensions are increasingly influencing Belgians’ choices of holiday destinations, according to the 25th Holiday Barometer by travel insurer Europ Assistance. Despite these worries, the willingness to travel abroad remains strong.
GERMANY | Cologne Cathedral or Kölner Dom
November and December 2017. During my solo trip to Taiwan – the vacation which was a catalyst to start Trip By Trip – I met Ugo. Fast forward to August 2025. Ugo is touring Europe and we decided to meet up. Showing him Antwerp was an option, but fitting the metropolis into his itinerary was…
NETHERLANDS | Rising international visitor numbers, domestic travel showed signs of stagnation in 2025
Tourism in the Netherlands continued to grow in 2025, driven almost entirely by rising international demand, even as domestic travel showed signs of stagnation.
RIGA | National Library of Latvia and the Latvian Railway History Museum
August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected by rail? Yes, but not in the most straightforward or userfriendly way possible. The Rail Baltica project should remedy this. Unsurprisingly though, this megaproject faces political and budgetary hurdles. It…
Antwerp Hotel Association laments disappointing 2026 Easter Holiday
Antwerp’s hotels experienced a less successful Easter Holiday than hoped, according to the Antwerp Hotel Association. While rooms were well occupied during the Tour of Flanders weekend, a poor second week dragged the average down.
LEO EXPRESS | Renfe deploys Talgo VI trains in Central Europe to launch new Czech-Slovak rail links
Spain‘s state-owned operator Renfe has introduced its Talgo VI rolling stock in Central Europe, enabling its subsidiary Leo Express to launch new international services between Czechia and Slovakia.
BELGIUM | Infrabel to upgrade Antwerp-Berchem and add second track between Mol and Neerpelt, amongst other major projects
Belgium’s Federal Government has approved an update to the performance contract of rail infrastructure manager Infrabel, paving the way for a series of new railway investment projects aimed at improving safety, reliability and capacity, particularly in port areas.