The Philippines in 1996-1997, China in 2000, Vietnam in 2009, Japan in 2013 and 2025, South Korea in 2014 and 2024, Taiwan in 2017 (the starting point of Trip By Trip), Singapore in 2018, Hong Kong and Macau in 2023. I like travelling to East Asia. Yet I never visited Thailand, for many westerners the…
Tag: European Union
Virgin Trains takes major step towards London to Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam services
Virgin Trains has taken a major step towards challenging Eurostar‘s dominance of cross-Channel passenger rail services after the United Kingdom‘s rail regulator gave the green light to a track access agreement that could allow the company to launch international services in 2030.
RAIL IN EUROPE | Standardisation of trains to speed up delivery and cut costs
As Europe races towards climate neutrality, rail transport is set to play a pivotal role. Yet, the sector faces a persistent challenge: trains are too expensive, and delivery times are too long, Duurzaam Mobiel writes. At the recent Bundesverband SchienenNahverkehr (BSN) industry conference in Kassel in Hesse in Germany on 5 and 6 May 2026,…
2026 | The state of LGBTI rights in Europe’s next generation of EU members
ILGA-Europe and the Equal Rights Association (ERA) have warned that anti-LGBTI legislation and democratic backsliding are becoming a defining feature of the European Union enlargement region, urging Brussels to use accession talks more forcefully to defend fundamental rights.
BALTIC STATES | A week for Tallinn in Estonia, Riga in Latvia and Vilnius in Lithuania by train, exploring Rail Baltica
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…
Switzerland breaks tourism records with nearly 44 million overnight stays in 2025
I turned 45 in June. I have this tradition – when possible – of not being in Belgium for my birthday. From Sweden in 2013 to the Châteaux of the Loire Valley in 2014, Lake Orta in 2015, Rome in 2016, London in 2018, North Carolina and Virginia in 2019, England in 2022, and Rotterdam…
PASSENGER PACKAGE | Back-on-Track Europe and European Rail Passengers’ Federation welcome EU rail reforms but call for stronger cross-border rights
Two leading European passenger organisations have welcomed the European Commission‘s proposed overhaul of cross-border rail ticketing and passenger rights, describing it as a major step towards making international rail travel easier. This known as the ‘Passenger Package‘ However, both argue that the legislation still requires significant improvements before it reaches its full potential.
Belgium among world’s top 4 in rankings by Henley Passport Index and Global Passport Index by Arton
Belgian passport holders continue to enjoy some of the world’s greatest travel freedom, although exactly where Belgium ranks depends on which international passport index is used.
Belgian Council of Ministers approves roadmap to open rail market to competition after 2032
During the last Council of Ministers – a weekly meeting of government ministers – before the 2026 summer recess, the Belgian Government has approved the strategy and guiding principles for a far-reaching reform of Belgium‘s passenger rail market, marking the first formal step towards opening public rail services to competition after the current public service…
Belgium tourism reaches new heights as record visitor numbers underline the country’s growing appeal
Today is the National Holiday of Belgium. On 21 July 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha took the constitutional oath to become King of the Belgians.