Austria’s Österreichische Bundesbahnen or ÖBB will expand international rail services in its 2027 timetable, introducing a Vienna to Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg overnight train, Frecciarossa high-speed services from Munich in Bavaria to Milan in Lombardy, and Rome in Latium, and planned direct trains to Belgrade in Serbia for the first time since 2019. The timetable takes…
Tag: Frankfurt
GERMANY | Koblenz Christmas Market or Koblenzer Weihnachtsmarkt in Rhineland-Palatinate
After Bonn in 2023 and Münster in 2024, Dennis and I went further than North Rhine-Westphalia for our 2025 Christmas market in Germany outing. We went to Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, at the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle rivers. Hence the name of the city.
Italo interested in running trains in / to Belgium and the Netherlands, after conquering Germany
Italian private high-speed rail operator Italo is planning further international expansion after Germany, with Belgium and the Netherlands emerging as potential next markets from 2030–31.
Antwerp now linked to Cologne in Germany with direct Deutsche Bahn ICE via Brussels Airport
Antwerp is now directly connected to Cologne by high-speed train for the first time, giving the city a new rail gateway to Germany and, via Cologne’s major railway hub, onward destinations in Switzerland and Central and Eastern Europe. The new Deutsche Bahn ICE service also puts Brussels Airport back on the international high-speed rail network…
MALAYSIA | 42.2 million tourists in 2025, becoming Southeast Asia’s most visited destination
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…
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…
A loop as a creative solution for serving Cologne Main Station on a Frankfurt–London route?
Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Eurostar have teamed up to make a Germany to United Kingdom high-speed train link possible. But as independent railway commentator and specialist in cross-border passenger train connections Jon Worth knows, there are a few hurdles.
European airport passenger traffic dips for first time since COVID recovery as disruptions mount
For the first time since Europe’s air travel rebound began in April 2021, passenger traffic at European airports fell by 0.7% in April compared to last year, according to Airport Council International Europe (ACI Europe)’s latest report. The decline, though small, underscores growing challenges for travellers, from geopolitical tensions to industrial action and border control…
Lufthansa Group confident in summer fuel supply
The Lufthansa Group has moved to reassure travellers ahead of the summer season, stating that jet fuel supply is stable across its network. Dieter Vranckx, chief commercial officer, confirmed that the group’s six European hubs – Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels, and Rome – as well as its global operations, face no immediate risk of…
PASSENGER PACKAGE | Why the EU’s new rail passenger package is proving so controversial
The European Commission wants to make international train travel in Europe much simpler. Its newly unveiled Passenger Package promises easier booking, stronger passenger rights and more seamless cross-border journeys. In theory, the reforms could finally bring European rail travel closer to the convenience passengers already expect from air travel.