In 2024, I showed Oscar from Denver, Colorado the highlights of London. It was his first time in England. In contrast, Thanh and I have been to the capital of the United Kingdom many times. During the weekend of Pentecost 2026, we went together for a weekend of museums, food, and a concert.
Tag: Italy
Italy welcomes more than 185 million visitors as tourism surges 7.1% in record year 2025
Italy’s tourism industry reached another historic milestone in 2025, with more than 185 million arrivals recorded across the country as international demand for Italian culture, cities, beaches and cuisine continued to grow strongly. New figures from the Italian Interior Ministry’s ‘Alloggiati Web’ system show that total arrivals increased by 7.1% compared with 2024, rising from…
European Parliament approves new regulation to upgrade cross-border railway capacity coordination
The European Parliament has given its final approval to the Regulation on the Use of Railway Infrastructure Capacity in the Single European Railway Area, a landmark decision set to transform rail transport across the continent.
GoVolta launches daily Amsterdam–Paris train via Antwerp and Ghent, with tickets from €19
From 14 December 2026, Dutch rail operator GoVolta will begin daily services between Amsterdam and Paris, stopping in Antwerp and Ghent in Belgium, as well as in Haarlem, The Hague, Rotterdam, Lage Zwaluwe, and Roosendaal in the Netherlands, and Arras and Longueau (near Amiens) in France. Tickets for the route, which are available to book…
EUROPEAN SLEEPER | Brussels to Milan now via Antwerp, Breda and Eindhoven instead of Liège and Aachen
Belgian-Dutch railway cooperative European Sleeper has announced in its newsletter changes to the route of its new Brussels in Belgium to Milan in Italy night train, which will launch on 9 September 2026. The modifications will take effect with the timetable change in mid-December 2026, creating a direct night train connection between the Netherlands and…
European Sleeper from Brussels and Amsterdam to Milan? Yes, but how?
In December 2025, European Sleeper announced a new night train connection: Brussels in Belgium and Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Milan in Italy. Independent railway commentator Jon Worth published some thoughts on that news.
New generation Nightjet carriages to debut on Amsterdam–Zurich route in December 2026
From Sunday 13 December 2026, the ÖBB Nightjet connecting Amsterdam and Zurich will operate with the latest Nightjet New Generation rolling stock (with individual pod!), SBB-CFF-FFS has confirmed. The switch marks the final step in a fleet-wide renewal programme and brings the Amsterdam–Zurich service into line with other Nightjet corridors already benefiting from the modern…
8.7 billion rail trips in Europe in 2024 as Switzerland is best of class and Belgium’s data remain unavailable
In 2024, Europe’s rail networks experienced unprecedented demand, with passengers embarking on 8.7 billion trips, accumulating a total of 444.5 billion passenger-kilometres. This surge marked a new record, eclipsing the previous peak of 400 billion passenger-kilometres set in 2019.
RAINBOW EUROPE MAP AND INDEX 2026 | Spain breaks Malta’s decade-long hold on Europe’s LGBTQIA+ rights top spot
As the rules-based international order fractures and democracy is under pressure from east and west, Spain‘s top ranking in ILGA-Europe‘s Rainbow Map of 49 countries on LGBTI human rights laws and policies stands as proof that political courage remains the most powerful answer. Belgium retains its score of 85% but falls to forth in the ranking,…
Italo plans €3.6 billion challenge to Deutsche Bahn with major expansion into Germany
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.