REVIEW | European Sleeper night train 

October 2024. During a week-long whistle-stop tour of Germany, we visit Dessau-Roßlau in Saxony-Anhalt, Weimar in Thuringia, Coburg in Upper Franconia (Bavaria) and Kassel in Hesse. Smaller cities, yes. But each with their own significance. Untouched by overtourism. We’re avoiding using the white trains of DB Fernverkehr, Deutsche Bahn‘s long-distance section and opt to use…

Spanish CAF to provide trains for NMBS / SNCB AM30

Train manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) from Spain is said to have won a major contract to build hundreds of new AM30 / MR30 electric multiple units (EMU) for Belgian railway company NMBS / SNCB. The CAF Civity Duo then could be a base for the AM30.

European Sleeper now “truly” riding to Venice

European Sleeper will travel to Venice next Tuesday, 4 March 2025. Previously, on 5 and 14 February, the night train was scheduled to reach Venice in Italy, but the journey ended in Innsbruck in Austria instead, as the Italian carrier declined to operate the final leg.

Dutch budget train GoVolta postponed after not getting funds

Dutch start-up train operator GoVolta will not be able to start train services this year after Rabobank decided against granting the new rail company a loan. The train paths (‘slots’ on the rails) allocated for GoVolta’s budget trains to Berlin in Germany, Copenhagen in Denmark and Basel in Switzerland have now been returned. 

There’s more than one way to enjoy a cruise

July 2024. Steve and I are cruising on the Norwegian Getaway, a Breakaway class ship by Norwegian Cruise Line or NCL. Interestingly, our stay on board happened shortly after the Getaway paid a visit to the dry dock for some refurbishments. The route? Piraeus, which is the port of Athens in Greece; followed by Mykonos;…

London St Pancras Highspeed and Getlink aspire to to triple train services to France, Belgium and the Netherlands and add services to Germany and Switzerland

High-speed rail travel from London in the United Kingdom to mainland Europe is poised for a major expansion, with plans to introduce direct routes to Germany, Switzerland, and beyond. London St Pancras Highspeed (LSPH), the company overseeing St Pancras International and the high-speed rail link to Folkestone, has partnered with Getlink, the French operator of…