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.
Tag: Lille
France welcomes 102 million visitors and earns €77.5 billion from tourism in record-breaking 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…
NMBS / SNCB: International train travel continues to grow in popularity among Belgian holidaymakers
International rail travel is becoming an increasingly popular choice for Belgians heading abroad during the summer holidays, according to new figures from NMBS / SNCB. Belgium‘s national railway operator says bookings for international journeys continue to rise, supported by an expanding network that now offers connections to more than 6,000 destinations across 15 European countries.
TGV Brussels – Strasbourg – Basel from July 2027
Belgium‘s NMBS / SNCB, France‘s SNCF Voyageurs, and Switzerland‘s SBB CFF FFS are joining forces to launch a pilot project from July 2027 that will extend the existing TGV inOui service between the two European capitals of Brussels and Strasbourg in Alsace to the Swiss city of Basel.
Switzerland – United Kingdom direct rail link moves closer as SBB-CFF-FFS, SNCF Voyageurs and Eurostar sign memorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding for a possible direct rail connection between Switzerland and London in the United Kingdom was signed today by SBB-CFF-FFS, SNCF Voyageurs and Eurostar. The agreement marks a significant step towards meeting the growing demand for international rail travel, with London being the most popular destination from Switzerland.
GoVolta to launch Amsterdam – Antwerp – Ghent – Paris route on 14 December as Berlin services expand and Hamburg link ends
Dutch train operator GoVolta has announced a major expansion of its cross-border services, with a new daily Amsterdam to Paris route set to launch on 14 December 2026. The company is also increasing its Berlin services to six times a week from July, while suspending its Hamburg link due to low passenger numbers.
Eurotunnel freezes UK rail investments over “unsustainable” tax hike
Eurotunnel, the operator of the Channel Tunnel, has halted its future investments in the United Kingdom, warning that what it calls unsustainable taxation levels have made any new projects non-viable.
FRANCE | Train excursion to Maubeuge and Lille
September 2025. A few days before our Journey Across Japan, Sam, Danny, and I went an a day excursion to Maubeuge and Lille in France, just across the border with Belgium. Some proper #CrossBorderRail. From Charleroi-Central Railway Station in Wallonia, there is an S63 suburban train (while the scenery is very green and nut urban…
#CROSSCHANNELRAIL | Expanding UK-Europe train links most realistically leading to Switzerland
A new independent analysis has laid out the most comprehensive roadmap yet for expanding direct high-speed rail services between London in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. The #CrossChannelRail Final Report, published on 17 November 2025, is the result of an unusually detailed investigation that included visits to sixty-three stations across the continent, technical assessments…
Gemini Trains partners with Uber for Stratford to France Channel Tunnel route
Gemini Trains in the United Kingdom has revealed ambitious plans to launch high-speed rail services beneath the Channel Tunnel from Stratford International in east London.