https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Europe in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed With the rising cost of petrol and flight tickets, many people in Germany are opting to travel by train for a summer 'staycation'. Here are five destinations you should visit. https://www.thelocal.com/20260527/five-summer-holiday-destinations-in-germany-you-can-reach-by-train Wed, 27 May 2026 16:34:23 +0200 five-summer-holiday-destinations-in-germany-you-can-reach-by-train Several new night trains will bring passengers from Germany to popular cities around Europe this year, and a couple of popular connections that were set to end are being saved. Here are four exciting overnight journeys to ride this year. https://www.thelocal.com/20260129/four-international-night-trains-from-germany-to-try-in-2026 Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:50:19 +0100 four-international-night-trains-from-germany-to-try-in-2026 The EU plans to force railway companies operating across the bloc to sell rivals’ tickets on their websites and share data with booking platforms, under new rules that are intended to boost train travel. https://www.thelocal.com/20260513/one-trip-one-ticket-new-eu-rules-aim-to-ease-train-travel Wed, 13 May 2026 12:59:22 +0200 one-trip-one-ticket-new-eu-rules-aim-to-ease-train-travel With fuel prices up significantly, and Europe seemingly on the brink of a jet-fuel shortage, this may prove to be the summer of international train travel. Here's where Deutsche Bahn is extending its reach beyond Germany. https://www.thelocal.com/20260508/where-deutsche-bahn-is-adding-international-connections-this-summer Fri, 08 May 2026 11:07:13 +0200 where-deutsche-bahn-is-adding-international-connections-this-summer Slow-travel fans can now reserve a spot on a new sleeper train linking northern Italy’s Milan with Brussels, operator European Sleeper announced on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.com/20260317/bookings-open-for-milan-brussels-night-train Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:11:26 +0100 bookings-open-for-milan-brussels-night-train Unions and Spanish train drivers have called off the rail strike that began this Monday and was initially scheduled to last until Wednesday February 11th. https://www.thelocal.com/20260209/spains-train-drivers-start-three-day-strike-after-deadly-accidents Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:53:56 +0100 spains-train-drivers-start-three-day-strike-after-deadly-accidents One of the advantages of living in Europe is having access to a great transcontinental train network. In the winter months you don't need a car to get from Germany to these stunning winter sport destinations in the Alps. https://www.thelocal.com/20231220/the-ski-destinations-you-can-reach-by-train-from-germany Wed, 20 Dec 2023 10:56:59 +0100 the-ski-destinations-you-can-reach-by-train-from-germany Spain's railway system is under more scrutiny than ever after a commuter train crashed near Barcelona, just days after at least 42 people died in a collision between two high-speed trains. https://www.thelocal.com/20260121/rail-safety-questioned-as-spain-reels-from-twin-train-disasters Wed, 21 Jan 2026 12:42:13 +0100 rail-safety-questioned-as-spain-reels-from-twin-train-disasters The high speed train crash in southern Spain that left at least 39 people dead on Sunday evening has been described as "very strange". Transport authorities are under pressure to explain how it happened. https://www.thelocal.com/20260119/qa-how-and-why-did-spains-deadly-train-collision-happen Mon, 19 Jan 2026 10:15:29 +0100 qa-how-and-why-did-spains-deadly-train-collision-happen For those craving a little sunshine, there are plenty of options to reach the coast from Austria by train, bus, ferry or even bicycle. https://www.thelocal.com/20230719/the-seaside-destinations-you-can-reach-without-a-car-or-plane-from-austria Wed, 19 Jul 2023 16:25:25 +0200 the-seaside-destinations-you-can-reach-without-a-car-or-plane-from-austria Italian state rail operator Ferrovie dello Stato said it will accelerate operations in its Trenitalia France unit via a billion-dollar joint venture with US private equity fund Certares. https://www.thelocal.com/20251229/italys-state-railway-to-expand-in-france-with-billion-dollar-joint-venture Mon, 29 Dec 2025 14:53:41 +0100 italys-state-railway-to-expand-in-france-with-billion-dollar-joint-venture RDC Deutschland, Swedish train company SJ's partner in Germany, has confirmed that the EuroNight route both ways from Stockholm to Berlin will continue to operate from September 2026 onwards. https://www.thelocal.com/20251222/stockholm-berlin-night-train-saved-after-swedish-government-cuts-subsidies Mon, 22 Dec 2025 11:58:11 +0100 stockholm-berlin-night-train-saved-after-swedish-government-cuts-subsidies A new sleeper train linking northern Italy's Milan to Brussels and Amsterdam is set to launch in June 2026, night train operator European Sleeper announced on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.com/20251210/night-train-connecting-italy-to-brussels-and-amsterdam-to-launch-in-2026 Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:06:16 +0100 night-train-connecting-italy-to-brussels-and-amsterdam-to-launch-in-2026 Deutsche Bahn recently announced its new winter timetable, which will bring new high-speed services and more direct international connections starting from December 14th. Book your holiday trips now to get cheaper rail tickets. https://www.thelocal.com/20251020/revealed-deutsche-bahns-long-distance-travel-changes-for-the-winter Mon, 20 Oct 2025 11:30:06 +0200 revealed-deutsche-bahns-long-distance-travel-changes-for-the-winter Germany's budget railway operator, known for its limegreen trains, has announced plans to buy 65 new trains in the coming years and expand its coverage in the country and beyond. https://www.thelocal.com/20251212/flixtrain-to-dramatically-grow-german-fleet-and-expand-connections Fri, 12 Dec 2025 12:22:24 +0100 flixtrain-to-dramatically-grow-german-fleet-and-expand-connections In October, Swiss national railways (SBB) announced the launch, in April 2026, of a night train connecting Basel with the Swedish city of Malmö, and had even started to sell tickets for this route. This move, however, was premature. https://www.thelocal.com/20251210/planned-night-train-service-between-switzerland-and-sweden-scrapped Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:35:34 +0100 planned-night-train-service-between-switzerland-and-sweden-scrapped Deutsche Bahn and Eurostar have taking the next step towards creating a direct high-speed connection between cities in German and London. https://www.thelocal.com/20251205/deutsche-bahn-moves-step-closer-to-high-speed-germany-to-london-rail-link Fri, 05 Dec 2025 17:00:50 +0100 deutsche-bahn-moves-step-closer-to-high-speed-germany-to-london-rail-link The Portuguese and Spanish governments have agreed to open the first direct Lisbon-Madrid train line with a high-speed service to start by 2034, officials said Thursday. https://www.thelocal.com/20251030/spain-and-portugal-agree-madrid-lisbon-high-speed-train-line Thu, 30 Oct 2025 16:31:50 +0100 spain-and-portugal-agree-madrid-lisbon-high-speed-train-line With only about 80 kilometres between them, Vienna and Bratislava are two of the closest capital cities in the world, with the Slovak capital ideal for a quick cross-border weekend or day trip. https://www.thelocal.com/20230609/vienna-to-bratislava-how-to-get-there-and-what-to-do Fri, 09 Jun 2023 11:42:33 +0200 vienna-to-bratislava-how-to-get-there-and-what-to-do The Paris to Berlin night train faces being taken off the tracks less than two years after it returned to the railway schedules - even though it's proved popular with travellers. https://www.thelocal.com/20250925/why-the-future-of-the-popular-paris-to-berlin-night-train-is-in-doubt Thu, 25 Sep 2025 18:25:44 +0200 why-the-future-of-the-popular-paris-to-berlin-night-train-is-in-doubt