Flight-free travel: The best new European train routes launching in 2023 and 2024

As flight-free travel gains momentum, European train journeys are experiencing a renaissance.

The latest inter-country route comes from Spain's national rail operator Renfe, which has launched its first high-speed train link with France.

Changing the way you travel is one the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint. As an example, flying from London to Paris emits 14 times more CO2 than travelling by train.

Luckily, countries across the EU are investing in railways that provide better - and faster - connections than ever before.

From budget-savvy night trains to cross-country tracks, here are all the latest European railway routes.

Austrian national rail firm ÖBB has been trailblazing Europe’s sleeper train revival with Nightjet since 2016. In late 2021, it launched a new route between Vienna and Paris via Salzburg and Munich.

The journey takes 14 hours and runs three times a week in both directions, with prices from around €30 for a seat to €120 and up for a private compartment.

In summer 2023, Nightjet will launch new-gen trains that rival first-class flights in comfort. Expect wireless charging stations, free wifi, bicycle and snow sports equipment storage and private compartments with their own showers and toilets.

Nightjet's new 2023 timetable saw its Vienna/Munich service to Milan extended to Genoa and La Spezia in Italy. From here, you can take trains on to Monaco, Nice and Cinque Terre.

The long-teased European Sleeper, a Belgian-Dutch social cooperative, launch its first route - from Brussels to Berlin via Amsterdam - on 25 May. 

With only one change, passengers on the European Sleeper can travel on to Paris, London, Prague and Warsaw. From 2024, the plan is to extend the service to Dresden and Prague.

Liège to Aachen