Will my next trip be by train instead of plane?
Train enthusiasts and travelers concerned about their carbon footprint have a lot to choose from this year, especially in Europe. While some European governments are thinking about it no-fly zones for short distancesmany passengers choose already for rail, where new connections are numerous.
Nightjetpart of the Austrian Federal Railway Company ÖBB, started running a sleeper train between them Berlin and Paris in December, while the French railway company SNCF started a night service in between Paris and Aurillac, in south-central France, the same month. Sleeper trains between Paris and Vienna And Paris and Nice are also already in use. And the Italian rail carrier Trenitalia has recently started operating a weekly newspaper high-speed connection between Rome and the station serving the archaeological park of Pompeii.
Other new European connections include a sleeper service between Brussels and Praguewhich arrives at the end of March, and a night train in between Brussels and Bratislava, Slovakia, expected at the end of this year or early next year. Trenitalia is also working on a high-speed service between Paris and Barcelona, with a possible connection to Madrid, as well as a direct connection between Milan and Ljubljana, Slovenia; No start date has been set for either service.
Looking for a luxurious experience? The Orient Express La Dolce Vita will offer routes through Italy from November. Backed by French conglomerate Accor, the service will emphasize design and fine dining, taking visitors to places like Palermo, Portofino, Rome and Siena.
Travelers heading to Asia also have luxury options with two new itineraries on the Oriental and Oriental Express. Each itinerary starts and ends in Singapore and takes travelers on a three-night journey through Malaysia. In March, Japan will offer an extended bullet train service from Tokyo to Fukui Prefecturehome to a 13th-century Buddhist temple, coastal cliffs and a dinosaur museum.
In the United States, Amtrak's new fleet of high-speed trains could soon enter service in the Northeast Corridor, although no start date has been set. The trains will reach a speed of 260 kilometers per hour, an increase from the current 240 kilometers per hour
Brightline – a private intercity operator – has been active since last month 16 return trains every day between Orlando, Florida and Miami. Looking ahead, Brightline is planning a high-speed route between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, a project that Won $3 billion in federal aid late last year. Organizers hope the service will begin in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.