“Slow travel,” a style of travel prioritizing meaningful interactions with local communities over superficial “box-checking” experiences, has emerged as one of 2024’s biggest travel trends. A recent study from American Express showed that 85 percent of respondents expressed a desire to immerse themselves in a destination’s local culture. Meanwhile, Pinterest’s annual trend predictions for 2024 emphasized that more individuals are seeking vacations that prioritize rest and relaxation. In tandem with these trends, train travel has become the ideal conduit for slow travel, offering scenic and unhurried journeys that allow passengers to savor each destination along their route.
It's not surprising then, to hear that in 2023, Eurail sold more than 1 million passes for the first time in the company’s history. Even further, Eurail Pass sales in the U.S. grew by 39 percent year-over-year in 2023.
With this continued demand and longer stays, Eurail has partnered with its rail network to offer customers with new cross-border routes, new partnerships with rail carriers and new itineraries to explore. Eurail has a handful of updates to look forward to this year. Some highlights include:
- New night trains from Brussels or Paris to Berlin: The ÖBB Nightjet routes will now connect Brussels and Paris to Berlin, replacing the formerly known City Night Line train that last operated in 2014. Travelers can now experience this route again three times a week with the European Sleeper and ÖBB Nightjet through reservations.
- New cross-border train connecting Vilnius to Riga: Cross-border rail services are back between Lithuania and Latvia, connecting Vilnius and Riga while passing through Siauliai. This development will allow passengers to travel efficiently and comfortably from Poland through all three Baltic countries.
- A new, state-of-the-art night train, connecting Vienna, Innsbruck, and Hamburg: ÖBB Nightjet began its brand-new 'Nightjet of the new Generation' connecting Vienna, Innsbruck and Hamburg, offering the first mini-cabins designed for one person.
- New cross-border train, connecting Subotica to Szeged: This route fills a missing gap in the network connecting Subotica, Serbia, and Szeged, Hungary, and makes travel across the region more accessible, especially between Belgrade and Budapest.
- The BOB (Berner Oberland Railway) is now fully included in the Eurail Pass: Travelers can now visit one of the world's most beautiful valleys and discover the highlights of the Jungfrau region. From Interlaken to Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, and further on to Wengen via the Wengernalp Railway (WAB), all in one Pass.
In addition to rail developments, the top five destinations that customers are visiting using a Eurail Pass include Rome, Milan, Paris, Zurich and Interlaken.
Related Stories
Stats: Europe Draws in Long-haul Travelers Despite Rising Costs
Rail Europe Unveils Streamlined Tech Tool for Advisors