4 new train routes to try before 2024 ends
Hugo van Vondelen and Rachel Schnalzer
31 August 2024
The end of August marks a time of transition. Leaves start to turn golden, a faint chill dances in the air, and summer crowds disperse across Europe and far beyond.
Yet travellers know the year’s adventures are far from over.
Over the past season, a number of new train routes have opened across Europe. Keen to be among the first travellers on these routes? To celebrate the return of autumn, we rounded up four of our favourite additions to the Pass network – one for each remaining month of 2024.
For more exciting rail news, check out our comprehensive breakdown of new timetable data, seat reservation updates, and more on our Community page.
A stunning 3-country route
Imagine you could visit a bookshop housed in a soaring church, the heart of medieval ruler Charlemagne’s empire, and a mouth-watering waffle-making capital all in the same day?
With a new route that opened this summer, connecting Aachen to Maastricht to Liège, you easily can – but we recommend spending a few days in each place to truly savour all they have to offer.
With a new “three-country train” launched by Arriva, travellers can easily take the train from Germany to the Netherlands to Belgium in one short train journey. Pro-tip: make sure to try local desserts – Aachener Printen, vlaai from Maastricht, and Liège waffles – along the way.
An Adriatic adventure
From a famous Italian port city, to the fields and forests of Slovenia, to the sunny shores of Croatia.
Beginning in April 2024, Slovenian Railways opened a direct route from Villa Opicina, a town near Trieste, to Rijeka in Croatia, another Adriatic port city. Along the way, the train winds through a number of picturesque towns in Slovenia on its way to the Croatian border.
From start to finish, the route takes only two hours to complete, but we encourage travellers to disembark from the train and explore along the way. Stops such as Divača, Pivka, and Ilirska Bistrica are great places to step outside and soak up Slovenia’s lush natural beauty.
Note: This route is seasonal, operating until 30 September 2024.
Bulgaria to Romania
In August 2005, a bridge over the Argeș River collapsed during a flash flood, disrupting a key route connecting Romania with Bulgaria.
19 years later, the Bucharest to Giurgiu line is once again passable.
Passholders can begin their journey in the Romanian capital, wandering its wide boulevards past the city’s Belle Epoque landmarks. From Bucharest, travellers ride the train for an hour and 20 minutes to Giurgiu, a city on the banks of the Danube that marks the border between Romania and Bulgaria.
A treat for snow-seekers
Dreaming of skiing through the Alps this winter?
Snälltåget will offer a direct night train departing on Fridays from Malmö and arriving Saturday morning at Austrian ski destinations such as St Johann in Tirol, Zell am See, and Kitzbühel.
Newly open to Passholders, this route passes through major cities such as Copenhagen, Hamburg, Munich, and Salzburg before dipping into the heart of Austrian ski country.
The night train back to Malmö departs Saturday evenings from Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof – making this winter route perfect for travellers seeking a week-long holiday on the slopes.
Meet the Interrailers
Hugo van Vondelen is a product specialist at Eurail, based in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Favourite train route of the moment:
Sighetu Marmației to Bucharest. The train departs in the afternoon, which gives you a lot of time to enjoy the ride until it is dark. The first hours, the train is running through the green hills of Maramureș at a very slow speed in a decades-old sleeping car. I feel like this railway line is one of the best examples of how relaxing train travel can be.
Meet the Interrailers
Rachel Schnalzer is a senior writer at Eurail, based in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Favourite train route of the moment:
Last winter, I travelled on the northernmost route in Interrail's Pass network, all the way to Abisko, Sweden. I loved waking up in the morning on the night train from Stockholm to Abisko; the pink sunrise reflecting on the snow outside my train window was just as special as seeing the northern lights.
Change of currency
You cannot change the currency once you have a Pass in your cart. Remove the Pass, and then change the currency on the website header.