Citizens of European Union members Romania and Bulgaria will no longer need a passport from March 31, 2024 to travel by air or sea to most other EU countries as well as Norway and Switzerland, the council of EU governments said on Saturday.
11.12.2023 - 22:53 / forbes.com
As we head into 2024, the good news for everyone who loves overnight sleeper trains is that major European rail companies are continuing to roll out new night train routes across the continent.
This week alone, three new overnight train routes will debut: Berlin to Paris, Berlin to Brussels, and Paris to Aurillac. That bodes well for further developments in the new year, and for those who love the romance and the practicality of rail travel, it’s excellent news.
Sleeper trains have not only made a comeback after virtually disappearing a decade ago during the heyday of cheap, double-digit fares from the likes of Ryanair and Easy Jet. The companies behind the new overnight trains, which in many cases are state-owned, are thriving, and the traveling public is enthusiastically welcoming this return to a classic way of train travel.
Why take a sleeper train? A segment of the public is green-minded and aware that the carbon footprint of short-haul flights across the continent is disastrous. Travelers can mitigate their impact on the environment by taking the train instead.
Taking a sleeper is not only a relaxed way of traveling but a very efficient way of getting from A to B. Your berth is your de facto hotel room for the night, eliminating that expense. You can work on the train, as well as read, sleep, converse, and gaze out the window as the sun rises over France or Austria. By taking the train, you avoid the rush to and from airports, as well as that expense, and eliminate delayed and canceled flights and weather-related incidents from your travel schedule. You depart from a city center and arrive in a city center, allowing you to take public transportation at both ends of the journey. That strikes me as pretty green.
Many EU countries are investing in new rolling stock and railways that provide improved connections. ÖBB Nightjet, the Austrian national railway operator that has done much to restore overnight train travel in Europe, has introduced their latest trains with in-demand features like wireless charging stations, free wifi, and private compartments that boast their own showers and toilets.
Here are three new overnight trains debuting this week.
ÖBB Nightjet: Berlin to Paris
The new year starts with the much-anticipated return of the overnight train service from Berlin to Paris, which was discontinued nine years ago. ÖBB is operating the train, and it will begin the year with service three times a week and is expected to increase to daily service sometime next fall. The schedule is to depart Berlin at 8.18 pm and arrive in Paris at 10.24 am, with stops at Halle (Saale), Erfurt, Mannheim, and Strasbourg.
ÖBB Nightjet: Berlin to Brussels
Another new city pair connections from ÖBB Nightjet,
Citizens of European Union members Romania and Bulgaria will no longer need a passport from March 31, 2024 to travel by air or sea to most other EU countries as well as Norway and Switzerland, the council of EU governments said on Saturday.
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