Night trains and border crossings: Europe’s best new rail routes

Seattle skies were glowing with color as the Space Needle rang in 2024 with a brilliant light, drone, and pyrotechnic spectacular for the West Coast—and the world—to see. The T-Mobile New Year’s at the Needle extravaganza was the longest show in the event’s 32-year history, stunning viewers with an 18-minute display. More viewers were able to tune in than ever before with the event broadcast live for the first time in Portland and Spokane, in addition to Seattle.

When I wake up, I wash my face with Relevant Complete Cleansing Serum, which is part of the skin-care line I founded in 2022. I love it because it’s hydrating and doesn’t strip your skin. Three times a week I exfoliate with The Things We Do Gly Glow Scrub. I follow up with the Relevant Beam + Glow Eye Serum, which I use all around my eyes but also on the fine lines around my mouth. I use the Sunburst C+ Superfruit Serum, and then I finish with Relevant’s One & Done Everyday Cream With SPF 40. It doesn’t leave a cast on the skin, and you can reapply it over makeup. In the shower, I use Saltair’s Exotic Pulp body wash and República’s Sugar Body Polish. I was not into bar soaps for a while, but the beauty retailer I co-founded, Thirteen Lune, now carries Gently. I love Karité’s Hydrating Body Cream and Goop’s Afterglow Body Oil — my skin just drinks those up. I’ve been using Kiehl’s Creme de Corps since college.

Paris to Venice. Barcelona to Amsterdam. Brussels to Bratislava, Slovakia. European cities could see a flurry of new rail connections in the next few years, as governments and private investors respond to climate concerns and strive to keep up with strong demand for cross-border passenger rail traffic.

Germany is celebrating the 250th birthday of one of its best-loved painters, the Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840). His work features mountains, ruins and stormy seas, often with human figures, such as Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog. There are exhibitions in Hamburg (until 1 April), Berlin (19 April to 4 August) and Dresden (24 August to 5 January 2025), where Friedrich lived for 40 years; he is buried in the city’s Trinitatis Cemetery. His birthplace, Greifswald, has a festival (31 August-1 September) and three exhibitions at the Pomeranian State Museum (from 28 April). Visitors can also follow in the artist’s footsteps – literally, as he preferred to travel on foot, sketchbook in hand – to locations in his paintings, such as Rügen Island or the Saxon Switzerland national park.germany.travel

Fuel efficient airplane becomes Iceland’s new flying ambassador. Direct flights from London Gatwick, Manchester and Bristol.

Veganuary was inititated by a UK non-profit organisation ten years ago to encourage people worldwide to try vegan for January and beyond. Millions of people have signed up to their one-month vegan pledge since 2014 and the number of vegan food products continues to grow. To make things easier, the organisation offers to send anyone willing to take the challenge their celebrity cookbook, meal plans and recipes – all for free. And here are 15 new food and drink products recommended for anyone going vegan this month and beyond.

Moving abroad has been a hot topic in 2023 - especially if you can get paid to do it.

£28, Hardie GrantThe second cookbook from food writer Dina Begum is a love letter to Bangladesh. Alongside the selection of tempting recipes are detailed ingredient notes, explanations of distinctive spice blends and advice on traditional preparation and serving, all accompanied by evocative photography of busy street-sellers, verdant landscapes and market produce. Some recipes do feature fish and vegetables native to Bangladesh that might be harder to find in the UK, but the author suggests accessible substitutions for those unable to find a Bangladeshi grocery store.

Travellers in the UK are being warned of hazardous driving conditions and disruptions to rail and air transport as Storm Gerrit batters the country.

Poland has announced plans to build a new high-speed rail line linking some of its major cities.

Travellers in the UK are being warned of hazardous driving conditions and disruptions to rail and air transport as Storm Gerrit batters the country.

It's the question rail enthusiasts have posed for years: When might U.S. train travel start to more closely resemble that of Europe and Asia?