The majority of Europe is starting to reopen to tourists, and with that, international train travel is once again becoming a viable option for travel.
A spokesperson from NS told NU that “We are very happy with that (train travel) and no doubt that also applies to many travellers who want to get out by train again. We can’t wait to bring travellers back across the border.”
2020 was supposed to be a special year for train travel. A direct line from Amsterdam to London was planned to open in April and another new connection to Vienna was on the line, giving airlines a run for their money.
Unfortunately, 2020 brought none of that due to the pandemic, at least for now. The direct line to London has been postponed to later in the year, and overall, all major forms of travel been strongly impacted by the crisis.
Situation of international train travel in Europe
Thalys is a train that goes directly to Paris from Amsterdam. Normally, it runs nine trips every day, but now it’s only doing two rides per day. The service will, however, double on July 12, to four rides per day.
The Zon-Thalys on the other hand, which starts in Amsterdam and ends up eight hours later in Marseille will not be running at all this year.
The direct line to London from Amsterdam will hopefully start by the end of the year. A passport control needs to be developed in London in order for it to have a green light on the tracks.
Some lines have resumed their normal scheduling. The international train services to Berlin, Brussels and Frankfurt are running as usual. The intercity to Brussels is running 16 times a day from the Netherlands ever since early June. The high-speed ICE train to Frankfurt and the Intercity connection to Berlin are now running their normal timetable, with eight and seven rides respectively every day.
Are you planning on taking a train instead of a plane for this year’s vacation? Let us know in the comments!
Feature Image: Metrophil/Wikimedia Commons
There is also this new thing called a car, you can hire it and drive wherever you want without having to worry who is sitting next to you or might spread corona in the train carriage you are in. Would also be great for the car hire companies, they are having a hard time.