By Alex Ledsom,Senior Contributor

Copyright forbes

Cinque Terre, Italy—with so many affordable routes across Europe, and new ones constantly opening—there has never been a better time to travel Europe by train.

Travel articles have been heralding the glorious return of European mass train travel for the past few years. The proliferation of new train routes and companies seems to suggest that it might finally be coming to fruition. Looking beyond the perennial favorite, Eurostar, there are also some interesting options, luxurious and affordable, readily available to whisk you across the landscapes and cultures offering the very best of Europe train travel.

Omio, the German online travel website, has seen an uptick in several of its routes this summer, compared to the same period last year. The Budapest-Prague train service has seen a jump in bookings by over 50% and Amsterdam-Brussels by 45%. Here are a selection of the affordable and luxurious grabbing the headlines and giving out 2026 booking vibes.

Europe Train Travel—Luxurious Europe Train Routes To Take In 2026

The Orient Express, arguably the world’s most famous train route, operated for 126 years until it ceased service in 2009. But now it’s back with its La Dolce Vita Orient Express service, carrying 62 guests through two or three opulent nights across the Italian landscape to Venice and Portofino. Alternatively, opt for the classic Belmond Venice Simplon-Orient-Express route from Venice to Paris.

Or you can take the new Al Andalus train route from Spring 2026, winding through Unesco World Heritage sites from Seville to Madrid. Britain also has its own new luxury sleeper train in the new Britannic Explorer, launched summer 2025, offering itineraries over three or six nights visiting the Lake District, Cornwall, and Wales, while dining on Michelin starred treats.

Europe Train Travel—Affordable Train Routes To Discover In 2026

Riding through the European countryside by day or by night does not, however, have to break the bank, and there are lots of great train services that operate between European cities. Trenitalia runs between Lyon and Milan, and the Spanish company, Renfe, runs between Marseille and Madrid, for as little as €19 one-way. A new Nightjet service also runs between Paris and Berlin for as little as €40, and you can even take your bike or your pet (the company operates across many European cities).

By 2028, French newbie Velvet will be competing with the national French rail provider SNCF, operating 12 trains from Paris to Rennes, Bordeaux, and Nantes, using 20% less energy than previous generations of stock. These double-decker trains will reach 300 km per hour, transporting 10 million people every year. Velvet received funding in 2024, highlighting just how long it can take to get rolling stock on the track.

There’s a new 20-hour night train from Warsaw in Poland to Rijeka in Croatia. This Adriatic Express stops in the Czech Republic, Austria, and Slovenia, too, and is officially Europe’s longest train service, running four times per week. And there are lots of new hopefuls looking to compete with the Eurostar service to and from London.

Or maybe a night train from Rome to the Mediterranean might be more your thing? The Espresso Riviera runs on weekends over the summer. The company is planning to launch a Milan service and also runs a daytime service to and from Genoa. A perfect way to glide through Provence in 2026?

Europe Train Travel—But What About The Wifi?

While train routes and carriers have been upgraded, one issue remains—it is still incredibly difficult to find reliable wifi on European trains, largely due to the challenges of maintaining a stable mobile connection at high speeds

High-speed trains in Europe travel at 200km per hour, meaning that it is hard for your smartphone or the carriage antennas in the train’s wifi to keep a steady connection between mobile towers, as the train passes a new site every minute. This changes the signal’s frequency and makes it difficult to keep a stable connection.

Maybe it’s better to simply embrace the slow travel movement for the duration of the journey, take stock of your environmental credentials, and watch the wonderful view go by with a good book?

One thing is clear, however. Whether you seek indulgence or affordability, the European rail network offers an incredible travel experience. With so many routes to choose from, 2026 is the perfect time to hop aboard and explore Europe train travel.

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