As more travellers are willing to take longer and international journeys by train, German rail operator Deutsche Bahn is adding new European connections.
From mid-June, a direct link between Copenhagen and Prague via Hamburg and Berlin is set to expand to two daily train pairs.
From June to the end of August, the ICE high-speed service between Cologne and Brussels is also set to extend at weekends to Ghent, Bruges and the Belgian coast.
In July and August, Deutsche Bahn will additionally operate a direct Saturday service between Frankfurt and the French city of Bordeaux.
From September 7, four daily ICE trains are to run between Cologne and the Belgian city of Antwerp, for the first time stopping at Brussels Airport.
Given high demand, Deutsche Bahn is also examining whether to deploy a second train pair on the Berlin–Paris route. "There is interest in expanding the connection on both sides, in Germany and in France," says board member Michael Peterson, who oversees long-distance services at Deutsche Bahn.
Overall, people are opting for international rail travel as they can reach city centres whereas flights often land far outside the centre.
Travellers are also more willing to go for longer trips on trains, embracing trips of up to eight hours, up from the average four or five-hour trip before the Covid pandemic.
Last year, some of the most popular routes included the Munich–Zurich route which saw a 27% year-on-year increase. Services from Frankfurt to Paris increased by 22% and the Cologne-Brussels route saw a 16% rise.
Of last year's roughly 140 million passengers on Deutsche Bahn's long-distance network, 25 million travelled on cross-border services - 30% more than in 2019.
And more are expected this year and beyond as demand for European travel grows and the operator expands its services.
Deutsche Bahn sees urgently needed growth opportunities in international services. The company posted a €2.3 billion ($2.7 billion) loss in 2025. The situation at its long-distance rail division is also strained, with a restructuring programme being drawn up.
