Two of Europes biggest rail operators are merging to create network that serves the UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. rail service, Eurostar, is joining forces with the rail operator Thalys to expand services across Europe. For travelers, this merger gives them a greater choice of simplified journeys on a single ticket.
Thalys already serves France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium, but it doesnt currently have operations in the UK.
Eurostar, meanwhile, has a pretty extensive network that operates out of St Pancras station in London; delivering passengers across the Channel Tunnel to French cities like Calais, Paris, Lille and Lyon and, in winter, to the Alps. It also offers a service to Brussels, Rotterdam and, most recently, Amsterdam. I took the Chunnel to Paris for a day trip while I was at Wimbledon for two weeks. I spent the day at the Louvre, and returned back to London that evening. It was an easy delightful day.
For the first time, UK passengers will be able to directly connect with Germany by rail, with trains potentially running from London to Cologne (a journey that would take hours),
Trains could also travel to Bordeaux from London and more Belgian cities including Antwerp and Lige. The Alps service could also be extended for winter holidaymakers.
I really enjoy rail travel in Europe. My first trip to Europe was a student Eurail pass, enabling me to start in Amsterdam, and end up in Rome. Along the way, I visited Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria, and Italy. Just last week, I took the Deutsche Bahn Railway from Paris Gare dlest to Frankfurt Main Haupt Bahnhof. I think my next trip to Europe will involve heavy use of a Eurail pass.
An added bonus is that trains are rarely canceled or late. The little city airline hoppers in Europe are always delayed or canceled.
