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As flight-free travel gains momentum, European train journeys are experiencing a renaissance.

Changing the way you travel is one the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint. According to Eurostar, flying from London to Paris emits 14 times more CO2 than travelling by train.

Luckily, countries across the EU are investing in railways that provide better - and faster - connections than ever before.

From budget-savvy night trains to cross-country tracks, here are all the latest European railway routes.

Austrian national rail firm BB has been trailblazing Europes sleeper train revival with NightJet since 2016. In late 2021, it launched a new route between Vienna and Paris via Salzburg and Munich.

The journey takes 14 hours and runs three times a week in both directions, with prices from around 30 for a seat to 120 and up for a private compartment.

In summer 2023, Nightjet will launch new-gen trains that rival first-class flights in comfort. Expect wireless charging stations, free wifi, bicycle and snow sports equipment storage and private compartments with their own showers and toilets.

Nightjet's new 2023 timetable saw its Vienna/Munich service to Milan extended to Genoa and La Spezia in Italy. From here, passengers can take trains to Monaco, Nice and Cinque Terre.

The long-teased European Sleeper, a Belgian-Dutch social cooperative, will launch its first route - from Brussels to Berlin via Amsterdam - on 25 May 2023.

With only one change, passengers will be able to travel on to Paris, London, Prague and Warsaw. From 2024, the plan is to extend the service to Dresden and Prague.

Prague to Zurich with D

In December 2022, the Czech Republics national rail operator esk drhy (D)launched a new sleeper service linking Prague to Zurich, with stops at Frankfurt and Basel along the way.

The overnight journey, a revival of a service that closed down in 2017,will take slightly less than 14 hours. Travellers will have a number of different fare options, from six-bed couchettes to deluxe sleeper compartments with en-suite toilets and showers.

Tickets for a berth in a six-bed couchette start from 49.90.

France and Germany have announceda new TGV train route between Paris and Berlin that is due to start running in 2024.

Currently, a trip between the two capital cities requires travellers to change at a separate station such as Cologne or Frankfurt.The new high-speed link would allow passengers to make the journey in around seven hours.

In December 2022,FS Italiane Group - the owner ofItaly's national state-owned railway Trenitalia - announced plans for a newhigh-speed Frecciarossa train connection between Paris and Madrid.

The new train will link Paris and Barcelona, where the existing high-speed service already runs to the Spanish capital. It is projected to launch in late 2024, with hints that further services could connectMadrid with Italy via France.

Swedish railway company Snlltget has rerouted its Berlin to Malm train service through Hamburg and Denmark, while extending it to Stockholm. The full journey takes just under 17 hours with prices for the direct service from around 50.

Nightjet's new 2023 timetable saw its Vienna/Munich service to Milan extended to Genoa and La Spezia in Italy. From here, onward travel to Monaco, Nice and Cinque Terre is possible.

In its new 2023 timetable, NightJet extended its sleeper train service from Munich to Venice, Ljubljana and Zagreb to start in Stuttgart, Germany.

Seasonally, the route will also run to the coastal Croatian city of Rijeka, with a total journey time of around 15 hours.

The Nightjet to Venice travels via Munich, Salzburg and Treviso, while the service to the Croatian and Slovenian capitals is run by Croatian Railways H and Slovenian Railways S under BB's EuroNight.

In late 2021, Italian high-speed rail company NTV Italo launched a Genoa service linking the previously poorly connected port city in Italys northwest to the south of the country.

The journey from Genoa to Naples takes just under seven hours and costs from around 80 return.

Also in late 2021, Frecciarossa - the high-speed arm of Italian national train operator Trenitalia - launched a swanky new train between Milan and Paris.

Faster and more luxurious than previous services on this route, the train takes just under seven hours. Tickets are as cheap as 29 - though splash out on an executive fare to travel in a comfy armchair.

Portugal has approved plans for a high-speed rail line between Lisbon, Porto and Vigo. It will be part of the wider Iberian high-speed rail network uniting the country andconnecting it with Spain.

Currently it takes almost three hours to travel by train between Porto and Lisbon. The new rail link will slash the journey time to just 1 hour 15 minutes. Ultimately, the new line will connect the Portuguese cities with Vigo in Spain.

Snow sport lovers are bracing for a new overnight train launching between Amsterdam and some of Austrias biggest ski resorts.

TUIs Ski Express will depart from Amsterdam every Friday night between 23 December and 31 March.After leaving the Dutch capital at 5:30pm, the service will stop at Utrecht, then continue directly to Austria.

Austrian-led night train pioneer NightJet launched a route between Amsterdam and Zurich in late 2021. It leaves at 8.30pm and arrives at 8.05am.

Sleeping options range from couchettes (from around 60) to sleeper cabins (from around 120).

In November 2022, SNCF-owned Ouigo launched a new high-speed route between Madrid and Valencia. It will soon also run to Alicante. Tickets will initially be priced at 9 one-way with one suitcase, but will cost around 30 after the launch period.

In 2023, Ouigo plans to extend its service to reach Cordoba, Seville, Malaga and the Costa del Sol.

Travelling between Spains capital and its top tourist city got faster and cheaper in November 2022 with this new high-speed rail service from Iryo.

Iryo -a consortium between Spanish airline Air Nostrum and Italian train company Trenitalia - runs 16 return trains daily between Barcelona and Madrid, taking as little as 2.5 hours each way and costing just 18.

Launched in December 2021, the Hungarian Railways train from Ljubljana, Slovenia to Budapest, Hungaryruns through Graz in Austria for a scenic ride. The journey takes 7.5 hours and trains depart at 5:05am and 9:35am, starting as low as 16 each way.

Launched in September 2022, the Stockholm Central to Hamburg-Altona night trainis powered by renewable energy. It departs daily at 5.30pm and arrives at 6.30am, passing through Copenhagen along the way.

The cheapest option is a seat in a carriage (from 25). A bed in a shared compartment starts at 45, while a private compartment for two people with a sink starts at 165.Private compartments for one-to-three people come with their own shower, toilet and breakfast starting from around 205. Pet-friendly train compartments are also available.

Combined with existing Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn services, the service can also be used to travel from London to Stockholm in less than 24 hours.

In a 2020 press conference, Nightjet announced it will launch a new night train between Zurich and Rome in winter 2022. It remains to be seen whether the plans will go ahead as scheduled. Currently, the operators only Rome routes include Vienna, Salzburg, Villach and Munich.

Eurotunnel execs have hinted at plans for a London to Bordeaux route, which they aim to launch within the next five years. They hope the new infrastructure will encourage private jet users to visit the Cte d'Azur more sustainably.

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Rail revival: The best new European train journeys to take in 2023