European Union

The European Commission has adopted a series of proposals aimed at improving the traveller experience by strengthening their rights. The new rules will draw on lessons learnt, in particular, from the recent experiences of the Covid-19 crisis and the bankruptcy of the Thomas Cook travel group in 2019, which had a major impact on both...

In mid-July, Renfe began services on the Lyon-Barcelona and Marseille-Barcelona-Madrid routes. One year after the arrival of Trenitalia and its Frecciarossa operating on the Paris-Lyon-Milan route, the launch of the Spanish national carrier on French rail represents a new stage in the opening up to rail competition, which will be possible from December 2020. Following the applications...

On 4 October, Members of the European Parliament issued an important clarification, ruling that the imposition of a supplement for carrying hand luggage in the cabin is contrary to European rules. The airlines' different rules on hand luggage are leading to hidden costs for travellers. The...

Passenger traffic has more than doubled between 2021 and 2022. This would give Fraport Slovenia, the airport authority managing Ljubljana International Airport, something to celebrate. The Slovenian capital's airport welcomed more than 977,000 passengers in 2022, compared with 431,000 a year earlier. Except that this result...

1,356: that's the number of train journeys analysed in a report by the European Commission, which wants to boost the share of rail travel within the European Union. The report (available in English only), entitled "How fast are rail trips between EU cities and is rail faster than air?", shows that air travel is still in the...

Travelling from Vienna airport to Graz or Klagenfurt, the two main cities in southern Austria, can be a long, long way. This is despite the fact that, in 2020, Austrian Airlines has entered into a partnership with ÖBB railways to transport passengers by train from Graz to the airport....

Let there be no mistake: SAF made in France is "in the pipeline". At least judging by the list of participants at this "Meeting on sustainable fuels for aviation", held on the morning of 14 February. All the decision-makers involved accepted the invitation of three ministers: Agnès Pannier-Runacher to...

10 new or improved high-speed or non-high-speed rail links. This is the number that the European Commission has decided to support in order to offer more affordable and environmentally-friendly mobility within the European Union. Promoting sustainable mobility The ten pilot projects were presented by the relevant authorities in response to...

Brussels Airlines has just announced the integration of five new A320 neo aircraft in 2023 and 2024, expressing its confidence in a continued recovery in traffic over the next few years. The aircraft will also enable the Belgian airline to offer new destinations and additional frequencies in Europe. Fleet renewal to reduce carbon footprint Brussels...

The European Commission has approved the French government's intention to limit short-haul flights on its domestic network. Its decision was published at the end of the week in the EU's Official Journal, and welcomed by the Minister in charge of the dossier. "Mr Clément Beaune, the French Minister for Transport, welcomes the decision of...

InterNations is a worldwide expat association with 4.7 million members in 420 cities. Since 2018, this community has published a list of the best and worst cities on the planet in which to settle. InterNations' "Expat Insider Report 2022" is based on criteria that are quite different from the usual rankings. The annual survey, which...

The 2022 edition of the GBTA Europe conference was unique in more ways than one. For the first time, the international business travel association devoted an entire day to a new Sustainability Summit, prior to its 'classic' event. It was also the first time that GBTA Europe had gone beyond the German market, the preserve of its...

It is one of the European Union's major infrastructure projects. The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel began in 2020. It is one of a number of new constructions designed to improve mobility in Europe. The 18 km-long tunnel will be built on the Fehmarn Strait between the German island of Fehmarn and the Danish island of Lolland....

The shortage of pilots has now become a major concern for airlines. When Lufthansa presented its business for the first half of 2022, it put it at the top of the list of disruptive factors. The company also cites absences due to illness and untimely events. So, after having made some of its staff redundant...

High-speed rail is gaining support in Europe as the European Commission seeks to accelerate the development of intelligent, sustainable mobility. The European Commission is aiming to double high-speed rail traffic by 2030 and triple it by 2050. To achieve the 2030 target, it will be necessary to...

It has been a long and arduous process for Croatia to become a member of the Schengen area. Croatia has been seeking to join Schengen since 2016. But the acceptance procedure has progressed at a tortoise's pace. In October 2019, the European Commission had already noted that Croatia had taken the necessary measures...

As part of the European Commission's "Connecting Europe Days", five sustainable European flights converged on Lyon airport, where the EU event was taking place. These flights used innovative technologies, fuels and air navigation procedures to minimise their carbon emissions, demonstrating the potential for transforming...

On a café terrace, at a hotel reception, in the streets, it only takes a few minutes for a conversation to start almost immediately with someone. The people of Aarhus have a reputation for cultivating 'Hygge', a Danish term that evokes well-being, comfort and intimacy. It's a...

This is a major battle-horse for ACI Europe (Airports Council International): the end of short-haul air services, replaced by rail links. In Europe, Air France and the Lufthansa group have championed this cause, often under pressure from politicians. Northern European countries, led by Scandinavia, have also launched...

The United Kingdom was the first to ban Russian aircraft from its airspace. It was followed over the last few days by Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and then France. Finally, on Sunday evening, the entire European Union, through the voice of its President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen,...