As the final trains of the year roll toward their destinations, all of us at Interrail can’t help but look back on the times that made this year on the rails feel so special.
A few of our favourite memories: celebrating a birthday on the tracks somewhere between Switzerland and Italy, sharing a takeout dinner on a high-speed train after an exhilarating day exploring Pompeii, and drifting through the night in a vintage sleeping car from Bucharest to northern Romania, surrounded by warm wooden interiors and a soft sense of nostalgia.
These are the kinds of experiences that make travelling with the Pass feel unlike anything else — meeting new people across the train car aisle, exchanging stories with the conductor, warming your hands around a cup of coffee while small towns flicker by.
As the year winds down, we’re gearing up for one of our most eagerly awaited moments: the 2026 timetable update. Twice a year, Europe’s railway carriers release new timetables with quicker connections, revived night trains and fresh routes that make distances feel shorter (and more exciting) than ever before.
Dreaming up your 2026 adventures? Here are the rail updates we’re most thrilled to share.
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Austria’s Koralmbahn: a high-speed train leap
Austria has unveiled the Koralmbahn, a 130 km high-speed line anchored by the world’s sixth-longest railway tunnel. Starting this year, this major new route will slash the travel time between Graz and Klagenfurt from almost three hours to just 45 minutes.
This line will be highly impactful for many trains in Central Europe. ÖBB will operate 26 direct daily trains from Vienna to Klagenfurt, many of which will continue to Villach and Lienz. Westbahn will also run a new train route from Vienna towards Graz, Klagenfurt and Villach starting on 1 March 2026.
International trains, including the new Railjet connections, from Vienna in Austria to Venice and Trieste in Italy and Ljubljana in Slovenia will also become significantly quicker.
How to find schedules: Interrail/Eurail Rail Planner or ÖBB
Seat reservations: Interrail/Eurail Self Service or ÖBB
Seat reservations are optional within Austria, towards Italy a supplement is needed.
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Regiojet expands trains to Poland
After a successful pilot, Regiojet has officially launched domestic trains within Poland with connections between Krakow, Warsaw, Gdánsk, Gdynia, and many more destinations.
New train services will also extend to the Czech Republic, starting from Warsaw via Katowice and Ostrava to Prague.
How to find schedules: Regiojet
Seat reservations: On board the trains
Seat reservations mandatory
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Travel eastward on the new EuroNight to Przemyśl
A new EuroNight train takes off from three different countries to reach Przemyśl in Eastern Poland and offers a remarkable experience – the feeling of travelling across the continent while the world sleeps.
Train coaches from Munich in Germany, Prague in Czech Republic and Budapest in Hungary merge during the night, turning multiple journeys into one seamless night connection to Poland.
How to find schedules: Interrail/Eurail Rail Planner or ÖBB
Seat reservations: Interrail/Eurail Self Service or ÖBB
Accommodation options: Seats, couchettes and sleeper cabins depending on the destination
Reservations are mandatory
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From Germany to Lithuania in a single day
The journey to the Baltics is now even easier with a new connection from Szczecin via Poznan and Warsaw in Poland to Vilnius in Lithuania and another new route from Suwalki in Poland towards Vilnius.
This addition makes it possible to travel from Hamburg, Leipzig or Berlin in Germany to Vilnius in one day, instead of requiring travellers to make an overnight stay in Warsaw.
Note: To make either of these connections, one still needs to change trains at the border in Mockava in Lithuania due to the difference in track gauge — but this will be a guaranteed transfer as it is sold as a direct train journey from Poland to Vilnius.
How to find schedules: Interrail/Eurail Rail Planner or LTG Link
Seat reservations: LTG Link
Seat reservations mandatory in order to travel towards Lithuania
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Germany and Poland: closer than ever
Rail links between Germany and Poland have recently received a 55% increase in service, opening up more ways to explore both countries in one trip. New and restored routes include:
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Leipzig – Wrocław – Kraków – Przemyśl
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Berlin – Poznań – Łódź – Warsaw – Chełm
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Berlin – Poznań – Wrocław – Kraków – Przemyśl
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Munich – Kraków – Przemyśl
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Berlin-Poznan-Warsaw (to operate with a higher frequency of trains)
How to find schedules: Interrail/Eurail Rail Planner or Bahn.de
Seat reservations: Interrail/Eurail Self Service or Bahn.de
Seat reservations mandatory
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Next generation trains between Germany and Denmark
The arrival of new Talgo trains in Germany and Denmark has brought a noticeable upgrade in comfort and accessibility. DSB’s brand-new Talgo trains now glide between Hamburg and Copenhagen, and more train sets will be added through Spring 2026.
Deutsche Bahn will add Talgo trains through the year to their network, starting with the route Berlin to Cologne, before expanding to lines bound from Berlin, Frankfurt and Cologne to Westerland (Sylt) in Denmark and from Dortmund in Germany to Oberstdorf in Denmark.
How to find schedules: Interrail/Eurail Rail Planner or Bahn.de
Seat reservations: Interrail/Eurail Self Service or Bahn.de
Seat reservations to/from Denmark optional, only mandatory between 26 June and 31 August. Within Germany seat reservations are optional.
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A direct line to Croatia’s capital
Direct Eurocity trains from Munich, Germany to Zagreb, Croatia are making a comeback, with a short transfer in Villach in the other direction till June. The route from Vienna to Zagreb will also regain direct trains in both directions, reconnecting Austria and Croatia with ease. Perfect for anyone craving lakes, mountains and a taste of the Adriatic.
How to find schedules: Interrail/Eurail Rail Planner or ÖBB
Seat reservations: Interrail/Eurail Self Service or ÖBB
Seat reservations optional
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From Alpine lakes to Renaissance streets
A new daily Eurocity will sweep you from Zürich in Switzerland to Florence via Milan and Bologna in Italy, opening up a smooth route straight into Tuscany’s rolling landscapes and Renaissance architecture. Expect cinematic views of turquoise-blue lakes, rising snow-covered Alps and lush-green hills straight from your window.
How to find schedules: Interrail/Eurail Rail Planner or Bahn.de
Seat reservations: Interrail/Eurail Self Service
Seat reservations mandatory to/from Italy
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More ways to reach Kraków and Warsaw
From 1 March, Leo Express will add two daily trains between Kraków and Warsaw, giving travellers more flexibility between Poland’s cultural capital and its fast-moving metropolis. The number of international trains between Kraków and Prague will also increase, boosting connections to Czech Republic.
How to find schedules: Interrail/Eurail Rail Planner or Leo Express
Seat reservations: Leo Express
Seat reservations mandatory
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Travel across western Europe overnight
From 26 March 2026, the European Sleeper will run between Paris, Brussels, Aachen and Berlin, reviving overnight rail between some of Europe’s most iconic cities. This fills the gap left by the discontinued Paris to Berlin and Brussels to Berlin ÖBB Nightjet trains.
Their timetable from 26 March 2026:
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3x weekly Brussels-Amsterdam-Berlin-Prague
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3x weekly Paris-Brussels-Aachen-Berlin
European Sleeper also plans to add an exciting new night train connection from Amsterdam and Brussels to Milan from June 2026, but further details are awaited. Check out the website of European Sleeper for more information.
How to find schedules: Interrail/Eurail Rail Planner or European Sleeper
Seat reservations: European Sleeper
Accommodation options: Seats, couchettes and sleeper cabins
Seat reservations mandatory
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ComfortJet debuts direct Copenhagen to Prague trains
From 1 May 2026, two daily trains will link Prague in Czech Republic to Berlin and Hamburg in Germany and Copenhagen in Denmark using ÖBB’s brand-new ComfortJet trains (indicated as Railjet in the timetable).
Sleek, modern and already admired on the Prague to Berlin route, these trains will offer the first-ever direct daytime link between the Czech and Danish capital cities.
How to find schedules: Interrail/Eurail Rail Planner or Bahn.de
Seat reservations: Interrail/Eurail Self Service or Bahn.de
Seat reservations to/from Denmark optional, only mandatory between 26 June and 31 August.
Which update are you most excited about? Tell us in the comments!