The Dutch Railways reports that international train travel was extremely popular last year. A record number of travelers booked an international train journey with NS last year.

Half of the Dutch people plan to go on a city trip in the next three years. New York, Barcelona and London are the most popular. To destinations that are closer, people prefer to go by car, followed by the train and the plane. This is the conclusion of large-scale consumer research conducted by Trends & Tourism in October last year into the foreign city trip market.

The research also shows that the car is the most preferred mode of transport at almost 40% for holidays to cities less than 750 kilometers from the Netherlands, followed by plane and train at about 25% each. For travelers who want to make a city trip and prefer the train, convenience and sustainability are the most important considerations for choosing the train. In European cities that are 750 km or further from the Netherlands, the plane is most popular (64%); about 14% opt for the train.

“Since May 2022 we have seen higher sales figures than in the same month in 2019. We are pleased that international travelers are back and are now fully opting for the train. We also see this trend among our European fellow carriers. We see that the charm, comfort and luggage space of the train are increasingly decisive. Especially for destinations from 700 to 1500 km. The desire to travel more sustainably than by plane provides an extra impulse. Of course, the long check-in times and problems with airport baggage handling also played a role.”

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Many travelers used this night train while 'asleep'. In 2021, more than 100.000 travelers made a trip to Switzerland with this night train.

De Dutch railways reports that international train travel was extremely popular last year. A record number of travelers booked an international train journey with NS last year. Six percent more tickets for international train journeys were sold last year than in 2019. NS achieved twenty percent more turnover last year than in 2019. This has everything to do with the release of the corona rules.

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The number of international train journeys is expected to increase this year as well. The prices increase as seats become scarcer and as the travel date approaches, so it is advisable to book in time. Since December 2021, the Nighjet of the Austrian railway partner ÖBB also runs from the Netherlands to Zurich. This train previously ran from the Netherlands to Vienna and Innsbruck. Many travelers used this night train while 'asleep'. In 2021, more than 100.000 travelers made a trip to Switzerland with this night train.

Middle photo: NS image bank.

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