Eurostar has announced plans to launch direct rail services to Frankfurt and Geneva from London, marking a big expansion of its European network.
The company will deploy a fleet of up to 50 new trains from the early 2030s to operate these routes. More services are also set to begin in September this year, giving a major boost to British holidaymakers seeking sustainable travel to Europe.
For the first time, passengers will be able to travel directly from London to Germany and Switzerland without changing trains. This comes as more services are also set to be added between London, Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
International rail travel continues to surge, with travellers increasingly choosing train journeys over flights for European destinations. The three new direct routes will connect London to Frankfurt, London to Geneva, and Amsterdam/Brussels to Geneva. These services will transform travel options for British tourists heading to popular Alpine ski resorts and German cities.
Holidaymakers can travel to Frankfurt with the Eurostar
GETTY
The expansion follows the successful reinstatement of direct services between London, Rotterdam and Amsterdam in February 2025. A fourth daily service will be added from September 9 and a fifth from mid-December.
Eurostar currently operates in five countries, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany. The new routes will extend the company's reach into Switzerland for the first time, opening up direct access to Geneva's proximity to numerous mountain resorts.
Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave said: "We're seeing strong demand for train travel across Europe, with customers wanting to go further by rail than ever before and enjoy the unique experience we provide. Despite the challenging economic climate, Eurostar is growing and has bold ambitions for the future.
"Our new fleet will make new destinations for customers a reality, notably direct trains between London and Germany, and between London and Switzerland for the first time. A new golden age of international sustainable travel is here."
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander welcomed the investment, stating: "I am pleased to welcome this exciting investment into Eurostar services, which is a huge step in promoting green travel across Europe and boosting our international rail connections."
The expansion represents a €2billion (£1.7billion) investment in up to 50 new trains, which will operate alongside Eurostar's existing fleet of 17 e320s. This will bring the total fleet to 67 trains, marking a 30 per cent increase.
Eurostar isn't the only service offering new routes from the UK to popular holiday destinations, as Jet2, TUI and Ryanair have all announced more flights to their schedules.
Jet2 has rolled out new flights to Spain, Cyprus, Turkey and more holiday hotspots. The expanded schedule includes two routes being introduced for winter.
LATEST TRAVEL
It will be easier to travel to Amsterdam with Eurostar
GETTYJet2.com and Jet2holidays have unveiled its most extensive winter sun programme to date, offering 4.4 million seats for the 2026/27 season.
The expanded programme features 14 sunshine destinations accessible from 13 UK airports, including two newly introduced winter routes. Bournemouth will connect to Malaga, whilst London Luton will offer flights to Palma, Majorca.
In other news, TUI will bring back flights from a British airport to a stunning resort. TUI will resume direct flights between East Midlands airport and the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh from March 2026, marking the route's return after three years.
Additionally, Ryanair announced a new route from the UK to Warsaw in Poland. This is the latest update in a long list of route changes announced by the budget airline this year.
Most Read
