Latest news with #trainroute
Condé Nast Traveler
15-07-2025
- Condé Nast Traveler
How to Plan a Trip Along Amtrak's New Mardis Gras Route to New Orleans
This summer, Amtrak is finally resuming a decades-old route through the Southern US, newly minted as the Mardis Gras Service. The train line is restarting service between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans via the Gulf Coast of Mississippi for the first time in 20 years. Passenger rail operations have been suspended in the region since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the coast in 2005. But that's changing on August 18, when Amtrak will relaunch its route along the Gulf. Tickets are now on sale for the Mardi Gras Service, which will operate two trains per day through four coastal towns in Mississippi—including Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascalouga—before arriving in either Mobile or New Orleans. The relaunched route is sure to make for a scenic—and affordable—trip, as adult fares to ride the line from end to end start at just $15 one way, and can be even less for shorter hops. Although many travelers will book the nearly four-hour train journey to visit New Orleans or Mobile, it's well worth stopping in some of the lesser-known destinations along the way. Each of the smaller towns on the route offer attractions like white-sand beaches, fresh seafood, historic hotels, and notable museums.
South China Morning Post
26-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China, Vietnam reopen railway line amid tourism boom after 5-year pause
China and Vietnam have reopened a passenger train route that was suspended during the early months of the pandemic, a move that could boost already surging tourism between the neighbours and attract more international travellers to visit the mainland without a visa, analysts said. Advertisement Beijing has expanded visa-free access to more countries in recent years, as authorities look to boost the tourism industry as part of China's post-pandemic economic recovery. Vietnamese citizens can now enter China visa-free at select ports if they are part of a tour group organised by a travel agency in mainland China. Trains started running on Sunday for the 11.5-hour trip between Nanning in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, according to Xinhua News Agency. The service, launched in 2009, was paused in February 2020 when borders closed throughout Asia to curb the spread of the pandemic. The reopening of the route would serve tourism growth on both sides of the 1,297-km (806-mile) land border, analysts said. 'Over the past two years there's been a trend of Vietnamese coming in and their economy is expanding fast,' said Steven Zhao, CEO of the Guilin-based online travel agency China Highlights. Advertisement After they arrive in Nanning, Vietnamese passengers would be able to transfer to China's high-speed railway network for cities that they typically like to visit, such as Beijing and Shanghai, Zhao added. People travelling to mainland China from Vietnam accounted for 4 per cent of all arrivals processed in 2023, according to market research firm Statista. By the third quarter of 2024, they made up 23,500 visitors, second only to Hong Kong as an offshore source, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
The UK could soon get a direct train to one of Europe's prettiest destinations
A brand new direct train route could be set to connect the UK to Switzerland in just five hours. Currently, tourists who want to travel by train have to get the Eurostar to Paris and change to reach Geneva, with the total journey taking around seven hours. The proposed direct train route between London and Geneva would shave about two hours off the current travel time. The UK and Switzerland have signed a memorandum of understanding agreeing to work to set up the rail link. Both countries are set to work together to deal with obstacles such as Channel Tunnel regulations and border controls. Each country will also share expertise under the agreement and meet with potential operators. Heidi Alexander, the UK's transport secretary, told PA: 'It's not going to be within the next 12 months, but if we can make this happen I think it will be a fantastic thing for our two countries.' Meanwhile, Alexander's Swiss counterpart, Albert Rosti, said the route wouldn't be opened 'as fast as I would like' but added that it was 'really likely' that the service could launch in the next five to 10 years. He said: 'I'm convinced that it's a good opportunity. It will be competitive to flights. If you can fill one train with 1,000 people, you can reduce the number of flights from Switzerland by five.' And Switzerland isn't the only destination that Brits could soon reach in a direct journey by train. A planned expansion at London St Pancras could also lead to direct routes to Frankfurt and Milan. Robert Sinclair, chief executive of London St Pancras Highspeed, said: 'This exciting announcement brings us one step closer to direct high-speed services between London and Switzerland, building on the preliminary work already undertaken to ensure that station access and routes are in place to make this a reality.'
