European rail travel continues to boom, with several new routes across the continent offering a sustainable, accessible alternative to flying.
A new connection between Finland and Sweden launching this summer would be a major step towards creating Europe’s longest continuous rail journey, but that’s not the only serious long-distance link in the works right now.
Thanks to a new partnership between Norway’s national railway Vy, Denmark’s DSB and Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, a direct connection between the German and Norwegian capitals has been confirmed – and it will be the first of its kind for 20 years.
The service will connect Oslo and Berlin via Hamburg, Copenhagen, Malmö and Gothenburg, and a round trip will run twice daily from summer 2028 – we’ll know more about departure times and ticket prices closer to the inauguration.
More specifically, the planned list of stops from north to south is as follows: Oslo, Moss, Fredrikstad, Sarpsborg, Halden, Trollhättan, Gothenburg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Lund, Malmö, Copenhagen Airport, and Copenhagen H, followed by Odense, Kolding, Padborg and Hamburg and, lastly, Berlin.
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Using DB’s new long-distance trains the ICE Ls (where the ‘L’ stands for ‘low floor’, meaning step-free access throughout much of the train), the total journey will take between 14 and 15 hours, according to The Local. Ahead of the entire route’s launch, services using the train models will run between Hamburg and Copenhagen from winter 2027.
‘If you want to experience Europe, jump on the train! With high fuel prices, long-distance trains are a good alternative to cars and planes,’ said Michael Peterson, CEO of DB Fernverkehr, in a press release. ‘With the new, international route from Berlin via Copenhagen to Oslo, we are connecting Northern Europe and three capitals by train.’
Why you should visit Berlin and Oslo
Simply put, these are two of Europe’s coolest cities. Oslo is a heartland of sauna culture, excellent art and a brilliant gateway to Norway’s wilder side, while Berlin remains a gritty hub brimming with history, nightclubs and beer.
📍 Check out ’s guides to the best things to do in Oslo and Berlin.
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