![]() Italy’s high-speed network is simple to understand, with a main north–south line from Turin down the peninsula to Salerno (just beyond Naples), and a second east–west line from Turin to Venice (still partly under construction). A Frecciarossa train (Photo: Getty Images) Italy RE denotes semi-fast trains, while RB are stopping services. Regional trains take many forms in Germany from state to state, and not all are operated by Deutsche Bahn. Their compatriots are EuroCity trains (a continent-wide classification) which venture beyond Germany to countries without connecting high-speed rail, eg Luxembourg, Poland and the Czech Republic. IC (InterCity) trains are the slightly slower relatives of ICE. These smart, sleek trains are acclaimed as some of Europe’s most user-friendly. The fastest service is the ICE Sprinter which makes fewer stops to cut journey times. ![]() Some ICE trains venture into France, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands. ![]() ICE (InterCity Express) are high-speed trains run by state-owned operator Deutsche Bahn, and have been successfully pitched as an alternative to flying. Germany has the largest rail network in Europe, its high-speed offerings pivoting around a number of hubs, including Berlin, Frankfurt and Hanover. They’ve been significantly curtailed in recent years, and now only a few cling on, stretching from Paris southward to the Mediterranean, the Pyrenees, the Alps and Nice. Some tourist trains – such as Le Petit Train Jaune (the Little Yellow Train) – are also designated TER. TER means ‘transport express régional’– these are local trains run by the regional councils of France, and they can be useful when venturing off the beaten track. They travel what is referred to as the ‘classic’ network (non high-speed) and, like TGVs, they mostly branch out from Paris. Intercités denotes express services in France. TGVs come in various forms: the workhorses of the fleet are Duplex trains with double decker coaches Ouigo are the newer, low-cost versions, modelled on budget airlines. They radiate out from Paris and include both domestic services and international ones that connect with nearly all of France’s neighbours: Belgium, Italy, Spain, Germany and Switzerland. TGV services are the flagship high-speed trains from French operator SNCF. It also has one of the best high-speed networks in the world. France occupies a strategic position as the sole rail link to the rest of the continent for the Iberian peninsula and the British Isles.
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