Our President and CEO, Frédéric Langlois, contributes monthly to our High Speed Rail News blog series.  Sharing his passion for travel and high-speed rail of which he is considered an expert. With over 17 years in the industry, Langlois sits on the Advisory Boards of the German National Tourist Office, the French National Tourist Office and hotel giant Accor. In addition, he has appeared on cable news discussing the future of high-speed trains in the United States.

Rail travel takes on a special air at night. City lights whiz by in streaks of neon. The quiet countryside appears like shadows over hills and pastures. And the gentle rocking of the train lulls traveler’s to sleep.

An overnight journey on a train is one of the highlights of traveling throughout Europe. After exploring a city by day, board an overnight train to your next destination and arrive rested and ready to explore more. These trains are a great way to cover longer distances, allowing you to make more efficient use of your precious vacation time. Plus you’ll save money by not having to stay in a hotel for the night.

When considering the overnight trains, the City Night Line (CNL) is a great option. Some popular CNL journeys are Zurich to Dresden, a journey that takes 12 hours, as well as Munich to Amsterdam, taking 11 hours. The CNL trains are far-reaching – connecting Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy, France, The Netherlands and Switzerland. This night train offers a variety of sleeper choices ranging from economy to deluxe, and the option of a breakfast delivery when you wake up – breakfast in bed, on a train? Why not!

I also wanted to share some exciting news about the new Rhine-Rhone high-speed line in France. This new, direct, high-speed TGV service from Paris will venture to towns and cities like Besancon, Belfort and Mulhouse.

However, the route I’m most excited about will bring new direct north-south connections between Germany and France. This will really change the way travelers can experience rail travel as it eliminates the need to change trains in Paris, making their high speed journeys seamless, faster and easier.

It is estimated that 11 million riders will utilize the new Rhine-Rhone line, confirming what I, and many other proponents of rail already know: the demand for high-speed train travel is growing by the day!