European Travel Trends To Look For in 2025

It’s that time of year again – we look back at 2024 to predict European travel trends for 2025.

I’ve gathered some intel from two major players in different niches of the European travel world about what they’re seeing in their crystal ball in terms of likely trends for 2025. Their insight is followed by my thoughts regarding the year ahead, so scroll down to see what you can expect in Europe in the upcoming year. 

European Travel Trends 2025 – The View From the Rails

You can’t discuss Europe without talking about rail travel, and esteemed rail ticket provider Rail Europe has shared with me a few of the trends coming down the tracks regarding European rail travel and also a few predictions for 2025.  

President & CEO Björn Bender said: “At Rail Europe, we’re committed to driving the future of rail travel, and these trends reflect both traveler demands and ongoing innovations within the rail industry.” 

He added “Looking to 2025, the future of European rail travel is marked by rapid innovation and increasing demand. As rail connectivity expands, travelers will benefit from faster, more efficient cross-border travel and enhanced digital tools that make planning and booking seamless. Sustainability will continue to drive the industry, with eco-conscious travelers clearly opting for greener travel options. At Rail Europe, we are excited to support this transformation by providing flexible, convenient, and sustainable travel solutions, ensuring that rail remains the preferred choice for exploring the diverse and vibrant continent of Europe.”

Specifically, according to Rail Europe, the following five things will shape European rail travel in 2025:  

Sustainability as a Primary Driver

Eco-conscious travelers are increasingly turning to rail as one of the most sustainable modes of transportation. With growing awareness of climate change, particularly among Gen Z and Millennial travelers, Rail Europe foresees a surge in demand for rail journeys. 

European rail operators are actively investing in green initiatives, such as hydrogen-powered and hybrid trains, to reduce emissions further. This shift towards sustainable travel is expected to be an important driver for the rail sector in 2025 and beyond. 

Increased Digitization and Personalization

In 2025, Rail Europe expects digital advancements to revolutionize rail travel even further. Features such as real-time updates, dynamic pricing, and personalized trip recommendations will make planning and booking easier and more tailored to individual preferences, ensuring a seamless experience for travelers across Europe.

Rail Travel for Workations and Bleisure

Rail Europe anticipates that many travelers will combine work and leisure (bleisure) on their journeys in 2025. Trains, with their high-speed connections and onboard Wi-Fi, are perfectly suited for remote workers, digital nomads and professionals seeking to stay productive while enjoying their travels. The flexibility of rail travel, coupled with the convenience of working from the comfort of a train, will make it an increasingly popular choice for those blending business and leisure.

The Continued Popularity of the Eurail Pass

The Eurail Pass has long been the key to exploring Europe’s diverse cultures, landscapes, and history with unmatched flexibility. Since its inception 65 years ago, the Eurail Pass has expanded to cover 33 countries and over 33,000 destinations. In 2025, Rail Europe expects the Eurail Pass to continue evolving as the go-to solution for travelers looking to maximize their European exploration with flexibility.

Enhanced Rail Connectivity Across Europe

Rail Europe foresees significant growth in rail connectivity, particularly with the introduction of new high-speed and direct routes that will make cross-border travel easier and faster. New high-speed services like the Paris-Berlin route, with a travel time of pproximately 8 hours, will allow passengers to explore multiple destinations swiftly. 

The Tour Perspective

Brandon Shaw, co-founder and COO at The Tour Guy also shared some 2025 predictions based on Brandon’s own knowledge of the travel industry in addition to data from The Tour Guy bookings. 

Major Monuments Aren’t Going Anywhere

According to Shaw, despite the “destination dupe” trend that grabbed headlines in 2024, travelers won’t skip tried-and-true destinations. The Tour Guy still sees a high demand for attractions like the Vatican, Colosseum, Eiffel Tower, Sagrada Familia, etc. London and Paris remain the top destinations researched by travelers based on global search trends data, followed by Rome and Barcelona, and search is up 7% year-over-year.

Second-Tier Cities on the Rise

The Tour Guy has seen an increased interest amongst travelers for cities like Dublin, Lisbon and southern Spain (Granada & Seville). Search data has confirmed this; these three areas have experienced 14% growth in search volume over the last year.

Day trips Over Dupes

Instead of planning trips to alternative locations, travelers will lean more into shorter day trips. Some popular day trips The Tour Guy customers are booking include the Amalfi Coast & Pompeii from Rome, Tuscany from Florence, Prosecco from Venice, Champagne & Normandy from Paris, Windsor, Bath & Stonehenge from London, Montserrat from Barcelona and Sintra from Lisbon.

Event-Cations Aren’t Going Anywhere

This past year, The Tour Guy saw more and more people planning trips around big events and concerts, and this trend isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. According to global search trends data, “shows/concerts/events” fall just under “sightseeing” on the list of travel experiences tourists are searching for. One notable event occurring next year that will draw in millions of tourists to Europe is the Jubilee in Rome.

Culinary Craze

Travelers will be booking food tours and cooking classes like crazy, with search volume growing nearly 14%. Italy is by far the most popular destination for food-related experiences, but Shaw recommends taking a food tour in every city you visit, so you can take your knowledge of the local cuisine and apply it to the rest of your trip and for the fact that food tour guides can also give recommendations on what restaurants you won’t want to miss.   

Our Take

The digitization of the railways as mentioned by Rail Europe is 100% real as I’ve recently traveled with a mobile Eurail pass and a BritRail pass and both worked like a breeze. The old “ticket punch” machine the conductor used to carry around has now been replaced by a scanner. This is a trend that shows no signs of slowing down and to the point of personalization, how cool would it be if eventually we got to a point where your Eurail Mobile Pass is suggesting destinations along your route based on your interests? 

I wholeheartedly agree with Brandon Shaw, co-founder and COO at The Tour Guy about major monuments retaining their appeal. For all the talk about “swaps and dupes” over the last little while, the anecdotal evidence I’ve seen tells a different story: people still want to go to the places they’ve seen on television or social media, especially on their first couple of European vacations.

It may sound good on paper, but you just aren’t going to see that many people swap Barcelona for Girona or Florence for Turin. No matter how many press releases attempt to will it into existence. 

I do find it very interesting that The Tour Guy is seeing increased interest in so-called “second tier” cities, as this could turn out to be the true face of the “swaps & dupes” trend. But I’d be willing to bet a few Euros that travelers are visiting these destinations in addition to the major ones, not instead of them. 

Sadly, for that reason, I think overtourism in Europe is a trend that’s here to stay. 

A couple of trends I think we will see in 2025 include an increase in Christmas-themed travel as the Christmas market trend has well and truly taken off and a continued increase in sports tourism, specifically European soccer. In theory, these could both help disperse some of the crowds around as they both attract people to Europe in the shoulder/off-season.

This article originally appeared in TravelPulse.

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