Europe by rail this summer – where to go, restrictions and great deals: Q&A

Many European services have resumed and there are some excellent deals on national rail pass. Our expert gives the lowdown on summer train travel

As I explored Switzerland by train in early March, the coronavirus clouds were gathering on the horizon. Within a few days, borders closed and Europe’s rail network fragmented. Eurostar scaled back to just a handful of journeys a day. Slovenia suspended its entire rail network, while in Croatia, Portugal, Spain, Finland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia not a single train ventured beyond its borders.

But the big surprise was how quickly the international network revived. That process started in early May, initially with local cross-frontier services being reinstated (mainly to support border-hopping commuters), closely followed by longer-distance Eurocity and high-speed international services.