There’s great news for European train travellers today. Greece and Israel have announced that they will become two of the first countries in the world to offer free access for vaccinated tourists . This will probably happen from late March or early April. But where can you travel by train when you get there?
Trains in Greece
Greece is one of the two countries in the world offering free access to vaccinated tourists. And it’s easy to travel around Greece by train. The main Greek train company is Trainose. It operates very reasonably-priced services between some of the country’s main cities including Athens and Thessaloniki. For those who prefer riding on heritage trains, Greece is the home of the famous Odontotos Rack Railway. This is the world’s narrowest gauge railway. It travels on a spectacular one-hour journey from the villages of Diakofto to Kalavryta in the northern Peloponnese in southern Greece. The journey will take you through the picturesque Vouraikos Gorge, stopping en route at Zachlorou, before heading up to Kalavryta. You can also travel on the very cute Pelion steam train, which travels from Ano Lehonia to Milies, up the spectacular Mount Pelion in Thessaly.
Trains in Israel
The Israeli train network is very efficient, reasonably priced and great for train lovers. If you’re travelling between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem you can get there by train in only 34 minutes. You will travel on the country’s high-speed network rail.co.il. The trains run every half hour between the cities, have good air-con and free WiFi on board. Alternatively, if you’ve got the time, the 90-minute journey takes in a change at Bet Shemesh. This follows the more scenic route between the two cities that was originally built in Ottoman times. And train fans can also find out more about the history of the Israeli train system at the Israel Train Museum.