France is at the forefront of Europe's slow travel revolution, with its expanding cross-border rail networks creating a powerful new era of sustainable multi-country tourism. This shift is not just about connecting cities; it's about transforming how travellers experience the continent. As the article highlights, France is building stronger links with neighbouring countries, offering high-speed trains, and fostering international partnerships. This is not merely a travel trend but a fundamental change in how we explore Europe, moving away from short, city-hopping trips towards longer, more immersive journeys. The focus is on sustainability, exploration, and responsible tourism, with France playing a pivotal role in this transformation.
One of the key aspects of this revolution is the emphasis on multi-city European holidays. Travellers are increasingly seeking deeper experiences, and the rail network is making this possible. The article notes that France's central location between Western and Southern Europe makes it an ideal hub for connecting major cities. The country is connecting major cities through faster and more reliable rail services, supporting projects that remove barriers between European regions. This is evident in the France-Germany connection, where 28 trains run daily between Paris and Berlin, offering a new option for city-to-city journeys without the need for flights.
The France-Spain corridor is also becoming a key tourism route, with direct high-speed services connecting Barcelona, Figueres, and Girona with Paris and other French cities. This enables travellers to explore northern Spain and France together, creating opportunities for multi-stop holidays that combine culture, food, history, and regional experiences. Similarly, the Paris-Milan route, which reopened in 2025, provides a renewed Alpine connection between two of Europe's strongest tourism markets, allowing visitors to combine French destinations with northern Italian cities.
However, the article also highlights the challenges that remain. The Lyon-Turin railway project, for instance, is crucial for transforming movement across the Western Alps and reducing travel times between major cities. The Montpellier-Perpignan new line in southern France is another critical project, as it connects the high-speed network running from Seville to Amsterdam. These projects, along with the Atlantic corridor between Bordeaux, Dax, and Spain, demonstrate that Europe's tourism future depends on creating a complete network where every journey connects smoothly.
The shift towards slow travel is also closely tied to sustainable tourism policies. Governments and tourism organisations are focusing on sustainable travel, destination balance, and longer visitor stays. France's Atout France organisation, for instance, aims to strengthen France's position as a leading sustainable tourism destination by 2030, supporting projects that improve digitalisation, environmental performance, and regional tourism development. Spain and Italy are also promoting seasonal and regional diversification to spread visitors beyond traditional hotspots, while Germany is encouraging longer stays, rural tourism, and sustainable visitor behaviour.
The demand for multi-city European holidays is evident, with travellers already moving towards more diverse experiences. France's own tourism data shows that only one in five visitors to France visited only Paris, indicating that travellers are seeking wider experiences. Germany has also recorded a similar behaviour, with 22% of French visitors taking multi-destination trips. Long-haul markets, such as Australia, are showing a preference for longer journeys covering around three countries, with France, Italy, Austria, and Germany among the leading destinations.
The financial support for Europe's rail transformation is significant. The European Union has increased investment in transport infrastructure to create safer, smarter, and more sustainable connections. In 2024, the European Commission selected 134 transport projects receiving more than €7 billion in funding through the Connecting Europe Facility, with France becoming one of the largest beneficiaries. These investments are not just about trains; they are about reshaping how people travel across Europe, ensuring that the slow-travel network is supported by simple booking systems, reliable connections, and passenger rights.
In conclusion, France's growing connections with Germany, Spain, Italy, and other European partners represent a significant change in modern tourism. The country is becoming a central bridge between major European destinations, helping to create a new model of travel based on exploration rather than speed alone. While challenges remain, the foundation has been laid, and the next stage will depend on completing major projects, improving international booking systems, and encouraging tourism organisations to promote rail-based journeys. Europe's future tourism success may well come from helping travellers stay longer, explore deeper, and discover more destinations in one journey, with France at the heart of this transformative shift.
