June is when the European travel season truly heats up each year, with a noticeable uptick in both crowds and temperatures. June 2024 also saw a host of European travel news and if you missed any of it during the month, this post will get you all caught up.
From crackdowns on short term rentals to the announcement of an exciting new rail partnership to an impressive infrastructure project, the month was full of happenings. Be sure to register for the TravelPulse newsletter to keep up to date with the latest European travel news all summer long.
Guell Park in Barcelona. Photo by Paul Heney. (Photo Credit: Photo by Paul Heney.)
Barcelona Takes Aim at Vacation Rentals
The mayor of Barcelona, Mayor Jaume Collboni revealed this month that the city plans to ban short-term vacation rentals by 2028. The controversial plan is in response to rising tourist numbers and ever-increasing rents for locals as a large chunk of the housing stock has been turned into accommodation for visitors.
Denmark-Germany Tunnel Developments
Work began this month on the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel between Denmark and Germany, which once completed, will be the world’s longest underwater road and rail tunnel. The 11-mile-plus tunnel between southern Denmark and northern Germany will slash travel times between the two nations at this location, replacing a 45-minute ferry across the Baltic Sea with a mere seven-minute train ride. The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel is expected to open in 2029.
Families on Costa Cruises can enjoy family-style excursions in the Mediterranean, like visiting a local market in Palermo. (Photo Credit: Costa Cruises)
Costa Cruises Reveals New Family Experiences
Families sailing the Mediterranean with Costa Cruises will have access to a new range of shore excursions and onboard activities geared toward them. Examples include excursions to the local market to gather ingredients for Sicilian desserts (before preparing them onboard) and a street art photo safari for teens.
Heat Waves Rear Their Head
The first proper heat waves of the season struck Europe in June, hitting parts of Italy and Greece especially hard. Greek authorities issued health warnings to tourists, imploring people to respect the heat and not engage in risky behavior amid a spate of tourist deaths related to the unseasonably hot early summer weather. Access to popular outdoor sights like the Acropolis was limited during peak daytime hours this month.
Eurail Pass (Photo Credit: Rail Europe)
2024 Travel Trends Take Shape
As we hit the halfway point in the year, this year’s trends in European travel are becoming more apparent. European rail pass brand Eurail revealed some of the trends it saw during the first quarter of the year including more Americans buying three-month rail passes (perhaps showing a shift toward slower travel) and the regions of Limoges in France and Appenzell in Switzerland seeing spikes in popularity.
Elsewhere, a 2024 report on trends from the Mastercard Economics Institute says that travelers are increasingly prioritizing value, regardless of income. As a result, countries like Albania, Turkey and Croatia are seeing the highest increases in flight traffic since 2019.
Greece Looks to Curb Cruising
During an interview published this month, the prime minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he is looking to put a cap on cruising soon, especially on ships calling at Santorini and Mykonos. He said “There are people spending a lot of money to be on Santorini and they don’t want the island to be swamped,” and suggested that cruise companies may have to bid for berths or there could be a restriction on the amount of available berths.
RegioJet (Photo Credit: Rail Europe)
Rail Europe Adds RegioJet
European rail ticket provider Rail Europe announced that RegioJet will now be available for booking on its B2B platform including RailAPI, RailFlash and RailPortal. RegioJet is a private rail company based in Czechia that serves destinations in Slovakia, Austria, Croatia and Hungary.
(Courtesy of AmaWaterways)
Ama Waterways Opens 2026 Bookings
Ama Waterways opened up its 2026 booking calendar earlier this month and announced a few new additions to its European river cruises. The new AmaSofia ship will sail the Danube River starting in May of 2026, a year that will also see new land packages to places like Madrid and San San Sebastián in Spain alongside Paris debut. In addition, 2026 will see new excursions to places like Utrecht (The Netherlands), Strasbourg (France) and spa town Baden-Baden (Germany).
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