‘Raving on the rails’ is part of a new push to offer travellers a sustainable alternative to flying. The aim is to make rail travel fun and appealing, especially to younger travellers. There are many routes across Europe offering party trains, especially during popular festivals and raves, and experts are predicting that over the next few years, fun-loving travellers will take these trips as a build-up to their final destination. It could make flying to destinations less appealing if raving on the rails takes off as hoped, and the possibility that rail raving becomes more popular than nightclubs.
Turkey’s party train
The 32-hour party train in Turkey, which is operated by The Turistik Doğu Ekspresi (Touristic Eastern Express) leaves the country’s capital, Ankara, and travels over 1,300 kilometres to Kars, a historic city in the northeast of the country, and situated on the border with Armenia and Georgia. It is Turkey’s most famous and lively train journey with multiple stops along the way. In the dining car section, travellers can eat and drink through the night under a spinning disco ball. Passengers party the journey away, listening to music and drinking until the train reaches Kars 32 hours later.
The Netherlands to Budapest: under a disco ball
Sziget festival, which happens in Budapest, Hungry’s capital, during August, can be reached from Utrecht in the Netherlands, via a train that has guest DJs playing in the bar area, cocktails, party games and a whole lot of fun right up until the train arrives in Budapest the following day.
The techno train in Germany
Germany even has a dedicated party train, known as the techno train, and is popular for hen and stag groups. The Techno Train was launched by a Nuremberg-based nightclub called ‘Haus 33’ in 2019 and is now the world’s most renowned rave on rails. The service operates twice a year and departs from Nuremberg’s Frankenstadion station, travels 100km west to the city of Würzburg and then circles back to arrive at Nuremberg Central Station the following morning. Three of the carriages are transformed into nightclubs with DJs, loudspeakers, fog machines and a bar that doesn’t close.
The Amsterdam rail dance
Not to be left out, Amsterdam also launched a rave on rails train earlier this month in celebration of the Amsterdam Dance Event, an annual festival that celebrates dance, subcultures, alternative music and the arts. The trip took a total of four hours and party-goers enjoyed the various DJs and artists that performed on the train.
