Our 25 favourite European travel discoveries of 2025

The most exciting places our writers came across in Europe this year, from untouched islands in Finland to an affordable ski resort in Bulgaria and the perfect Parisian bistro

New sleeper service will run from Paris to Berlin next year

European Sleeper will operate the new service from March 2026, replacing the Nightjet train that is being axed next month

Europe’s new biometric border checks: what do non-EU travellers need to know?

Visitors arriving in any of the Schengen area’s 29 countries will have their faces and fingerprints scanned under the new entry/exit system

Night trains linking Paris, Berlin and Vienna to halt as France cuts funding

Some Nightjet services suspended from mid-December after French withdrawal amid public budget crisis Europe live – latest updates

Biometric checks to visit EU could take nine months to fully enforce

Though registration kiosks are due to open in UK in two weeks, system may not be fully enforced for nine months

Fossils, forests and wild orchids: exploring the white cliffs of Denmark

A short stretch of chalk cliffs on the island of Møn could soon become a world heritage site due to its unique ecology of wild orchids and geology of 30-million-year-old fossils

‘We got stuck in puddles’: skiers upset by lack of snow on Swedish slopes

Customers at SkiStar resort in Sälen, one of Sweden’s largest, say they deserve a partial refund

On board the maiden sleeper from Brussels to Venice: we got there in the end

Affordable couchettes, wonderful scenery and good company more than make up for a few teething problems en route

Tuscany among top 10 cheapest summer holiday destinations for 2025

Italian region comes surprise eighth place and has plenty of budget package deals available, according to Which?

‘Majestic brightness’: Warsaw’s Museum of Modern Art finds a new permanent home

After decades of nomadic existence, the Polish capital’s art temple is open for permanent business in an inspirational, light-filled new building

Fears for future of ski tourism as resorts adapt to thawing snow season

While some embrace technological innovations, others are forced to close as global heating causes lack of snowfall

Large French Alpine ski resort to close in face of shrinking snow season

Local people and businesses left ‘in lurch’ after council says it cannot afford to support or develop Alpe du Grand Serre

In the footsteps of DH Lawrence: across the Alps from Germany to Italy

More than a century on, the route from Konstanz to Como across lakes and Swiss mountains must also contend with traffic, but it still inspires a novel