Britain aims for new, faster train routes to France and Germany

Also: Sweet 'n' savory foods of Sweden and a costly visit to North Korea

View in Browser 02.22.25 In travel news this week: railway ambitions in Europe, China and the Middle East, the delicious foods that Sweden does better than anywhere else, plus the Mongolian nomad family who've become an online hit.   By Maureen O'Hare 🚆 International train travel London St. Pancras. (Maja Smiejkowska/PA Wire) Adding Britain to your European rail vacation could get a little easier in the future.   London St. Pancras, the United Kingdom's only international train station, is working with the Channel Tunnel on opening up more services to France and planning new routes to Germany and Switzerland.   The aim is to shorten journey times, improve timetable coordination and introduce a larger rail fleet. St. Pancras also plans to expand peak-time capacity for international passengers from 1,800 per hour to 5,000.   In other rail news from around the world, China is hoping its new fleet of "silver trains" will encourage the up-in-years portion of its aging population to travel more and spend more. The trains will be fitted out with senior-friendly features such as handrails, oxygen bottles and emergency call buttons.   From silver to gold: The Middle East's first super-luxury train, Saudi Arabia's Dream of the Desert, will launch in fall 2026. Its gleaming golden interiors are designed to complement the sandy expanses outside. 🇸🇪 National cuisines Nordic cuisine is having a moment, but there's a lot more to Swedish food than meatballs and cinnamon buns. From sandwich cake to Västerbotten cheese pie, here are the dishes to try if you're visiting the Scandinavian nation.   In South America, there's a food revolution going on in Bolivia, where elite restaurants are getting international notice and ancient Inca and Aymara traditions are finding their way into modern fusion dishes.   In the 15th century, Beijing's Forbidden City was one of the most powerful places on the planet but governed by extreme secrecy. Even now, details are still emerging about what they feasted on in the royal household, from tiger testicles to bird's nest soup. 👀 See it while you can Visitors to New York's Center for Jewish History can tour a full-scale recreation of the secret annex where diarist Anne Frank hid from the Nazis in wartime Amsterdam. Originally set to end on April 30, the exhibit has proved so popular that it's been extended until October 31. CNN visited the Manhattan exhibit.   A 1,000-year-old French masterpiece is about to disappear from view for two years. Visitors will get their last chance to see the Bayeux Tapestry, an illustrated embroidery telling the story of the 11th-century Norman conquest of England, on August 31, before the Bayeux museum undergoes a major renovation.   Istanbul's Maiden Tower, which sits on a tiny island between Europe and Asia, has reopened to the public after it too had a huge facelift. Here's what it was like when CNN had a look around at the end of last year. 💰 Pick of the Day Brought to you by CNN Underscored I went on a 10-day vacation. Here's how I fit everything in a backpack It may seem impossible to fit everything you need for a 10-day vacation into a backpack, but Underscored knows how to get it done. Here are the best multifunctional travel gear and essentials to maximize your bag space. 🇲🇳 Life in Mongolia  CNN Mongolian couple Buyanaa and Yuk are traditional nomads and digital nomads. Their posts documenting their lives on the steppe have gotten millions of video views online.   If the pair's cozy headgear has you envious, then it might be time to invest in a new winter hat. Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have a roundup of the best noggin-warmers for 2025. 👀 In case you missed it A winter wonderland decorated with cotton wool and bedsheets disappointed visitors. It's snow joke.   An American spent thousands of dollars on a passport to enter North Korea. Here's what he discovered there.   Adventurer Tom Turcich spent seven years walking around the world. But his biggest challenge was being back home.   Moo Deng and Pesto became internet celebrities. What happens when cute baby animals grow up? Did you enjoy this newsletter? Drop in and say hi!   You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up for Unlocking the World. To stop receiving this newsletter, unsubscribe or sign up to manage your CNN account    Get CNN web alerts  |  Sign up for a free CNN account   ® © 2025 Cable News Network. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved. 1050 Techwood Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30318