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The top class on the scheduled high-speed trains, country by country, from the AVE and TGV to the Frecciarossa and Al Boraq.
Last checked October 2026.
None that meets our standard yet. Conforto, first class on the Alfa Pendular between Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve, has wide 2+1 seats but no longer offers service at the seat.
The top fare in Confort, the first-class carriage of Spain's high-speed AVE, with 2+1 seats. Prémium adds a meal served at the seat with wine (a hot meal on most departures, a lighter box on some) and entry to Renfe's Sala Club lounges at the main stations, with coffee, drinks and snacks before the train. It runs on the routes that matter most: Madrid to Barcelona, Seville, Málaga, Valencia and Alicante, and Barcelona to Seville and Málaga, with many departures a day on the main lines.
The top class of Iryo, Spain's private high-speed operator, in a first-class carriage at the end of the train with 2+1 seats. A light meal and drinks are served at the seat, and the ticket is flexible. Iryo runs from Madrid to Barcelona, Seville, Málaga, Valencia and Alicante, and from Barcelona to Seville and Málaga.
Eurostar's top class, in a dedicated carriage with large reclining seats and extra legroom. It includes a meal from a menu created by leading European chefs, served by the onboard team, entry to the Eurostar Premier lounges at the main stations, priority lanes through security and passport control on journeys to and from London, and fully flexible tickets. Trains run between London and Paris through the day. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
The Italian high-speed train between Paris Gare de Lyon and Milano Centrale, by way of Lyon and Turin, in about seven hours. Executive is a carriage of ten wide leather armchairs that swivel and recline, with meals from a menu by chef Carlo Cracco served at the seat and included, and a private meeting room for five that can be booked. There are two round trips a day. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
The top class on France's own high-speed trains to the Riviera, in first class with a quieter area and fully flexible tickets. It includes SNCF's Grand Voyageur lounges, at Paris Gare de Lyon and Marseille Saint-Charles, on the day of travel. Sold on weekdays; SNCF's Optimum Plus, with a meal at the seat, runs only between Paris and Lyon. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
None that meets our standard yet. No fast or premium train calls at Monaco-Monte-Carlo; travellers from Paris change at Nice for a regional train.
The top class on Italy's high-speed Frecciarossa, in one carriage at the end of the train with only eight to ten leather seats that recline and swivel, a dedicated steward and a meeting room. A meal tray on longer journeys, or a snack on shorter ones, is served at the seat with drinks including wine, and Executive passengers may use Trenitalia's FrecciaLounge and FrecciaClub lounges at the major stations. It runs on the Frecciarossa 1000 and 500 trains on the main high-speed lines (Turin, Milan, Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples, and Venice to Rome and Naples), many times a day. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
The top class of Italo, Italy's private high-speed operator, with leather armchairs in interiors by Giugiaro and a choice of seat. Italian food and drinks are served at the seat, with prosecco at lunch and dinner, and the ticket includes the Italo Club lounge at the station. For a family or small group, the Club Salotto is a private compartment for up to four. Italo runs between Rome and Florence, Venice, Milan and Naples, among other cities, many times a day. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
None that meets our standard yet. Slovenian Railways' InterCity trains, including those from Ljubljana to Koper on the coast, have a plain first class with no service at the seat.
None that meets our standard yet. The few trains from Zagreb to Split are mostly second class only, and no train reaches Dubrovnik.
None that meets our standard yet. The Talgo trains between Sarajevo and Mostar are modern and air-conditioned, but have no premium service.
None that meets our standard yet. The line from Bar to Belgrade has an overnight sleeper and a summer day train, with no premium class.
None that meets our standard yet. The railway is still being rebuilt, and its trains have no premium class.
None that meets our standard yet. Hellenic Train's Athens to Thessaloniki trains have a plain first class with no service at the seat, and the service has been cut back.
None that meets our standard yet. The high-speed trains with a business class run from Istanbul inland to Ankara and Konya, outside our geography.
None that meets our standard yet. Israel Railways has a single class on every route.
None that meets our standard yet. The newer trains between Cairo and Alexandria have a first class with wider seats but no service beyond that.
None that meets our standard yet. The trains from Tunis to Sousse and Sfax offer a plain first class only.
None that meets our standard yet. The intercity trains from Algiers have a plain first class only.
Africa's first high-speed train runs from Tangier to Rabat in about an hour and twenty minutes, then on to Casablanca. First class has spacious reclining seats in quieter carriages, and the ticket includes the Al Boraq lounges at Tangier Ville, Kénitra, Rabat Agdal and Casablanca Voyageurs. Drinks and snacks are sold on board. Trains leave Tangier about every hour through the day.
That makes 8 entries in all.
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