Europe summer 2026: beach rules, film tourism and train news you need

New beach rules for summer 2026

Several European beaches have tightened rules this year. In parts of Spain and Italy, you could get a fine for playing loud music or reserving sunbeds with towels while you go for a swim. The rules vary by town, so check the local signs. A common scam: people place towels at dawn and then demand money to let you sit on 'their' sunbed. Ignore that. If you want a guaranteed spot, rent from a licensed kiosk (from around 15 EUR per day) (source: Euronews on beach rules).

'The Odyssey' set-jetting this year

Christopher Nolan's film is out in 2026 and the real locations are mostly in Greece and southern Italy. Head to Sicily's Aeolian Islands or the Peloponnese coast to see the landscapes that inspired the epic. These places are crowded in August. Go in September instead. For city breaks, skip the film route and do this: walk the old port in Barcelona or the Trastevere alleys in Rome for a different kind of epic (source: Euronews on Odyssey locations).

Best European islands for water sports

A new study ranks Sardinia (diving), the Azores (surfing) and Malta (snorkelling) as top for active holidays. Windsurfers should go to Rhodes. Kayakers head to Croatia's Kornati islands. Gear rental on Sardinia costs from around 50 EUR per half day. Book ahead (source: Euronews on water sports islands).

Train news: London to Cologne by 2030

A new operator called Gemini wants to run direct trains from London to Cologne, cutting the journey by roughly two hours compared to current connections. Not for 2026 though. For this summer, Eurostar still dominates London-Paris and London-Brussels. Book tickets from around 80 EUR one way if you buy early (source: Euronews on Gemini train).

Empty middle seat? Not on European airlines yet

United's new no-middle-seat 'Relax Row' is a US-only test. On European flights, you still get a middle seat in economy except on some short-haul routes on Air France or KLM where you can pay extra to keep it empty (from around 25 EUR). Not worth it on a two-hour flight (source: Euronews on empty middle seat).