United Kingdom and the Netherlands

Last April, Eurostar launched a new direct high-speed service from London’s St. Pancras station to Amsterdam taking only three hours, and 41 minutes with speeds up to 186 mph. eurostar.com

Italy

The FrecciaRossa 1000 line debuted at the Milano World Expo in 2015 and remains Europe’s swiftest train at 223 mph. It’s also one of the world’s best high-speed trains with energy-efficient engines, especially quiet, vibration-free carriages and the killer onboard espresso that you’d expect in Italy. In 2018, the rail line launched a new 3.5-hour route from Milan to Perugia, Umbria’s picturesque capital, plus new high-speed links connecting Rome’s Fiumicino Airport to Venice, Florence, Bologna and other Italian cities. trenitalia.com/en.html

Morocco

As of last November, passengers can travel from Casablanca to Tangiers in just over two hours on the Al Boraq train—named for a mythical winged creature—with speeds up to 200 mph. oncf.ma/fr/Al-boraq

South Korea

Korail KTX, South Korea’s high-speed rail network, tops out at 205 mph. Its newest route, which debuted in time for the 2018 Winter Olympics, connects Incheon International Airport to Gangneung on the east coast, stopping in Seoul along the way. letskorail.com