Brussels, Amsterdam, Prague Linked Overnight

From March onward, passengers can board evening trains in Brussels or Amsterdam, arriving in Dresden or Prague the following morning, as Europe’s nocturnal rail connections continue to grow.

European Sleeper, the company that introduced night train routes linking the capitals of Belgium and the Netherlands to Berlin in May, revealed plans on Tuesday to extend this service to include Dresden in eastern Germany. This expansion will also incorporate the Czech capital, commencing on March 25.

Originally, Prague was intended to be the ultimate destination for the inaugural sleeper service from Brussels, but due to major construction projects south of Dresden, the route initially concluded in Berlin, as stated by the collaboration between Belgium and the Netherlands.

The company announced a revised timetable aimed at providing an enticing schedule, ensuring seamless departure and arrival times. Passengers can embark from Brussels at 7:22 pm and arrive in Prague at 10:56 am, making stops in Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Děčín in the Czech Republic.

Additionally, European Sleeper is developing a winter night train connecting Amsterdam to the French Alps. Moreover, they are planning to introduce an Amsterdam-Barcelona service in 2025, supported by the EU. The inclusion of more sleeping cars is expected to elevate comfort and enhance the overall travel journey.

A resurgence of long-haul and sleeper train services across Europe is gaining momentum, driven by the EU’s backing of greener travel alternatives and a growing preference among travelers for options beyond short-haul flights.

Recently, Austrian rail operator OBB and its German counterpart, Deutsche Bahn, unveiled plans for their Nightjet service between Paris and Berlin, set to commence on December 11th. Initially, departing from Berlin and returning the next day, the service is slated to operate three times weekly, with expectations to transition to a daily service by autumn 2024. Departing from Paris’s Gare de l’Est at 7:12 pm, the trains will reach Berlin’s Hauptbahnhof at 8:26 am, making stops in Strasbourg, Mannheim, Erfurt, and Halle during the journey.

The departure from Berlin is set for 8:18 pm, with an arrival in Paris at 10:24 am. Nightjet had previously introduced its Vienna-Paris service in 2021, featuring stops in Salzburg and Munich. Moreover, the company intends to commence a service connecting Brussels and Liège to Berlin by December.

Additionally, earlier this year, French rail operator SNCF and Deutsche Bahn revealed their blueprint for a direct high-speed TGV service, estimating a journey time of approximately seven hours from Paris to Berlin. The launch of this service is planned for the end of the upcoming year.