Sleeping in Berlin and waking up in Paris is once again possible, and vice versa. On Thursday, a night train departed from Paris bound for Berlin for the first time since December. The Belgian-Dutch company European Sleeper is providing a service that the Austrian, French, and German railways were unable to sustain long-term. Many onlookers waved farewell to the blue train as it departed.
The new night train between the two capitals operates three times weekly. From Berlin, trains depart on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to Paris. In the opposite direction, services run on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
In December, Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) discontinued their Nightjet connection between Berlin and Paris after just two years. This night train had been inaugurated with great fanfare as a Franco-German and climate-friendly flagship project. Deutsche Bahn (DB) had already discontinued its last night train connection in 2016. Parts of the night train network were taken over by ÖBB with their Nightjet brand. Since 2018, ÖBB has expanded its services to new routes, including the Berlin-Paris connection.
However, the night train often cannot compete with airfares on price, which is why the Nightjet is increasingly marketed as a luxurious travel experience. In the new carriages, private comfort compartments with showers and induction charging stations for phones are replacing the classic four- and six-berth compartments. Additionally, there are mini-cabins and sleeping alcoves with windows and lockable luggage compartments in the corridor.
The startup European Sleeper, founded in 2021, purchased and refurbished old night train carriages and initially offered a connection between Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Dresden, and Prague.
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