Train travel has been growing in popularity for the past couple of years and there’s no sign showing that this trend is going to stop any time soon. According to Eurail, the big boss of train travel in Europe, “more than 1,237,000 Interrail and Eurail Passes were sold in 2023, a 25 percent growth from 2022.” To satisfy the ever-growing demand for rail travel, new train operators are popping up and offering new exciting routes, especially crowd-pleasing overnight routes. That’s the case of rail operator European Sleeper which launched in May 2023.
Photo: European Sleeper
New European Sleeper Train Route to Venice Lets You Cross Five Countries Overnight
Photo: European Sleeper
European Sleeper initially offered one night route between Brussels and Berlin via Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam. In March 2024, the route expanded to include Dresden and Prague. European Sleeper’s Good Night Train now runs three times per week between Brussels and Prague (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays), and three times per week between Prague and Brussels (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.) The exact schedule is available here.
Starting in February 2025, European Sleeper will once again increase its offerings by launching a new seasonal route between Brussels and Venice via the Italian Alps. The 15-hour-long rail service will launch on February 5, 2025 and operate twice weekly through March to accommodate travelers during the winter sports season and the Venice Carnival.
While a tentative schedule for this new route has been published, it remains subject to changes. Bookings, however, will open on September 1, 2024.
European Sleeper offers three types of accommodation on board its train: Sleepers with three beds in one compartment (the most comfortable and the most expensive); Couchettes with six or five berths in one compartment; and Seats which can accommodate six sitting passengers in one compartment (the least comfortable and the cheapest.)
Sleeper accommodation on board European Sleeper's Good Night Train. Photo: European Sleeper
Couchette accommodation on board European Sleeper's Good Night Train. Photo: European Sleeper
Photo: European Sleeper
European Sleeper recently announced that, starting in September, its train will be equipped with a dining car, allowing travelers to enjoy a meal or two during the long overnight journeys.
We finally did it! 🎉From September, European Sleeper will be one of the very few night trains in Europe equipped with a dining car! Thanks to our dedicated investors, our highly anticipated dining car is now a reality!
#thegoodnighttrain #connectingeuropebynight pic.twitter.com/TNzn3kqIxB
— European Sleeper (@EuropeanSlpr) May 16, 2024
While a very recent rail operator, European Sleeper’s routes are included in Eurail/interrail Passes which covers train travel in 33 countries in Europe. Eurail/interrail Passes include many night trains in Europe, including the Caledonian Sleeper that runs between London and several cities in Scotland, the Santa Claus Express night train, which runs from Helsinki to Rovaniemi in Finland, and many more.
The newly announced Eurostar Snow Train, another seasonal rail route, will also take passengers to the Alps this coming winter, however, it will only run from London through France, and all the way to the French Alps. The Eurostar Snow Train is not a sleeper train but a high-speed day train. 