Europe is particularly blessed when it comes to its cities, and two of the most culture-packed, historic and fun are undoubtedly Paris and Berlin. It’s no wonder then that there are plenty of steps being taken to make travelling between them easier, cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
Back in December, a Nightjet sleeper train connecting the two cities launched, and despite experiencing some technical issues in its tenure so far, the service has been popular among passengers.
To complement the night train, a brand-new daytime service, which was announced back in September, is launching today. It’ll take around eight hours, an hour longer than originally promised, but the current journey takes at least nine, including two or three changes.
The Paris service will depart from Gare de L’Est at 9.55am and arrive in Berlin just after 6pm, and the Berlin service will depart from Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 11.54am and arrive just before 8pm. En route, the train will stop in Strasbourg, Frankfurt and Karlsruhe.
French and German operators are hoping passengers will see the service as a relaxed alternative to flying and a much easier option than the current route, as well as emphasising its smaller environmental impact.
‘This creation of a connection contributes to a common objective of our two countries: to promote carbon-free mobility,’ managing director of TGV-Intercités Alain Krakovitch tweeted after announcing the new service, according to euronews, ‘Compared to the plane, the [train] journey between Berlin and Paris generates only one hundredth of the CO2 emissions.’
Tickets are on sale now, and start from just €59 (£49) one way – not bad, right?
Keep on track of train news
With new trains continually rolling in (such as this sleeper train now running to the Italian capital, and this high-speed train that now links two of Spain’s coolest cities) keep an eye on our travel news page for all the latest railway updates. Oh, and check out our round-up of the most exciting new sleeper trains you’ll be able to ride in 2025.
Did you see that a sleeper train connecting two European capitals could be returning in 2025?
Plus: Europe’s best rail operators in 2024 have been ranked.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news.