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Europe is currently in the midst of a full-blown night train renaissance. In fact, the number of new and revived sleeper train routes in Europe is getting so numerous that it’s getting pretty hard to keep track of them all. Up and down the continent, new routes are providing more and more alternatives to travelling by plane – alternatives which are greener, nicer and maybe even cheaper.
Europe’s latest new sleeper-train route launched a few weeks ago to much fanfare. The ‘Good Night Train’, run by European Sleeper, runs from Brussels to Berlin via Amsterdam. Not only does this provide new links from Germany to the Netherlands and Belgium, but also a crucial connection to Eurostar for onward travel to the UK.
But hold on to your hats: European Sleeper has barely launched its latest route, and already another sleeper-train service linking Brussels and Berlin is in the works.
Run by NightJet (the sleeper arm of Austria’s national rail provider ÖBB), this new service has a number of potential advantages over European Sleeper’s. It’ll be more frequent, with a daily shuttle service. It’s expected to feature the company’s brand-new sleeper carriages, which are set to come into service this summer. And it’s set to launch this year: to be precise, in December 2023.
It’s worth noting that ÖBB/NightJet is a massive player in European train travel, whereas European Sleeper is a new start-up: in fact, the Berlin route is its very first venture. The new Brussels-Berlin NightJet service is expected to directly compete with European Sleeper’s trains, which could lead to lower prices for all passengers on the route.
Just one more reason why 2023 is the year to ditch flying for good.
Did you see that France has banned short-haul domestic flights?
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