You'll soon be able to get from the UK to Venice with just two trains

Haven’t you heard? Plane travel is out and train travel is in. We have to offset all the emissions from celebrities’ private jets somehow. And now we bring good news from the realm of train travel: soon you’ll be able to get all the way to Venice from London in record time, taking just two trains. 

A new European night train service, from an operator usefully called the European Sleeper, is launching in February 2025, connecting Brussels and Venice via Utrecht, Cologne, Munich, Innsbruck and Verona. For ski bums, the overnight train will also travel through the Austrian Alps before reaching Italy. 

To get to the floating city, all Brits will need to do is hop on the Eurostar from London to Brussels, then change to the European Sleeper. Bob’s your uncle. 

The European Sleeper’s first journey is due to depart from Brussels, Belgium, on February 5 2025. It will run twice a week during February and March, coinciding with half-term in the UK, the winter sports season and the spectacular annual Venice carnival. 

‘Passengers will be able to board our train from Belgium and the Netherlands, and relax in the comfort of the restaurant car, while the train transports them through Germany and Austria, and across the Alps, ending in the historic cities of Verona and Venice the following day,’ said Chris Engelsmen, co-founder of European Sleeper. 

There’s no information on ticket prices just yet, but stay tuned as we’ll bring you all the latest info. Booking will open officially on September 1.

More train travel with Time Out

Eurostar has also announced a train that will get you to the mountains during the ski season. Eurostar Snow launches in December 2024, travelling to the French Alps from London. Closer to home, this majestic Victorian UK train station is getting a £140 million revamp. And here’s our take on the 11 greatest European train trips from the UK. 

First look: Liverpool’s futuristic new ‘glider’ buses. 

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