As we head into 2024, the good news for everyone who loves overnight sleeper trains is that major European rail companies are continuing to roll out new night train routes across the continent.
In early December, three new overnight train routes made their debut: Berlin to Paris, Berlin to Brussels, and Paris to Aurillac. That bodes well for further developments in the New Year, and for those who love the romance and the practicality of rail travel, it’s excellent news.
Sleeper trains have not only made a comeback after virtually disappearing a decade ago during the heyday of cheap, double-digit fares from the likes of Ryanair and EasyJet, but are now expanding with the long term plan being to connect all the major European Cities. The companies behind the new overnight trains, which in many cases are state-owned, are thriving. And the traveling public is enthusiastically welcoming this return to a classic way of train travel.
Why take a sleeper train? A segment of the public is green-minded and aware that the carbon footprint of short-haul flights across the continent is disastrous. Travelers can mitigate their impact on the environment by taking the train instead.
Taking a sleeper is not only a relaxed way of travelling but a very efficient way of getting from A to B. Your berth is your de facto hotel room for the night, eliminating that expense. You can work on the train, as well as read, sleep, converse, and gaze out the window as the sun rises over France or Austria. By taking the train, you avoid the rush to and from airports as well as that expense; and can eliminate delayed and cancelled flights and weather-related incidents from your travel schedule.
You depart from a city centre and arrive in a city centre, allowing you to take public transportation at both ends of the journey.
Demand for overnight sleeper services is only going to increase, so when planning trans-European travel in 2024, consider if rail can help take some of the stress out of your journey.