In May 2023 a new long-distance sleeper train will connect many of Europe’s northern cities between Brussels and Berlin, eventually expanding to Dresden and Prague.

European Sleeper train will connect Berlin and London

For those tofu-munching UK expats in Berlin, the best news of the year might already be here: a new European Sleeper is set to hit the tracks between Berlin and London in May 2023! 

Connecting Berlin, Deventer, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Brussels overnight, the line will make for a speedy connection to the Eurostar, bridging the 158-kilometre distance between France and the UK which can feel like the biggest slog on the land-crossing of northern Europe. If your resolution this New Year was to dispense of your Flugscham (flight shame) and stop flying - you’re in luck!

The train will begin running between Berlin and Brussels from May 25, 2023. According to Europe’s aficionado on all things transport, Man in Seat61, it will be possible to depart from Berlin's main train station (Hauptbahnhof) at 10.56pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and arrive in Amsterdam at 6.30am, Brussels at 9.27am and, with a connection to the Eurostar, in London at 1.57pm. If all goes to plan, 2024 will see the service start running daily and the eastern end of the line will expand to include Dresden and Prague.

Will the new European Sleeper set you back a pretty penny?

Simply put - no. For a simple seat on the train you can expect to pay 49 euros, but for a bed in one of the train’s six-berth cabins, only 79 euros, about the same as it currently costs to get a FlixBus from Berlin to London, only far more comfortable and relaxed. If they would like, women can also select a women-only cabin to travel in.

Your own spot in a three-bed cabin complete with a wash basin will set you back 109 euros, or for a pair, 129 euros. And if you’re wanting to travel in ultimate locomotive luxury, 159 euros for your own, one-bed cabin. Onboard breakfast will be included in the fare price of all tickets.

Those already dreaming of lying in your cosy couchette, watching the trees of springtime go by as you flit through the northern metropolises of Europe can book your May tickets as early as February 20, 2023.

Thumb image credit: Flystock / Shutterstock.com

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