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TRAIN TRAVEL

EXPLAINED: How travelling by train between Berlin and the UK is now easier

A new sleeper train putting travelers one simple overnight journey between Berlin and London has taken to the tracks. And there are plans to expand it further in 2024.

Published: 29 December 2022 15:09 CET
Updated: 4 June 2023 08:37 CEST
People in a sleeper train
Passengers in a couchette cabin. Photo: Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP

Although it’s a popular home for internationals in Germany, Berlin can sometimes feel just a bit more isolated than the rest of the country when it comes to getting around without a plane. Many other German cities – particularly in the dense western part of the country – are many hours away from the capital. Situated in the country’s northeast, less than an hour away from the Polish border, eastward travel from Berlin can be a treat. But the Baltic Sea cuts off fast train connections north to Copenhagen. Going west or south can be long and uncomfortable, leaving many to check their flight options by default.

But as of May 25th, the  European Sleeper has made traveling westward a little easier with its sleeper train that leaves Berliners one overnight journey away from both Amsterdam and Brussels.

Normally a journey of at least seven hours, typically with several connections, train travel between the German and Belgian capitals is cumbersome and takes a full day. That’s less time for work, family, or sightseeing – making it a far less appealing choice for many. The sleeper service aims to make the train trip more convenient by saving passengers daytime hours better spent doing something else.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: The new international train routes you can take from Germany this year

When does the new sleeper train run?

The European Sleeper departs Brussels Midi at 19:22 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Between then and midnight, it’ll cruise through Belgium and the Netherlands to pick up passengers in Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam – to name but three. After midnight, it’s mostly a direct service to Berlin, ending in the German capital at 6:48am.

On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, the European Sleeper train makes the return trip from Berlin. Leaving the German capital at 22:56, passengers can wake up in time to get off in Amsterdam at around 6:30 – or disembark in Brussels just before 9:30. Rotterdam and Antwerp are available as stops as well.

Onboard breakfast is included in the fare price and the company says it intends to run the service daily by 2024.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How Germany’s long-distance train services will change from December

What are the sleeping arrangements like and how much will they cost?

You can expect to shell out €69 for a simple seat – although on an overnight train that could get uncomfortable for all but the heaviest of sleepers. €119 will get you a berth in a six-person cabin with a couchette bunk for each. Women can choose to book a 4-bed women-only couchette cabin if they choose.

Although prices can vary depending on when you travel, full sleeper cabins, with proper beds and a wash basin, will run you up around €159 for a spot in a three-bed cabin, or €209 for a spot in a two-bed cabin. You can top out at your own private one-bed cabin, which can run you upwards of €200. 

READ ALSO: ICE 3neo: Deutsch Bahn’s speediest train makes first trip in Germany

How is it now easier to travel to the UK by train?

The European Sleeper has a fairly comfortable connection with the Eurostar – particularly in the direction from London to Brussels Midi on the way to Berlin.

A passenger departing London St. Pancras on a 15:04 GMT Eurostar would arrive at Brussels Midi at 18:05 CET, leaving them with just over an hour before their European Sleeper departs the same station for Berlin at 19:22.

The timing is a little less convenient in reverse though. A traveler from Berlin arriving in Brussels Midi at 9:27 will have to wait until 12:56 CET to catch their Eurostar, arriving in London only at 13:57 GMT.

READ ALSO: REVEALED: The best night trains running through Germany

Are there plans to expand the service?

The company plans to offer a daily service from 2024 “if possible”. 

Beyond that though, European Sleeper says it wants to extend the line to include Dresden and Prague by the end of 2023. That would leave both the Czech and German capitals with direct train connections to Brussels.

READ ALSO: Berlin to get new night train service to Stockholm

Member comments

  1. Good to see a further expansion of night-train services. Travellers to London from the German capital may be better off changing in Amsterdam. Assumining a punctual arrival by the overnight service at 06.26, there should be sufficient time to connect to the direct Eurostar service to London departing Amsterdam at 07.47, arriving St Pancras at 10.43.

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TRAIN TRAVEL

Six exceptionally scenic train rides to take in Germany

Want to take a train trip in Germany but don't know where to start? Here are our top picks for beautiful rail routes across Germany – just grab a ticket and climb aboard.

Published: 6 May 2024 15:48 CEST
Updated: 14 May 2024 12:51 CEST
Six exceptionally scenic train rides to take in Germany

From the Rhine River Valley to Mainz

Extending most of the way down Germany’s western side, is an extensive train route connecting the Rhine River Valley to the Black Forest to Switzerland. 

But you don’t need to leave the Rhine Valley to experience one of the route’s more scenic sections. 

Starting in Cologne, this railway follows the Rhine River south. The picturesque part of this ride begins just past Koblenz and continues through the dramatic Rhine Gorge on to Mainz. This section offers views of castles on hill tops and quaint river-side villages.

To be sure you catch those river valley views, make sure that you take a train with stops in Bonn and Koblenz on its way to Mainz. As opposed to the non-stop train to Frankfurt that a navigator app may suggest.

The entire route from Cologne to Mainz takes nearly two hours on a fast ICE train. The section from Koblenz to Mainz takes 50 minutes.

If you’re travelling from Cologne, you’ll want to take a seat on the left side of the train. Likewise if you are coming from Mainz, you’ll want a seat on the right.

This route is the first section of “Route 9” in the latest edition of the Europe by Rail guide, which is a good resource for train-spiration in Europe.

Three lakes from Freiburg

Freiburg im Breisgau is the fourth largest city in the state of Baden-Württemberg, and is known throughout Germany to be a bit of a hippie hub. Which makes it a fitting location to embark on this forest-lined rail route.

READ ALSO: Basel vs Freiburg: Which city is better to live in?

Any of a number of trains from Freiburg will take you through the Black Forest, and therefore offer some splendid green views. 

But for the most striking scenery that the region’s railways have to offer, it is recommended to navigate to Seebrugg by way of the Höllentalbahn (Hell Valley Railway) to the Dreiseebahn (Three Lakes Railway).

To do so, you can catch an S10 or S11 train to Titisee, and then transfer to an S1 train to Seebrugg. Since both of these trains are S-bahns, Deutschlandticket holders don’t need to pay any additional fares for this route.

Between Titisee and Seebrugg, you’ll pass by three beautiful lakes, hence the name Dreiseebahn. You’ll also score sustained views of Bärental (Bear Valley).

The entire journey takes about an hour and 15 minutes.

Zugspitze Railway Route

On the topic of scenic views in Germany, the Alps always deserve a spot on this list. Considering train routes, the Bavarian Alps Railway (Bayerische Zugspitzbahn) deserves a mention.

Train to Zugspitze

Relax and admire the Zugspitze: If you take the train to do your mountain sports, you don’t have to worry about traffic jams and icy roads. Photo: picture-alliance/ dpa-tmn | DB_AG/Bartlomiej_Banaszak

This route starts off in the region’s best-known ski town, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and winds its way along the Alpine valleys toward the Austrian border, taking passengers to the base of the Zugspitze, which is Germany’s highest mountain. The journey takes about 90 minutes.

For some, Zugspitze offers Germany’s highest elevation hike, but for those not looking to get so many steps in, there is also a connected cable car that can take you to the top from the Eibsee stop.

The Bavarian Alps Railway is run by DB and connected to regional trains, so Deutschlandticket holders can enjoy this route on a day trip from Munich, for example, without purchasing another ticket.

Travellers without the monthly subscription ticket can buy a combined train and gondola ticket on the Zugspitze website.

Note that construction will cause railway disruptions during certain periods this spring and summer.

Brockenbahn: Harz Steam Railway Route

Usually a scenic train ride is just a bonus on the way to your destination. But what if the train journey was the destination?

As crazy as that may sound, for many passengers on the Brockenbahn in the Harz Mountains, that’s how it is.

The Brockenbahn is part of the greater Harz Railway (Harzer Schmalspurbahnen – HSB) which takes passengers through the notoriously scenic mountains and Harz National Park. It’s also a line hauled by historic steam-engine locomotives.

This route connects Wernigerode to the summit of Brocken mountain several times daily – with the entire line taking about an hour and 40 minutes. The summer timetable, including the connected HSB lines, can be found here.

Thanks to local agreements, Deutschlandticket holders can also ride HSB trains at no additional cost.

Dresden to Bad Schandau / Prague

You probably won’t read about this route in travel blogs, but anyone who’s taken a train from Berlin to Prague may have noticed that there is a particularly beautiful strip of tracks in the middle of the journey.

READ ALSO: Prague and Dresden added to Brussels night train route

Some of the most striking views are seen between Pirna (just outside of Dresden) and Bad Schandau, which is a spa town near the Czech border. Here the tracks follow the Elbe River, and you can catch glimpses of so-called Saxon Switzerland (Sächsische Schweiz), including a passing view of the infamous Bastei Bridge.

Of course the views don’t really end immediately at the border. So if you are compelled to journey into the Czech Republic, your views of rolling hills and small villages along the river will continue for some time.

This route is particularly gorgeous in autumn when trees all over the mountain sides have begun to turn red and yellow.

Local travellers can experience this line on an S1 train from Dresden with use of their local transportation passes. 

But if you are planning to cross the border, you’ll be on a long-distance train operated by Czech railway České dráhy (CD). You can buy tickets for CD trains coming from Germany from Deutsche Bahn, but sometimes it can be cheaper to find the same tickets on the CD website.

Allgäu train

A train runs through the Allgäu Alpine foothills. The region is known for its wildflower filled meadows, and Bavarian villages. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Karl-Josef Hildenbrand

Allgäu Railway

A quick image search for “Allgäu” provides reason enough to put this humble train trip on your Germany bucket list.

Crossing the beautiful Allgäu region, this hour and half train ride connects Ulm and Lindau, and offers views of rolling hills, wildflower filled meadows, and Bavarian villages along the way.

Best of all, it ends at Lake Constance, also called Bodensee, which is a stellar summer-time destination for a lake-side vacation.

READ ALSO: Living in Germany – Making the most of culture and lake life

Note that there are two main routes connecting Ulm to Lindau. Each of them takes about 90 minutes, but the one that travels directly through the Allgäu region is the one with a transfer in Memmingen.

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