From Berlin to Paris on the Night Train: A Retro-Romantic Journey
Step 1: Board the train. Step 2: Climb into bed. Step 3: Wake up at your destination.
That might sound like a dream from the distant past for many travelers, but it’s a growing trend in Europe. Although many night trains were killed off by the rise of low-cost airlines in recent decades, they are on their way back, thanks in part to greater awareness of the environmental impact of flying, as well as a growing interest in slow travel.
This spring, a new Paris-Berlin connection caught my eye — a Nightjet operated by the Austrian railway ÖBB. That renewed overnight route made headlines when it started up in December after a 13-year absence, with the French transport minister at the time, Clément Beaune, among its first passengers.
“It was magnificent,” he said afterward. “We need projects that are positive, ecological and European.”
Like a hotel on rails
Most of the three trains per week in either direction were already filling up when I purchased my ticket roughly a month in advance. The cheapest overnight tickets were basic seats, which I found starting at around 35 euros (about $39). Couchettes, from 50 euros, offered smallish bunks in a shared compartment with four or six travelers. The highest-tier “sleeper” tickets included a larger bed, starting at 80 euros in a compartment shared with two other travelers. I splurged on a private “sleeper” compartment for one with its own bathroom and shower that started at 260 euros (partially and fully refundable tickets cost more).
