Night trains are back, and one of the most interesting options for UK travellers is European Sleeper — the Dutch-Belgian start-up whose routes now connect, via a simple Eurostar hop, with London.
The concept is straightforward. You take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels — roughly two hours — then board European Sleeper's overnight train for the long, drowsy ride east. The core route threads through Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam before rolling on into Germany, with Berlin as the headline destination. Since spring 2024 the service has run through to Prague, adding the Czech capital to the map, and the company has also been pushing seasonal summer extensions south towards Milan and Lake Como, giving travellers a genuinely car-free way to reach northern Italy.
On board, you choose between a couchette berth or a seated option, with prices that typically undercut a same-day flight-plus-hotel night once you factor in the accommodation you're not paying for. It's not luxury — think clean bunks, a bar car and a sociable, slightly retro atmosphere rather than a prowling Orient Express — but that's part of the appeal. You board in the evening, sleep through the German countryside, and wake up with a full day ahead of you in a new city.
Why bother instead of flying? For a start, the logistics are painless: city centre to city centre, no airport queues, no liquids drama. Tickets for the combination of Eurostar plus the sleeper can be booked in one itinerary through rail booking platforms, though the sleeper leg itself sells out early — European Sleeper runs only a few nights a week, so flexibility matters. The Prague extension is popular with Interrail holders, and the Italian summer service tends to attract a holiday crowd heading for the lakes.
The obvious traveller here is anyone doing a multi-city European trip who wants to avoid short-haul flights, or couples and groups who like the idea of arriving in Berlin, Prague or Como rested rather than frazzled. Families should note that private compartments can be reserved, and light sleepers should pack earplugs — border stops in the small hours are real. Book several weeks ahead for the best fares, and build a buffer into any tight connections out of Brussels, since Eurostar delays can happen.
