Driven by a blend of romanticism, climate consciousness and a desire for slow travel, night trains are gaining popularity across Europe.
Recent months have seen notable expansions in this area, including the introduction of the Night Jet service connecting Munich, Germany to La Spezia, Italy—positioning travelers within touching distance of the scenic Cinque Terra through a short connection. Additionally, a Euronight train now runs from Zürich to Zagreb, and the European Sleeper service links Brussels to Berlin, offering a connection to London via the Eurostar.
Now, the European Sleeper service, known as the "Good Night Train," is further broadening its reach by extending its Brussels to Berlin route to include Prague, starting next month.
Itinerary
The service operates thrice per week and currently stops in Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Berlin. The new extension will add stops in Dresden, Saxon in Switzerland and the UNESCO Heritage Elbe Valley before concluding in Czechia's grandiose capital, Prague, with its medieval churches, Renaissance pavilions and buzzy beer halls. The journey is slated to take 15 hours, departing Brussels at 7.22pm and arriving in Prague at 10.56am the following day.
Moreover, if you're up for a weekend getaway in Prague from London, you can make it happen with the Good Night Train. European Sleeper has aligned its schedules with those of Eurostar to enable passengers from London to quickly transfer to the Good Night Train in Brussels and then on to Berlin or Prague.
That means if you want to connect from London, you can board a Eurostar train in St Pancras on Friday afternoon, departing at 3.30pm and, in about two hours, switch trains in Brussels at 6.04pm. The changeover is well-timed, with the Good Night Train puttering to go at 7.22pm. You'll wake up in Prague on Saturday morning after enjoying breakfast on board.
Pricing
Prices will start at €99 (£85) for seats and €109 (£93) for the couchette if departing on a Monday. Prices for a Friday departure start at €139 (£119) for seats and €159 (£136) for a couchette. The Sleeper cabin option, unfortunately, is no longer available.
Interrail passes are now accepted on European Sleeper services so you can include this journey as part of a wider European rail adventure if you wish.
What's it really like on board the Good Night Train?
We tested the Good Night Train's Brussels to Berlin route last summer, and our writer found the food reasonably priced and the sleeper train "had more than delivered on expectations," but she wished she'd packed earplugs. You can find out more about how she fared here.
How to get tickets
The new Brussels to Prague service will launch on March 25. Tickets are on sale through the European Sleeper website.
