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Bonne nuit! The best night trains from Berlin

Ditch the cramped airplane and get comfortable in a night train for your next getaway. Here are the best overnight train journeys you can take from Berlin.

Photo: IMAGO / Panthermedia / xansharx

There’s a certain romance to traveling by train across Europe, but make it an overnight adventure and you’ve got yourself a truly magical getaway. Eco-conscious Europeans are ditching cheap air travel for sustainable railway journeys, with fewer emissions, less guilt and a lot more legroom. So where do you want to go? Vienna, Paris, Stockholm? No problem. Buy a ticket, get cosy and wake up well-rested at your next holiday destination.

Berlin to Brussels (via Amsterdam and Antwerp)

Brussels Grand Place city square. Photo: IMAGO / Panthermedia

Since 25th May 2023, European Sleeper has launched a new line connecting Germany’s capital with the EU’s. While the train will usually be full of politicians and bureaucrats, Brussels itself makes for an incredible holiday destination.

  • Providers: European Sleeper
  • Departures: 20:30 and 22:56 (Berlin Hauptbahnhof)
  • Arrivals: 9:27 and 11:13 (Bruxelles Midi/Brussel Zuid)
  • Travel time: About 13 hours
  • Prices: Seating (from €69.99), Couchettes (from €99.99) and multi-person Deluxe Sleepers (from €139.99)
  • You can book your tickets here.

Berlin to Zürich (via Basel)

Zurich’s historic city centre with the famous Grossmünster Church. Photo: IMAGO / Panthermedia

Admire the Grossmünster Church and explore the old town when you visit Zurich – it’s the perfect way to walk off that cheese fondue.

  • Providers: NightJet and ÖBB – Austrian Federal Railways
  • Departures: 20:54 (Berlin Hauptbahnhof)
  • Arrivals 9:05 (Zurich Hauptbahnhof)
  • Travel time: About 10 hours
  • Prices: Seating (from €29), Couchette including light breakfast with tea or coffee (from €49), Sleeper (from €89). Get more info here.

Berlin to Vienna (via Wroclaw)

The park at Schonbrunn palace. Photo: IMAGO / Panthermedia

In Vienna, you can walk in the footsteps of Mozart, Freud or Beethoven, or sip tea in an elegant coffee house.

  • Providers: NightJet and ÖBB – Austrian Federal Railways
  • Departures: 17:06 (Berlin Charlottenburg)
  • Arrivals: 7:00 (Vienna Hauptbahnhof)
  • Travel time: About 12 hours
  • Prices: Seating (from €48.50), Couchettes (from €77.60) and a sleeper Cabin bed (from €97.10). Get more info here.

Berlin to Stockholm (via Copenhagen and Malmö)

Stockholm makes for the perfect weekend away from Berlin. Photo: IMAGO / Panthermedia / xansharx

Known locally as Gamla Stan, the historic old town of Stockholm is home to winding alleyways and historic buildings. The Snälltåget (literally, fast train) not only has a melodious name, but also sets up a direct connection between Berlin and Stockholm.

  • Providers: Snälltåget
  • Departures: 19:06 and 20:58 (Berlin Hauptbahnhof)
  • Arrivals: 13:34 and 14:10 (Stockholm Central)
  • Travel time: About 17 hours
  • Prices: Seating (from €49), Reclining seats (from €74) and 6-person Sleeper Cabins (from €270). Get more info here.

Coming soon: Berlin to Paris!

Berlin has the TV Tower, Paris the Eiffel Tower. You can get there by night train from December 2023. Photo: IMAGO / YAY Images

Oh là là! From December 2023 you’ll be able to travel directly from Berlin to Paris on an overnight high-speed train. Until this exciting option becomes available, the fastest route from Berlin to Paris is via Frankfurt, Stuttgart or Munich. Read more about the future direct overnight journey here.

  • Providers: Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB
  • Departures: Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays at 20:18 (Berlin Hauptbahnhof)
  • Arrivals: 10:24 (Paris)
  • Travel time: About 14 hours
  • Prices: Seating (from €34.90) and 6-person Sleeper Cabins (from €79.90).