Direct from Berlin to Paris: From March 2024, daily on the luxury night train

The classic night train is back, connecting Berlin to Paris, operated by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).

Travel overnight from Berlin to Paris in an eco-friendly way. The Austrian Federal Railways are keeping the launch date for the Nightjet close to their chest, but details are slowly emerging, hinting at further direct connections to Berlin.

Summary:

• Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) is planning the return of a direct night train from Berlin to Paris.
• Although the exact schedule is still being finalized, it is likely to start daily operations in March 2024.
• Not just Paris-bound travelers, but also those heading to Cologne or Strasbourg, can benefit from this service.

A Revival of Traditional International Train Connection

The traditional night train, discontinued by Deutsche Bahn in 2014, is making a comeback, thanks to ÖBB. The exact timing and schedule for this climate-friendly direct connection in 2024 are still being planned, but it is expected to be daily starting in March 2024. This will not only benefit travelers to Paris but also those heading to Cologne and Strasbourg.

First Details of the Nightjet Service

Although ÖBB has not officially announced the launch date of the Nightjet, several details of the new service have been leaked. According to Martin Kopetschke of the Train Agency Schöneberg in Berlin, the operation depends on the commissioning of new Nightjet carriages in Italy. The delivery of Siemens vehicles has been delayed by about a year. However, he remains optimistic that the new night train connection will start operation around the second Advent of this year, even if not daily initially.

Competition with Private European Sleeper

The ÖBB Nightjet is set to compete with the recently launched private night train, the European Sleeper. According to temporary information found on the ÖBB-Nightjet website, the train will depart Berlin at 20.18 hrs. and arrive in Paris at 10.24 hrs. The return journey will start in Paris at 19.12 hrs. and reach Berlin at 8.26 hrs. This schedule also provides convenient times for night travelers from Berlin to Koblenz, Cologne, Aachen, and Liège/Lüttich.

Stay Tuned for More Details

ÖBB has planned a press conference in early September to announce more details about the service to Germany. Until then, no final confirmations on routes or offers can be made. However, it is clear that the first new Nightjet trains from Siemens are scheduled to be launched this year. So, there is hope, and the excitement continues to build.

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