European Sleeper: New Brussels to Venice Night Train From 2025
Twenty months after first taking to the rails between Brussels and Berlin, European Sleeper have announced a new night train service to add to their portfolio from 2025. The new route — Brussels to Venice, via the Alps — will take passengers from the North Sea to the Mediterranean, stopping at a variety of city trip and winter sports destinations.
The inaugural journey has been scheduled for 5 February 2025 — from then, the service will run twice a week in each direction. This will be a seasonal night train, with the service running only between February and March. Still, it should accommodate European school holidays and peak season for winter sports, and coincides with the dates for the 2025 Venice Carnival (22 February to 4 March).
Provisional timetable
Brussels to Venice
- Bruxelles / Brussel — 17:00
- Antwerpen — 18:00
- Rotterdam — 20:00
- Utrecht — 21:00
- Köln — 23:00
- München — 07:00
- Innsbruck — 10:00
- Bolzano — 12:00
- Verona — 13:00
- Venezia — 14:00
Venice to Brussels
- Venezia — 15:00
- Verona — 16:00
- Bolzano — 17:00
- Innsbruck — 19:00
- München — 22:00
- Köln — 06:00
- Utrecht — 08:00
- Rotterdam — 09:00
- Antwerpen — 10:00
- Bruxelles / Brussel — 11:00
The company is one of relatively few privately-owned international train operators in Europe. It has run the Brussels to Berlin night train since May 2023, which was later extended to Prague, with sleeper, couchette, and seated carriages. Travellers using an Interrail or Eurail pass can purchase the reservation only at a discounted price to make the journey. European Sleeper, supported by the European Commission, is also exploring options for a connection between Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, and Barcelona, in Spain.
"Passengers will be able to board our train in Belgium and the Netherlands, and relax in the comfort of the restaurant car, while the train transports them through Germany and Austria, and across the Alps, ending in the historic cities of Verona and Venice the following day.
"This marks a new important milestone for European Sleeper and the convenience of night travel across Europe more sustainably."
Chris Engelsman, co-founder of European Sleeper
If you are interested in making the trip, European Sleeper will be taking bookings from 1 September 2024. Ticket prices have not yet been revealed.
