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Last March, Alexis, our videographer, and Thibault, the Youtuber behind the @SimplyRailways channel, had the opportunity to test the Brussels-Prague night train at its inauguration. Thibault tells us more!
Let's face it, rail start-ups aren't exactly a dime a dozen. Most lines in Europe are operated by national railways. Since most are subsidized by their respective governments, these companies take very few risks in launching new lines. Night trains have been deemed unprofitable for decades, which explains the decline in supply in recent years. However, two entrepreneurs, Elmer Van Buuren and Chris Engelsman, want to prove us wrong by creating European Sleeper in 2021.
Their objective? Link Brussels to Prague overnight, serving the major cities of the Netherlands and Belgium, with a stop in Berlin before arriving in Prague in the morning. It's an audacious gamble, since it requires a lot of capital, rolling stock, personnel and so on. But thanks to fund-raising and perseverance, European Sleeper launches its first night train between Brussels and Berlin three times a week in May 2023. A little less than a year later, in March 2024, the link was finally extended between Berlin and Prague, thus succeeding in the challenge launched a few years earlier: to link the major cities of Belgium and the Netherlands with Germany and the Czech Republic.
It may not be the most modern night train, but it's reliable, affordable, user-friendly and above all practical, linking Brussels to Central Europe in a single night's sleep. Even if the journey time may frighten some, travelling by night train is a time-space experience in which time flies by. It's pure bliss to fall asleep in the Netherlands and wake up on the German-Czech border, on the banks of the Elbe...
The European Sleeper in the early morning along the Elbe River
The European Sleeper runs three times a week in each direction. The train runs from Brussels to Prague on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Departure from Brussels is at 7:22pm, arriving in Prague at 10:56am.
In the Prague-Brussels direction, the train runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, departing from the Czech capital at 6.04pm and arriving in Brussels at 9.27am the following morning.
The train serves many cities along the way, such as Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Berlin, Dresden and Děčín, offering plenty of travel options. I was able to do an Amsterdam-Berlin a few months ago, and European Sleeper really was the best option for optimizing my travel time. I left at 10:34pm from Amsterdam and arrived at around 6:30am in Berlin, fresh and ready for a new day.
European Sleeper opening times
It is important to note that the Austrian carrier ÖBB also operates a Brussels-Berlin route with the Nightjet since December 2023. This link was suspended for several months, but it's handy because it runs on days when European Sleeper isn't running. So it's a good alternative to European Sleeper if the latter's days don't suit you. The train does not pass through Amsterdam, but through Liège, Cologne, Frankfurt, etc.
The Brussels-Berlin Nightjet
Note: prices have risen since the video was published. Here are the updated prices:
To get the best fares, you probably know rule number 1: anticipate as much as possible. Ticket sales generally start 180 days before departure. However, it's important to check the timetable carefully, as it may change due to track work.
The most economical option on board European Sleeper, for €49 or more you share a compartment with other passengers. This is great for socializing, but not so great for getting a good night's sleep. The compartments are not air-conditioned, but are equipped with L-type sockets compatible with French outlets.
Seating compartment
There are two types of berth on board European Sleeper:
Classic bunk
Comfort sleeper
Breakfast
This is the most comfortable option on board European Sleeper. Sleeping car compartments feature three real beds each. These beds can be folded to make room for real armchairs. It's very comfortable, and there's plenty of space. In each compartment, you'll find a small water point and a mirror. The bed is prepared on request by the steward in charge of the sleeper car. Breakfast is included for all sleeper passengers. Each compartment is air-conditioned and equipped with L-type electrical outlets compatible with French sockets.
If you're traveling in a sleeper car, I'd strongly advise you to privatize this little cocoon for your trip; the price difference isn't huge compared to privatizing in a couchette.
Car compartment beds
You can reserve a space for your bicycle for €19 when you book on the website. It is also possible to travel with a pet, provided the compartment is private.
And yes! Thanks to a fund-raising campaign, European Sleeper will be launching a dining car on October 1 (available on just one train a week), where you can enjoy a hot meal and pass the time. This is a test that will run for a limited time. If the test is successful, the dining car will be incorporated on every train in the future!
This is what the future dining car could look like
As I write these lines, European Sleeper has just announced a new route between Brussels and Venice via Rotterdam and Innsbruck. It will run twice weekly from February 1, 2025.
Map of the future train to Venice
Créateur de la chaîne YouTube Simply Railway et ancien cheminot, Thibault Constant est tombé dans la marmite du train quand il était petit. Après avoir été été ingénieur chez SNCF Voyageurs, puis chez Alstom, il a décidé de se consacrer pleinement à sa chaîne YouTube pour vivre de sa passion.
Amoureux des trains de nuit, il a publié “Trains de nuit, 30 trajets inoubliables en Europe” aux éditions Gallimard, a testé tous les trains de nuit d'Europe, et a lancé en 2025 avec Janek Smalla sa propre compagnie de train de nuit, Nox !
