Brussels-Venice: the new European Sleeper night train

Written by Sophie Renassia

Published on September 18, 2024, modified yesterday

Soon it will be possible to fall asleep in Belgium, only to wake up a few hours later in the city of lovers, thanks to European Sleeper! We'll tell you all about it.

After the Brussels-Prague night train, Brussels-Venice

There's a definite trend towards the renaissance of night trains in Europe (and we can only rejoice!). Among those driving this change is European Sleeper, a startup founded in 2021 by two travel-mad entrepreneurs.

While most night trains are subsidized by governments (which are generally rather skittish when it comes to opening up new lines), the startup is putting its foot down. By offering new, practical and affordable connections, it is putting low-carbon travel back on track. And that, of course, we like.

A few months ago, it announced the opening of its Brussels-Prague route. Now, the company is striking again with a new route from the Belgian capital: Brussels-Venice. With this Belgian-Italian route, European Sleeper aims to meet a demand for connections tailored to the ski season and school vacations! The Innsbruck stop, for example, is designed to facilitate access to ski resorts in the Austrian Alps.

First departure is scheduled for February 5, 2025, with sales opening on September 24, 2024!

© European Sleeper

Dates, schedules and frequency

© European Sleeper - Attention, horaires non définitifs, à vérifier sur le site d’European Sleeper..

Please note that only 5 departures are planned for the moment.

In the Brussels-Venice direction, this new European Sleeper night train will leave Brussels Midi station at 7pm, arriving at Venice Santa Lucia station at 2pm the following day on the following 5 dates:

• February: Wednesday February 5, Friday February 14 and Sunday February 23, 2025.
• March: Tuesday March 4 and Wednesday March 12.

In the Venice-Brussels direction, departures from Venice Santa Lucia will be at 4pm, arriving in Brussels at 11:30am the following day, and traffic will run on the following 4 dates:

• February: Sunday 9 and Tuesday 18.
• March: Saturday March 8 and Sunday March 16.

Cities served

The train will stop in several cities, including :

• Antwerp (Belgium)
• Utrecht (Netherlands)
• Cologne and Munich (Germany)
• Innsbruck (Austria)
• Verona (Italy)

How long is the journey?

To get to the “Serenissima” and enjoy the Venice Carnival in February, stroll around St. Mark's Square, visit the Doge's Palace (or any other atypical discovery during a day in Venice), you'll need to allow around twenty hours.

How much do tickets cost?

• From €119 for a seat
• From €189 for couchettes
• From €219 for sleeper car

What level of comfort can we expect?

In ascending order of comfort, you can choose between :

• a seat in a 6-person or open compartment,
• a couchette in a 5 or 6-person compartment,
• a sleeper in a 3-person maximum compartment.

Seating

This is the most affordable option. You can choose between a seat in a 5-person compartment, or a seat with tables in the open lounge areas. Toilets are located in the corridor, breakfast can be added, and drinks and snacks are available as an option (additional cost).

Sleeping cars

There are two levels of comfort in sleeper cars:

• Sleeper cars - Standard: made up of compartments with 6 berths, these cars are ideal for meeting new people, or for travelling with friends or family... Bedding is included on board, and you make your own bed. However, the compartments are not air-conditioned.
• Sleeper cars - Comfort: since March 2024, European Sleeper has also been offering a slightly more comfortable service with air-conditioned compartments for 5 people.

There is also a compartment reserved for women.

Sleeper cars

This is the most comfortable option, with a maximum of 3 beds per compartment (which can be folded to transform into real armchairs). The bed is prepared on request by the steward in charge of the sleeper car, and each compartment is air-conditioned. Each compartment has a washbasin (and the toilet is in the car).

The dining car

And as a bonus, the company offers a dining car so you can dine on board and enjoy breakfast while watching the Alpine crossing over the Brenner Pass through the window!

© European Sleeper

How do I book tickets?

• On the European Sleeper website
• On the SNCB International website
• On the Trainline website (if you see “For information” and the ticket is not available, this probably means that the train is fully booked on the chosen dates).

When to book for the best prices?

To get the best prices, there's only one golden rule: anticipate. So we advise you to book your tickets as far in advance as possible! Sales open on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

What are the other options for getting to Venice by night train?

To discover all our itineraries from France (Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nice...), click here 👇