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November 2025 Update: Unfortunately, the seasonal route will not be renewed in 2026, as it was deemed too demanding for a small team and too complex (passing through 5 countries). But the experience was a learning opportunity for European Sleeper (testing dining cars, gaining operational insights, and entering new countries where the company is now applying for network access... as Anne Dubost explains in our podcast episode (dedicated): a true logic of pilot, embraced. To explore the other European Sleeper routes:
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European Sleeper: Brussels–Milan, Paris–Berlin, and Prague night trains in 2026
September 2026 Update: While the Brussels-Venice route was not renewed, the Brussels-Milan route did indeed get off the ground! Find all the details in our dedicated article:
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An Up-Close Look at European Sleeper's New Brussels-Milan Night Train
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Good news for fans of city trips in Europe and winter sports ! European Sleeper is launching a new night train toward many major cities (Brussels, Cologne, Munich, Innsbruck, Verona, Venice) and European ski resorts (Kufstein, Wörgl, Jenbach, Innsbruck, Bressanone, Ponte Gardegna).
It really seems like the trend is toward revival of the night trains in Europe (and we can’t help but be thrilled about it!). Among the players driving this change is European Sleeper, a cooperative founded in 2021 by two travel-loving entrepreneurs. While most night trains are subsidized by governments (which are generally rather hesitant when it comes to opening new routes), Elmer van Buuren and Chris Engelsman, the two founders, are shaking things up. Thanks to a community of 350 committed investors, they first raised €500,000 in May 2021, then another €2 million in 2022. That was enough to launch an initial route between two European capitals: a few months ago, European Sleeper announced the opening of its Brussels–Prague route.
But of course, the company doesn't intend to stop there and is making another big splash with the announcement of a new route from the Belgian capital: Brussels-Venice. With this Belgium-Italy route, European Sleeper aims this time to meet the demand for tailored connections during the ski seasons and school breaks ! The stop in Innsbruck, for example, is intended to make it easier to reach the ski resorts in the Austrian Alps.
© European Sleeper
Updated February 7, 2025
The February 5, 2025, our teams were in the launch of the pilot project for the line, which was supposed to let you fall asleep in Belgium or the Netherlands and wake up a few hours later in Venice, passing through Austrian ski resorts along the way. But unfortunately, the project is running into a few snags. Tolt, our founder, explains everything in this video 👇
In order to extend the journey to Italy, the Belgian-Dutch company had entered into an agreement with Arenaways, an Italian operator holding the license required to run trains on the Italian network. However, according to the European Sleeper team, their partner reneged on this agreement the day before the inaugural trip. Fortunately, a solution was found to ensure the continuity of service thanks to the good relationship maintained with ÖBB, the Austrian railway company.
At the time of the inauguration, travelers were thus able to travel all the way to the City of the Doges in roughly the same amount of time and at no extra cost, requiring only two transfers (in Innsbruck and Verona).
Updated March 3, 2025
In its newsletter, the company provides some details: European Sleeper is currently evaluating the project in order to develop a Plan for Winter 2026. As for the upcoming dates in 2025, the trips should go off without a hitch: "We are relieved to have finally found a solution for our operations in Italy for March 2025", the company says.
In fact, starting March 5, 2025, a locomotive from FS Treni Turistici Italiani (the new subsidiary of the Italian FS Group, which operated, among other things, the train Espresso Riviera between Nice and Milan) will pull the night train for the second leg of the journey. Thanks to the agreement signed between the FS Group and European Sleeper, the night train will be able to cross the Brenner Pass without any problems, ensuring service between Brenner and Venice.
© European Sleeper - Please note: schedules are not yet final (check the European Sleeper website)
Please note: The 2025 season is still a pilot project, with an initial plan of seven round-trip trips. "The main challenges were finding a suitable schedule across five countries and ensuring reliable operations in Italy, a brand-new destination for us.", explains European Sleeper in its newsletter.
In the Brussels to Venice, this new European Sleeper night train will depart from Brussels-Midi Station at 6:00 p.m. for arrival the next day at 3:00 p.m. at the Venice Santa Lucia train station on the following dates:
In the Venice to Brussels, departures will be from 4:15 p.m. from Venice Santa Lucia, arriving the next day around 1:00 p.m. in Brussels, and the event will take place on the following dates:
And to stay informed about the service's relaunch in 2026, feel free to subscribe for free to our bimonthly newsletter !
The train will stop in several European cities, including:
As you can imagine, to visit “La Serenissima” and enjoy the Venice Carnival in February, take a stroll through St. Mark’s Square, visit the Doge’s Palace (or explore some other more unusual sights while you’re there A Day in Venice), so we'll have to factor in about 20 hours.
In ascending order of comfort, you'll have the following options:
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. The restrooms are located in the aisle; breakfast can be added, and drinks and snacks are available as optional extras (additional cost).
In sleeper cars, there are two levels of comfort:
Note that there is also a compartment for women only.
Photo: ©Alexis Calvignac - Tolt after a night in a sleeper car!
This is the option the most comfortable, with a maximum of 3 beds per compartment (which can be folded down to become full-fledged armchairs). The bed is made upon request by the steward in charge of the sleeper car, and each compartment is air-conditioned. The compartment has a sink (and the restrooms are located in the car).
The company also offers a dining car to have dinner on board and enjoy breakfast while watching the train cross the Alps through the Brenner Pass right from your window!
Photo: ©Alexis Calvignac — It adds to the charm of the night train, doesn't it?
To get the best prices, there’s just one golden rule: plan ahead. So we highly recommend that you book your tickets as far in advance as possible! Tickets have been on sale since Tuesday, September 24, 2024.
To explore all our itineraries starting from France (Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nice…), click here 👇
Issue du monde de la communication et des médias, Sophie est Responsable éditoriale chez HOURRAIL ! depuis août 2024. Elle est notamment derrière le contenu éditorial du site ainsi que La Locomissive (de l'inspiration voyage bas carbone et des bons plans, un jeudi sur deux, gratuitement dans ta boîte mail !).
Convaincue que les changements d’habitude passent par la transformation de nos imaginaires, elle s’attache à montrer qu’il est possible de voyager autrement, de manière plus consciente, plus lente et plus joyeuse. Son objectif : rendre le slow travel accessible à toutes et tous, à travers des astuces, des décryptages et surtout, de nouveaux récits.
