European Sleeper experience

[BRX]

This is seat61's version of what was wrong on the inaugral journey:



(He's said he paid for his ticket & used an interrail pass)

 

[Amalie]

Freeloaders seems a strange term to use to me.

They are providing publicity - while of course it benefits them too they are still providing something for their free travel.

I understand why people are upset at the idea of them potentially being priotised over paying passengers but I imagine this is one of those decisions that seems very different when you're the one trying to keep a company going.

If European Sleeper had paid for their own camera crew to film the journey would people expect them to be chucked out to get more paying passengers in?

Doesn't seem right to me though if someone doesn't declare getting free travel.

I agree. Booting off paying customers should be critiqued as well as vloggers that have not indicated that their travels were free. However, vloggers are guests invited by European Sleeper. The vloggers are just doing their job to report on it and it’s ES that’s at fault at handling it the way they have.

I'd trust Simply Railway to give an honest review - isn't he planning his own sleeper service in the future?

He is, although as a regular watcher I have never gotten the idea that any of his critique or praise of any specific night trains were unjustified. That being said, until he launches his own night train, I would imagine that it would be in his favour to praise night trains in general right now, while being critical at the things that they don’t do well. This would allow his night train to shine, assuming it goes exactly as planned. This of course lines up with exactly what he was doing anyway.

Things will get iffy once/if his night train is launched in the future. Then, there will be a real conflict of interest. Maybe he’ll need to let go off Simply Railway and let it be run by his collaborators.

 

[railfan99]

I'd trust Simply Railway to give an honest review - isn't he planning his own sleeper service in the future?

Yes, he is, but IIRC Simply Railway is using friend(s) of Th. to film reviews, as he's too busy working on starting the new company. As an aside I have no idea how the venture will be funded.

 

[Amalie]

Yes, he is, but IIRC Simply Railway is using friend(s) of Th. to film reviews, as he's too busy working on starting the new company. As an aside I have no idea how the venture will be funded.

he seems like a decent chap, but there is a lot he could still do, even if he’s not the one behind the camera. He could edit the footage to give a different conclusion or the subtitles. The latter, I think, can be edited even after publication. I’m presuming that he also gives compensation to his contributors too. At the very least, he does make money from them via YouTube views, Patreon, etc.

 

[doc7austin]

Just to be transparent: my travel group also wanted to document the first running of this train Paris-Berlin.
However, the downgrade from a private cabin put us off. Fitia (Simply Railway) had the luxury of a private cabin, which makes filming much easier. I wonder why Fitia was not downgraded.
We on the other hand were "re-allocated" among several Couchette car cabin, in one case the upper-most berth.

So we have decided to abandon the trip altogether. I had a cold and another travel group member was facing family issues, so the decision to abandon was an easy one. ES has refunded the tickets.

 

[Jealgu]

Too bad as I would have been happy to see your video. At least you got a refund rather quick

 

[doc7austin]

One advantage of ES:
When the electricity in the cars failed, ÖBB Nightjet would have cancelled the whole train - stranding hundreds of passengers.
ES at least tries hard to reach the end destination - even with broken cars, even with 6 hours of delay.

 

[riceuten]

Too bad as I would have been happy to see your video. At least you got a refund rather quick

And not a derisory €25 offer, as another passenger was

 

[BRX]

The official version:

The revival of the Paris–Berlin night train | European Sleeper

www.europeansleeper.eu

The Paris–Berlin night train is running again. Just a few months ago, that wasn’t the case. In December 2025, the previous service stopped operating. Not because travellers had lost interest, quite the opposite, but because the conditions around it changed.
The route had only launched in December 2023 and quickly showed there is real demand for overnight connections between major European cities. Still, without continued financial support, the service couldn’t continue in its original form.
For us at European Sleeper, this was a moment to continue what already worked. The Paris–Berlin route had proven its value and deserved to keep running. On 26 March 2026, the connection returned under European Sleeper.

The launch in Paris brought together partners, policymakers and people working across the rail sector, all involved in shaping what international rail in Europe can become. It was not just about marking a departure, but about recognising what it takes to make these connections possible.

As Chris Engelsman, co-founder of European Sleeper, said at the launch, “Building a network doesn’t happen overnight. But step by step, we are proving that night train connections between major cities can work, for travellers and as a sustainable business.”

Running an international train across several countries remains complex. Access to infrastructure, coordination between network managers, and regulatory differences all play a role. There is growing political support for international rail, especially as a lower-carbon alternative to flying, but there is also a shared understanding that practical barriers still exist.

Also on today's date...

This summer, we’re introducing something new.
A compartment where everyone snores.

Not quietly. Not apologetically. But together, in gentle, rhythmic harmony. A shared night sound, like rails beneath us! We call it the Classic Snore.
What to expect:

softly dimmed lights

built-in white noise

complimentary pyjama and slippers

a community that understands
To keep things safe and well-rested, arrival times may be… slightly more relaxed.
Starting this summer. More details soon.

 

[D6130]

The official version:

The revival of the Paris–Berlin night train | European Sleeper

www.europeansleeper.eu

Also on today's date...


View attachment 201460

A great April Fool joke!

 

[Jealgu]

On the topic of OBB cars that could become available for European Sleeper. Currently 9 Dosto sleepers, and 21 couchettes are for sale, but these cars need revision before they can be used. There is an additional 7 couchettes available that do not need revision but are only available from 2028.

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www.railauction.plus

 

[railfan99]

On the topic of OBB cars that could become available for European Sleeper. Currently 9 Dosto sleepers, and 21 couchettes are for sale, but these cars need revision before they can be used. There is an additional 7 couchettes available that do not need revision but are only available from 2028.

'Need revision'.

Do you mean 'need refurbishment?'

 

[eastwestdivide]

'Need revision'.

Do you mean 'need refurbishment?'

Refurbishment or overhaul would be a better translation for the German word Revision

 

[Jealgu]

Well, my English dictionary knows the word revision, but refurbishment or overhaul works as well. Though I do think that the "revision" starts with checking whether any overhaul is needed.

 

[BRX]

I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that the Milan train doesn't end up formed entirely of those ex NJ couchettes without any opening windows.

 

[Jealgu]

At least for the time being you do not have to worry about that as these carriages need work or are only available in 2028. There is enough availability at RDC with older couchettes to run with those.

 

[StephenHunter]

One advantage of ES:
When the electricity in the cars failed, ÖBB Nightjet would have cancelled the whole train - stranding hundreds of passengers.

That didn't happen on my 2021 Amsterdam to Munich journey. Instead we pulled into a yard and reset the locomotive, which fixed the problem.

 

[doc7austin]

Tonight's train ES 474 Berlin-Paris terminates in Brussels.

It's bus time between Brussels and Paris.

 

[railfan99]

ES has issued a newsletter that states it isn't profitable all the year on its first route.

It said the first trip of the Paris-Berlin trip was marred by too many inoperable toilets.

 

[BRX]

ES has issued a newsletter that states it isn't profitable all the year on its first route.

It said the first trip of the Paris-Berlin trip was marred by too many inoperable toilets.

Here's what it's said:

Paris – Berlin route operational
Since Thursday 26 March, European Sleeper's second night train route between Paris and Berlin is up and running. The launch in Paris was full of energy, and the welcome in Berlin was genuinely heartwarming. Unfortunately, the first trains also encountered some operational challenges, with a number of carriages failing and too many toilets out of service. Thankfully, this has improved step by step.

Brussels – Milan route on sale
We started ticket sales for our third route on 17 March. Our new night train from Brussels and Cologne to Zürich and Milan will start operating on 9 September 2026. We see this as an exciting new step, as it opens up a completely new target market, especially when we add a connection to the Netherlands in 2027.

Growth strategy remains important
Last year, we decided to launch two new routes in 2026. This is important to increase our impact, spread overhead costs across more routes, and capitalise on the strong brand awareness we have built. In daily practice, we now see that the new routes, although not immediately profitable, are picking up much faster than our first route did in its initial months. This reinforces our focus on the next steps: our long-promised night train to Barcelona, and potentially a night train to Sweden as well.

Sharefunding round fully funded
We started the current sharefunding round in early January and have now raised the full target of €1.1 million. The final part always takes some time, as some reserved shares might become available again. We now expect the round to be completed within about a week, after which we can reopen the marketplace for trading shares.

Starting a bond loan campaign in May 2026
The sharefunding rounds of 2025 and 2026 have provided us with the funds to launch new routes, while we have been working in parallel towards break-even on our first route. As we are not yet profitable year-round, we still require funding to cover the (now shorter) ramp-up phases of new routes and to bridge seasonal effects in the second half of the year. We believe a bond loan campaign is a suitable way to secure these funds.

 

[Beebman]

Mark Smith ('The Man in Seat 61') has posted a review:

Paris to Berlin on European Sleeper's inaugural train on 26 March 2026, showing Classic (5-berth couchettes), Comfort Standard (couchettes made up as a sleeper) and Comfort Plus (the sleeping-car).

 

[StephenHunter]

ES has issued a newsletter that states it isn't profitable all the year on its first route.

It said the first trip of the Paris-Berlin trip was marred by too many inoperable toilets.

There's a Waterloo joke here somewhere.

 

[doc7austin]

Well, I am personally extremely cautious regarding ES mid-term future cash-flow viability.
At the moment ES is receiving large amounts of cash for future bookings on the Paris-Berlin and Brussels-Milan trains.
However, the real operating expenses need to be paid at a later stage.

Of course, I wish ES all the best.

 

[LUYMun]

Two things of note regarding European Sleeper.

Firstly is their “Midsummer Night” flash sale (ending 20 April) on compo tickets on departures between 27 May and 2 July, all being priced from €40 one way. They’ve also hinted another sale around Earth Day (22 April) on social media comments.

Link to sale (not quoted as paraphrased):

| European Sleeper

www.europeansleeper.eu

The second note is the recently increased caping of Berlin-Paris services on the French side, with services terminating at Brussels and replacement buses taking passengers between onwards to Paris. This has been noted to have happened on Thursday 9th, Monday 13th and will be repeated tonight (15/16 April). Staff shortages have been quoted as the reason.

 

[doc7austin]

Buses would certainly not take all ticketed passengers between Brussels and Paris, as I believe a number of passenger would to ride on the Ouigo or Eurostar train instead.

 

[riceuten]

Buses would certainly not take all ticketed passengers between Brussels and Paris, as I believe a number of passenger would to ride on the Ouigo or Eurostar train instead.

Presumably at their own expense

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Apr 2026 ==

Well, I am personally extremely cautious regarding ES mid-term future cash-flow viability.
At the moment ES is receiving large amounts of cash for future bookings on the Paris-Berlin and Brussels-Milan trains.
However, the real operating expenses need to be paid at a later stage.

Of course, I wish ES all the best.

Their teething problems/growing pains would put me off using them - full stop. The lack of resilience is appalling, and yes, I can see cashflow being an issue going forward.

 

[Jealgu]

If they have on thing it is resilience....

 

[doc7austin]

Presumably at their own expense

Well, I presume that ES has to reimburse the replacement train tickets.

 

[185143]

Well, I presume that ES has to reimburse the replacement train tickets.

If they've provided buses, I don't see why they would? They'd say they've provided an alternative and you've chosen not to take it, surely.

 

[riceuten]

If they've provided buses, I don't see why they would? They'd say they've provided an alternative and you've chosen not to take it, surely.

They almost certainly would argue this.