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Brussels/Amsterdam <> Berlin/Dresden/Prague
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Brussels, Amsterdam ► Berlin, Dresden, Prague
On 25 May 2023, new open-access train operator European Sleeper (www.europeansleeper.eu) launched a sleeper train linking Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam & Amsterdam with Berlin, 2 or 3 times a week. On 25 March 2024 it was extended to Dresden & Prague. It has an easy connection from London to Brussels by Eurostar, or by ferry from Harwich to Hoek van Holland to pick up the sleeper in Rotterdam.
Tips: Luggage, bikes,
pets, food, where to wait
Wake up to the scenic route &
watch the videos
European Sleeper's other routes:
Brussels - Zurich, Como, Milan
Station guides:
Brussels Midi Rotterdam Centraal Amsterdam Centraal
Train times 2026
Why 13:01 Eurostar from London, not 15:04? The European Sleeper is sometimes retimed an hour earlier at a few week's notice due to trackwork, so I'd play safe and book the 13:01. I recommend using the Pullman Hotel bar at Brussels Midi as your VIP departure lounge, or perhaps visit Brussels' Grand Place.
Why 12:56 Eurostar back to London, not 10:52? The European Sleeper is sometimes retimed at a week's notice to arrive in Brussels an hour later, so play safe!
Ferry connection from London & Harwich: If you prefer a ferry, live in East Anglia, or if Eurostar is expensive, you can travel from London to Rotterdam using Stena Line's daytime ferry from Harwich to Hoek van Holland, picking up the sleeper in Rotterdam, see the UK-Germany page.
This is the normal timetable. Always check times for your specific date of travel as they may vary due to trackwork. For example, the train occasionally uses Berlin Gesundbrunnen instead of Berlin Hbf. Check times for specific dates at www.europeansleeper.eu or int.bahn.de (use plain BERLIN not Berlin Hbf).
Brussels-Berlin on other days of the week: European Sleeper will also offer a Brussels to Berlin sleeper on Tue, Thur, Sun, returning Berlin to Brussels on Mon, Wed, Fri, with connections from/to London, for details see the European Sleeper Paris-Brussels-Berlin page.
For Eurostar information and check-in process, see the Eurostar page.
How much does it cost?
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London to Brussels by Eurostar starts at £51 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £98 one-way, £140 return in Plus (1st class).
Fares work like air fares, so book ahead.
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Brussels, Rotterdam or Amsterdam to Berlin, Dresden or Prague by sleeper:
Seat (budget): From 49.
Couchette (classic): From 79 with a couchette in 6-berth, 99 with a couchette in 5-berth.
Couchette made up as sleeper (comfort standard): From 119 per bed triple occupancy, 149 per bed double occupancy, 289 single occupancy.
Sleeper (comfort plus): From 139 with a bed in 3-bed sleeper, 169 with a bed in 2-bed sleeper, 339 with a bed in single-bed sleeper.
All prices per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Children under 4 travel free, without their own berth. Children under 12 travel at a child rate.
For Interrail & Eurail reservation fees, see the Interrail/Eurail reservation page.
If you find fares are expensive on your date, see this money-saving tip!
How to buy tickets
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Book the sleeper at www.europeansleeper.eu.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, although this can vary.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Book the Eurostar at www.eurostar.com.
By all means book an earlier Eurostar outward or a later one on the return, if this has cheaper fares available or if you'd like more time between trains in Brussels. Booking opens up to 11 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
If you have an Interrail or Eurail pass
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You can buy an Interrail or Eurail pass and use it on Eurostar and European Sleeper, but reservations are needed.
An Interrail pass also covers train travel from your local station to/from London to connect with Eurostar. More info.
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Step 1, make a reservation on the European Sleeper. Go to www.europeansleeper.eu, change 1 Adult to 0 Adults and book however many Reservation only places you need. Reservation only = passholder reservation.
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Step 2, make a reservation on Eurostar, see how to do this here.
What's the train like?
European Sleeper uses three terms when you book, comfort, classic & budget. If you select comfort you'll get a choice between comfort plus, which means beds in the sleeping-car, or (new from December 2025) comfort standard which means a couchette compartment sold as a single, double or triple and made up with proper bedding including mattresses.
Comfort Standard = almost as
good as a sleeper
Comfort plus = sleeping-car
The train has one or two sleeping-cars, sold as comfort plus. They're instantly recognisable by their American-style fluted stainless-steel body. 80 of these cars were built in 1954-56, originally with 20 small upper & lower single compartments, named the P type after their designer Albert Pillepich of the famous Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. A number of P types were completely rebuilt in the 1990s for the Austrian, Belgian & Dutch railways with a more conventional 10-compartment layout and were reclassified AB30 (AB = 1st & 2nd class, 30 = 30 berths).
The sleeping-car has 10 compartments, each can be sold as a single, double or triple with lower, middle & upper berths folded out as required. The beds fold away to reveal seats for evening/morning use. Luggage goes in the large recess over the door to the corridor or over the window. Each compartment has a normal locks and a security deadbolt which can only be locked & unlocked from inside.
There's a washbasin, soap, towel, complimentary slippers and all necessary bedding including a very comfortable duvet. A bottle of drinking water is provided for each passenger. Morning tea or coffee and a breakfast box are included in the fare. There are two toilets at one end of the corridor.
There's a 2-pin European-style power outlet in the washstand, if you open the washstand doors you'll find it in the ceiling, it works for recharging phones.
Sleeper berths are sold individually, so one ticket = one bed. If you book 3 tickets in a triple, 2 tickets in a double or a single, you'll get a private room. If you only book 1 or 2 tickets in a triple or 1 ticket in a double you'll share with other passengers (women can book a berth in a women-only compartment if they like).
The Man in Seat 61 says: "I have a soft spot for these venerable sleeping-cars. They're old but comfortable, and with only 10 compartments not 12 in a 24-metre car they are relatively spacious by European sleeper standards. It's true they can be temperamental, they like the German power supply better than Belgian or Dutch, you may find the water pressure and air-con better on the German side! With friendly staff, comfortable beds and breakfast included it's a great way to travel."
The stainless-steel sleeping-car on a westbound European Sleeper, about to leave Berlin Hbf. Click the interior photos for larger images.
Comfort standard = couchette set up as a sleeper
One or two couchette cars are set up as comfort standard, with compartments sold for single, double or triple occupancy and bunks made up as proper beds with comfy mattress, pillow and duvet. It's almost as comfortable as a proper sleeper and just as private for 1, 2 or 3 people, but without a washbasin and breakfast is optional not included. One advantage over a sleeper is that the window opens, allowing reflection-free photography along the scenic Elbe valley. Another is that unlike a sleeper, seats remain available even with the beds folded out.
Berths are sold individually, so one ticket = one bed. If you book 3 tickets in a triple, 2 tickets in a double or a single, you'll get a private room. If you only book 1 or 2 tickets in a triple or 1 ticket in a double you'll share with other passengers (women can book a berth in a women-only compartment if they like).
Standard Comfort compartment, bookable for single, double or triple occupancy.
Classic = 5-berth couchettes
Sold as classic, these are 5-berth compartments in air-conditioned couchette cars built for German Railways in the 1990s. Each of the 9 compartments has 5 berths, upper & lower on one side, upper, middle & lower on the other.
Each berth is provided with a clean sheet, blanket & pillow. There is a toilet and 1 or 2 washrooms at each end of the corridor. The compartment door has a normal lock and a security chain. A bottle of drinking water is provided for each passenger and you can buy snacks & drinks from the train staff. A light breakfast with tea or coffee can be added to your booking when you buy tickets or bought from staff on board. Compartment windows open, one or two windows in the corridor also open.
Berths are sold individually, so one ticket means one berth, if you book fewer than 5 tickets you'll share with other passengers. Couchette compartments are mixed-gender as you don't normally fully undress, but women can book a berth in a women-only compartment if they like. See couchette car numbering plan.
However, if you want sole occupancy of a whole 5-berth compartment for 1-5 people, you'll see a price for a private compartment.
Above, the inaugural European Sleeper departure waits to leave Prague on Tuesday 26 March 2024. Click the interior photos for larger images.
Budget = seats
Sold as budget, fine for daytime trips, but it's a false economy for an overnight journey, always book a couchette or sleeper. Seats passengers travel in a couchette car which has been designated as a seats car and kept in daytime mode with the bunks locked away. See the photos above.
Route map
Click for larger map Highlighted = Brussels-Amsterdam-Berlin-Prague sleeper route. Green = scenic sections. Red = high-speed lines.
Reproduced from the excellent European Rail Map with kind permission of the European Rail Timetable people. I recommend buying the European Rail Map for your travels and a copy of the European Rail Timetable, www.europeanrailtimetable.eu with shipping worldwide.
Tips: Luggage, bikes, pets, food...
Sleeper, couchette or just a seat?
For solo travellers on a budget, a couchette is fine, you get a flat bunk in a safely lockable compartment and can sleep just as well as in a sleeper - never travel in just a seat, always book a couchette or sleeper on a night train for both comfort and security.
If you're tall, a lower berth is better as the upper berth support chains can get in the way of your feet and head.
For families, a 5 berth couchette compartment is ideal, you're all together in one compartment and can have a blast - bring a bottle of wine for mum & dad. Paying more for two 2-berth compartments in the sleeping-car probably isn't worth it (unless you've older kids and mum & dad want a break). There are whole-compartment rates for sole occupancy of a 5 berth compartment, or you can add phantom children to your booking to fill a 5 berth compartment.
The sleeping-car has a quieter, more civilised atmosphere, and it's obviously the best option for solo travellers & couples not budget-limited. Some families and many solo travellers prefer it: A bed in a shared 3-bed sleeper may not cost that much more than a bunk in a 5-berth couchette compartment. In the sleeper, you get a proper fully-made-up bed with duvet.
Berth numbering
It often confuses people when they get berths 21 & 25 and think they aren't together in the same 2-berth sleeper compartment. Of course they are! See how sleepers are numbered. See how couchettes are numbered.
In the 5-berth couchettes, the middle berth number on one side isn't used. However, in some compartments the left hand side has 2 berths, the right hand side 3, in other compartments it's the other way round.
How to check the train formation
You can see the train formation with car numbers and photos of each car at www.vagonweb.cz: Change cs to English, click Train formations and search for European Sleeper.
However, actual formations change, the specific formation of today's departure can be found at www.europeansleeper.eu. Look under Travel info for Train composition.
Luggage
You take your luggage with you into your compartment and simply stick it on the luggage racks above the window, in the big recess over the door to the corridor, or on the floor. Nobody weighs it, measures it, or worries about how much you take. More about luggage on European trains.
Bikes
Unfortunately, bikes aren't carried on the European Sleeper.
Dogs & other pets
Pets are carried on the sleeper free of charge, as long as you (and anyone with you) occupy a whole sleeper or couchette compartment.
Pets are not carried on Eurostar, but can be carried on the London-Amsterdam train-ferry-train service to pick up the sleeper in Rotterdam.
Wheelchairs
Unfortunately, European Sleeper have not been able to get hold of the very few available couchette cars with wheelchair-accessible compartments, but longer term they want to add this facility.
WiFi & power sockets
There's no WiFi, but mobile data reception works fine along most of the route. There are power sockets (European 2-pin type) in most of the 5-berth couchette cars, but not in all the 6-berth couchette compartments. In the sleeping-car, there's a 2-pin socket in the ceiling of the washstand, it's intended for shavers but can be used to recharge phones. I always travel with a powerbank.
Food & drink on board
There's no restaurant car, so eat before you board or bring a picnic and bottle of wine!
There's a supermarket at Brussels Midi if you need to buy supplies in Brussels.
On board the train you'll find a menu card for snacks & drinks in you compartment, including tea, coffee, soft drinks, red & white wine, beer, nachos & noodles. Order from the train staff, or scan the QR code on the menu and order snacks & drinks on your phone, staff will bring it to your compartment. You can pay in euros or by card.
Where to wait for your train
In Brussels, the Pullman Hotel bar makes the best VIP waiting room away from the hustle and bustle, it's an integral part of the station.
In Rotterdam, for dinner or a beer before taking the sleeper, try Kaapse Maria (www.kaapsebrouwers.nl) for craft beer and good pub food, 9 minutes walk from Rotterdam Centraal, see walking map. Check opening hours, it's open Monday & Friday but closed Wednesdays. Alternatively, Le Nord (lenord.nl), La Cazuela & Dunya are all good bistros in a quiet road 5 minutes north of the station, see walking map.
In Berlin, the best VIP waiting room is the bar of the Steigenberger Hotel, just outside the station's main exit to the right. Friendly staff, a quiet location and they do food, too.
In Prague, have a coffee at the Fantova Kavαrna in the historic old station hall, away from the hustle & bustle of the modern station below. Also consider the Foyer Cafe, a new upmarket cafe-bar opened in 2024 in a magnificent high-ceiling room in the old station building.
Always check up to date departure times using int.bahn.de, I suggest using plain BERLIN rather then Berlin Hbf.
Early arrival in Berlin?
No problem, drop off your bags at reception at InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf just outside the station (or if you're flush, the equally excellent Steigenberger Hotel) and ask to pay for the hotel's breakfast buffet!
Does it run on time?
For a train running such a distance it's usually pretty good. But see for yourself using Zugfinder.net: Eastbound performance over last 30 days. Westbound performance over last 30 days.
See general tips & advice for European train travel.
Wake up to the scenic route to Prague!
Between Dresden, Bad Schandau, Děčνn, Ϊstν nad Labem and Prague, the European Sleeper follows the same scenic route along the River Elbe as the daytime EuroCity trains. The photos below were taken from the inaugural European Sleeper to Prague on the glorious morning of 26 March 2024.
Shortly after 6am, the eastbound European Sleeper arrives at Berlin Hbf on its way to Prague.
Soon after 8am, the European Sleeper calls at Dresden Neustadt, then crosses the river Elbe with the spires of historic Dresden as a backdrop.
From 08:40 until around 10:00, the European Sleeper runs along the beautiful Elbe river valley between Dresden & Prague.
The rocky section of the river Elbe. At this point, we're still in Germany near Bad Schandau.
Soon after calling at Bad Schandau, the train crosses the border into Czechia and passes Hřensko on the far bank.
The European Sleeper approaches Děčνn station, with views of Děčνn castle on the opposite bank of the Elbe.
The European Sleeper arrived at Prague Hlavni.
Watch the videos
This video shows the inaugural journey from Brussels to Berlin on 25 May 2023, although the train no longer has a seats car or 6-berth couchettes.
This video shows the 5-berth couchettes and scenery between Berlin & Prague, filmed on the inaugural journey from Brussels to Prague on 25 March 2024.
European Sleeper Pass - money saving tip
A European Sleeper Pass gives unlimited travel on European Sleeper for a month starting on any date you choose.
The pass itself costs 149 adult or 99 for children under 12.
In addition to the pass, you must make a reservation-only booking for each trip, but the reservation price is fixed & predictable, not dynamic like regular tickets:
52 for a couchette in 6-berth, 74 for a couchette in 5-berth, 109 for a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 149 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 179 for a bed in a single sleeper.
Buy a pass at www.europeansleeper.eu/passes.
Then make a reservation-only booking like this: Go to www.europeansleeper.eu, reduce the number of adults to 0 and increase number of reservation-only places to however many places you want. The reservation-only price is the same for both adults and children.
Cheaper than a regular ticket even for one journey?
Regular tickets are dynamic like air fares. For example, a single-bed sleeper starts at 159, but on busy dates or at short notice it can exceed 700.
But you'd never pay that. Because you can always buy a European Sleeper Pass for 149 + a single sleeper reservation for 179 = 328.
And 2 people can always pay 2 x 149 European Sleeper Pass + 2 x 149 double sleeper reservation = 596. Maximum!
It's less likely to save money for one trip in a couchette, but you'll just have to do the maths. Whenever the regular fare exceeds the cost of [European Sleeper Pass + reservation-only booking], use a pass! Has that sunk in? Good!
If you're travelling to/from the UK
An Interrail pass may make sense for journeys to/from Britain, as an Interrail pass + Eurostar passholder fare + European Sleeper reservation-only booking is often cheaper (as well as more flexible/refundable) than buying normal point-to-point tickets. You'll just have to check ticket prices for Eurostar and for European Sleeper and do the maths. An Interrail pass also covers travel between your local station and London, that alone can swing it if you live a fair way from the capital!
About European Sleeper
European Sleeper isn't just an ordinary company, it's on a mission to bring sleeper trains back. Founded by two entrepreneurs with a passion for sleepers, Elmer van Buuren and Chris Engelsman, it has required a huge effort battling railway bureaucracy to get this train up and running. It's been particularly difficult to source serviceable rolling stock as there's so little available for hire, but they've done it and they now have a comfortable and operationally robust train even though it inevitably uses older rolling stock. They are now working on expanding the offer and in the longer term funding and sourcing the modern rolling stock that this service deserves. Let's give them our support!
I was privileged to be at the launch reception on 26 May 2023 at the Pullman Hotel at Brussels Midi. On stage are European Sleeper founders Elmer van Buuren (left) and Chris Engelsman (centre) with Dutch-American comedian Greg Shapiro hosting the event. Photographed by the author.