On 12 December 2023 the first overnight train from Berlin in nine years arrived at Gare de l'Est in Paris. As the-then French transport minister, Clement Beaune stepped from the express, he told me: "You can sleep, you can work a bit, you can talk with friends and have a drink. So it's a really nice experience. We have to demonstrate this is attractive, this is affordable, this is available." The resurrected rail service appeared to signal a turn in the tide, with sleeper trains luring travellers back from budget airlines. British passengers could connect easily to the restored link with a 10-minute walk from the Eurostar terminal at Paris Gare du Nord. As the return service to Berlin prepared to depart, pro-rail campaigners were out in force – with one young supporter holding a sign declaring "Train de Nuit = Teleportation". But almost two years to the day, the Nightjet train between the French and German capitals will end in December 2025. So too will a separate sleeper service between Paris and Vienna, following the route of the Orient-Express (which itself ended in 2009). Bluntly, not enough travellers switched from air to rail to make these night trains a viable alternative. Running a sleeper is prodigiously expensive, and you can sell a berth only once every 24 hours – compared with selling the same seat typically six times on a budget aircraft. According to SNCF (French Railways), occupancy on the Paris-Berlin train was only 70 per cent; in contrast, yesterday Ryanair said it sells 94 per cent of available seats on the average flight. Mark Smith, the international rail guru known as The Man in Seat 61, is surely despondent at the news? But he tells me: "I'm not as cut up as I ought to be about losing the Paris-Berlin/Vienna Nightjets. They were supposed to have become daily a year ago, but didn't. They are heavily affected by French track work in terms of late opening for sale – and cancellation, sometimes after they've already gone on sale. The yield-managed pricing meant €200 for a couchette or €500 for a single sleeper." He recommends instead a train-hotel-train overnight arrangement: "The 7.07pm Paris-Frankfurt ICE [InterCity Express], a single room with shower for €80 at the Metropolitan by Flemings across the road, and a morning train to Vienna or Berlin seems a better bet." Expert advice on European night trains French flight fracas: Air-traffic control strike could wreck your travel plans US shutdown: Tourist venues hit by federal government paralysis
Visitor levy: Historic Dutch village set to introduce entry fee Play off: Another Icelandic budget airline goes bust | |
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Night moves: Campaigners at Paris Gare de l'Est, calling for more sleeper services across Europe |
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| Lower Manhattan's Financial District was once a neighbourhood of Arabic shops and bakeries. Read more. | |
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| Celestyal's chief commercial officer speaks to Marc Hoffman about voyages in the Gulf. Read more. |
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| You don't need to spend a fortune to enjoy the outstanding beauty of the region and national park. Read more. |
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As one sleeper train shuts down, another expands its offering. In January, the Caledonian Sleeper connecting London Euston with Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William will add a stop at Birmingham International. For the first time this century, the West Midlands will have a rail connection with the West Highlands. Airline passengers using Birmingham airport will be able to connect direct with either end of the Caledonian Canal – Fort William and Inverness – as well as Aviemore, Dundee and Gleneagles. And all without extending the journey time between London and Scotland. "This is a great example of collaboration within the industry," Caledonian Sleeper boss Graham Kelly told me. No one relishes an overnight train more than I do, and I was a regular on the old Caledonian Sleeper between London and Scotland. But I haven't travelled once on the new, improved rolling stock rolled out on the Anglo-Scottish overnight train. The fares are challenging: a month today from London to Aberdeen, the price per person, sharing a double cabin, is £155. That is four times the most expensive easyJet fare on the same day. "We are very mindful of price," says Graham Kelly. "It is a travel-transport element, and also overnight accommodation, all wrapped and rolled into one." I won't be trying it tonight, though: as Storm Amy approaches, Friday's links between London and Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William have been cancelled. Edinburgh and Glasgow trains will arrive an hour late tomorrow morning due to weather-related speed restrictions. Meanwhile Mark Smith, The Man in Seat 61, is enthused about what is coming down the track in Continental Europe, according to the new edition of the European Rail Timetable. "What knocked me off my chair was talk of a two-hourly Budapest-Belgrade EuroCity train," he says. "I'd almost given up on even the Subotica-Belgrade fast domestic trains [in Serbia] ever starting." A Danube express between the Hungarian and Serbian capitals may or may not become a reality. But closer to home: an evening journey from London to Frankfurt, with a swift change in Brussels, will be a permanent possibility from December. Mark warns, though: "I'm not sure I'd risk a 20-minute connection in Brussels with no later back-up train if I had anything significant riding on it." Whether by rail or air, always build a buffer into your travel plans. |
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What do you think of Edinburgh's new tourist tax? |
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This week, I'm asking what you think of Edinburgh's new tourist tax. Was the 5 per cent tax on accommodation inevitable? Or are cities asking for too much from their visitors? Vote by selecting the buttons above. In our last newsletter, I asked where you'd like to see a new runway in London. The result? A clear majority – 65% – voted for a second runway at Gatwick, while the rest backed a third at Heathrow. The catch? Gatwick's expansion won't be ready until at least 2030, so we'll have to sit tight a little longer. |
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Ski helmets mandatory in Italy this winter |
From 1 November 2025, all skiers, snowboarders, sledders and tobogganers at Italian ski resorts must wear helmets that are certified to CE (Conformité Européene) standards. Offenders face a fine of up to €200 and having their ski pass suspended for three days. Until now, Italy – along with many other countries – has made helmets compulsory only for young skiers. Italy already requires winter-sports participants to have third-party insurance cover. |
Young people across Morocco are demonstrating in protest at what they say is rampant government corruption. Late yesterday the Foreign Office updated its travel advice to read: "There are reports of significant police presence and rallies resulting in violent clashes. The situation remains unpredictable. Avoid demonstrations and large gatherings and follow the advice of local authorities. Demonstrations may lead to travel disruption. Allow extra time for journeys." | |
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We've booked a short package to Vienna on 15 December for four nights. Your suggestions? |
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Visiting the Austrian capital in the deep midwinter should be a dream trip. Vienna takes Christmas seriously, with lights and colour everywhere – and no fewer than seven festive markets. Culturally and architecturally, Vienna is remarkable for possessing so much grandeur from its imperial past. Four days should be enough to do it justice. Among the museums, the stand-out to me is the Upper Belvedere – home to Gustav Klimt's The Kiss and much else. On a clear day the view from here across the city is magnificent. Two other exquisite structures: the National Library, with its elaborate ceiling, and St Peter's Church – a study in 18th-century Baroque brilliance, dripping with decoration. With temperatures likely to be barely above freezing during your stay, places to eat and drink have particular appeal. The Cafe Central is an archetype of imperial indulgence; try to book ahead to enjoy a decent lunch here. I prefer it to the Hotel Sacher, home of the Sacher-Torte chocolate cake. Altogether less touristy is the Cafe Pruckel on the edge of the city centre, where you can dine well at a decent price. From here you could board one of the trams circling around the Ring, marking the old city walls. For a final meal, I recommend Melker Stiftskeller – a convivial cellar restaurant dating from 1629. It is already selling out fast for December, so book swiftly. |
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| Enjoy a spontaneous autumn escape for less at Village Hotels. Choose from a wide range of UK locations, with stays from just £51 when you book within 7 days of arrival. Learn more. |
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| Need some sunglasses for your holiday? Grab two pairs for only £59 at Meller. |
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