Night Train Debuting in 2025 Will Connect Brussels and Venice

Including an Alpine stop along the way

European Sleeper logo
The route will debut in February 2025.
European Sleeper

If you’ve ever longed for a trip to Europe that involves waking up in Venice or the Alps, 2025 might be the year your travel dreams come true. As The Local’s Paul Krantz reports, the night train operator European Sleeper is planning to launch a new route on February 5, 2025 that will run from Brussels to Venice. Once it begins operations, it will be the company’s second international line.

At least for the time being, European Sleeper is referring to this as a seasonal initiative, with Venice’s annual Winter Carnival listed as one of the prime destinations that travelers can take in. Based on the company’s announcement, service will initially run twice a week. A provisional schedule from the train operator suggests that the trains will depart Brussels at 5 p.m. and will arrive in Venice at 2 p.m. the following afternoon.

“Passengers will be able to board our train from Belgium and the Netherlands, and relax in the comfort of the restaurant car, while the train transports them through Germany and Austria, and across the Alps, ending in the historic cities of Verona and Venice the following day,” said European Sleeper co-founder Chris Engelsman. “This marks a new important milestone for European Sleeper and the convenience of night travel across Europe more sustainably.”

Channel Your Inner Agatha Christie Aboard These Murder Mystery Trains
From Florida to Napa Valley, these seven railways let you live out your wildest “Murder on the Orient Express” fantasies

European Sleeper revealed that booking will open for this new line on Sept. 1. Once its first train reaches the tracks, this route will join a growing number of rail options for travelers to get to Venice — even as the city itself seeks to find the appropriate balance of tourism and preservation.

MEET US AT YOUR INBOX. FIRST ROUND'S ON US.

Join America's Fastest Growing Spirits Newsletter THE SPILL. Unlock all the reviews, recipes and revelry — and get 15% off award-winning La Tierra de Acre Mezcal.