European Sleeper: the complete guide

European Sleeper is a Dutch cooperative operating international night trains across Western and Central Europe. Starting with a single long-distance service between Brussels and Prague, the company has since announced two additional routes, making it one of the most actively expanding night train operators on the continent. This guide covers all current and confirmed upcoming routes, the on-board comfort categories, and everything you need to know about booking.

Table of Contents

• All routes
• Comfort and amenities on board
• All about booking – go directly to our guide

Routes

As of early 2026, European Sleeper operates one established route and has two further routes starting later in 2026. All services run two to three times per week in each direction.

Brussels – Amsterdam – Berlin – Dresden – Prague (ES 452/453)

This is European Sleeper's founding route and the only one currently in operation. Train ES 453 runs from Brussels via Amsterdam, Berlin, and Dresden to Prague; the return service is ES 452. The journey takes over 16 hours. The train runs two to three times per week in each direction.

Since ÖBB discontinued its Nightjet NJ 424/425 between Brussels and Berlin at the end of March 2025, European Sleeper is now the only night train option between those two cities.

• Brussels to Prague
  ES 453
• Amsterdam to Prague
  ES 453
• Brussels to Berlin
  ES 453
• Amsterdam to Berlin
  ES 453
• Prague to Brussels
  ES 452
• Prague to Amsterdam
  ES 452
• Berlin to Brussels
  ES 452
• Berlin to Amsterdam
  ES 452

Paris – Brussels – Hamburg - Berlin (ES 474/475)

After ÖBB discontinued the Paris–Berlin Nightjet, European Sleeper stepped in to fill the gap. The service is scheduled to start on 26 March 2026. Brussels is served as an intermediate stop. From 12/13 July 2026, Hamburg will be added as an additional stop.

Departures from Paris are scheduled for Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings, arriving in Berlin the following morning. Return services from Berlin run on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights. Combined with the existing Brussels–Prague service (ES 452/453) on the remaining days, it will be possible to travel overnight between Brussels and Berlin six nights a week in total.

Tickets have been on sale since 16 December 2025.

• Paris to Berlin
  ES 475
• Brussels to Berlin
  ES 475
• Paris to Hamburg
  ES 475 (from 12 July 2026)
• Brussels to Hamburg
  ES 475 (from 12 July 2026)
• Berlin to Paris
  ES 474
• Berlin to Brussels
  ES 474
• Hamburg to Paris
  ES 474 (from 13 July 2026)
• Hamburg to Brussels
  ES 474 (from 13 July 2026)

Brussels – Cologne – Zurich – Milan (from September 2026)

European Sleeper announced a second new route linking Brussels and Amsterdam with Switzerland and Milan. The first departure is planned for 9 September 2026. The route runs via Cologne, then south through Zurich, Göschenen (Gotthard line), and Lugano, before crossing into Italy at Chiasso and terminating in Milan.

Departures from Brussels are planned for Monday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings. Return services from Milan run on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday nights.

Ticket sales are expected to open on 17 March 2026.

See all details in our overview here.

Onboard comfort

European Sleeper trains offer three travel categories: sleeper cabins, couchettes, and seats. The following applies to the existing Brussels–Prague route and is expected to carry over to the new routes.

Sleeper cabin (Comfort Plus)

Sleeper cabins are marketed under the name Comfort Plus and come in single, double, and triple configurations. Each compartment is lockable and has a washbasin. Shared toilets are in the corridor; there is no private shower or WC.

Included: made-up bed with blanket, pillow, towel, travel kit, mineral water, welcome drink, breakfast. Wake-up service on request.

• Single – private 1-person compartment
• Double – 2-person compartment; bookable shared or private
• Triple – 3-person compartment; bookable shared, private, or as a women-only compartment

Couchette

European Sleeper offers two couchette types.

Classic couchette

The standard couchette is the Classic category, with 5-berth compartments. The cabin is air-conditioned. Shared toilets and washing facilities are in the carriage corridor.

Included: blanket and sheets, mineral water. Breakfast optional. Wake-up service on request.

Compartments are shared by default but can be booked privately or as a women-only compartment (labelled "Ladies" on nightride.com).

Comfort Standard couchette

The Comfort Standard couchettes accommodate up to three people and are equipped with a proper mattress on the bunk. Available in single, double, and triple configurations. Private and shared bookings possible.

Included: blanket and sheets, mineral water. Breakfast optional. Wake-up service on request.

• Single – private 1-person couchette with mattress
• Double – 2-person couchette with mattress; shared or private
• Triple – 3-person couchette with mattress; shared or private

Seats

The most economical option is a seat in the Budget category (2nd class). Seats are in 4- or 6-person compartments. The reservation is included in the price. Breakfast can be added as an optional extra. Snacks and refreshments can be purchased from the train crew.

Catering

There is (currently) no restaurant car. Snacks and drinks can be purchased from the train crew. Breakfast is included in the sleeper cabin fare and available as an optional add-on for couchette and seat passengers.

Tickets & prices

Tickets can be booked on the European Sleeper website or our price comparison engine:

Compare all offers and prices here

European Sleeper also regularly publishes last-minute deals that are not listed in the main search results – these are worth checking separately on their website.

Price ranges

The following price ranges apply to the Brussels–Prague route and are indicative for the Paris–Berlin route (European Sleeper has stated that Paris–Berlin pricing will be comparable to the former Nightjet fares):

• Seats: €40–€60
• Couchettes: €80–€160
• Sleeper cabins: from €150

For the upcoming Brussels–Milan route, indicative prices are:

• Seats: from €30
• Couchettes: approx. €50–€100
• Sleeper cabins: from €130

Price categories

European Sleeper uses three price categories:

Easy Night (Reduced)

Good Night (Semi-flexible)

Flex Night (Flexible)

How to book

Booking a ticket at European Sleeper requires several steps, but bear with us – it will work. Once you have found the best offer on nightride.com and have been redirected, you (unintuitively) need to “change the search criteria”, i.e. click on that purple button. Then you need to confirm the details that were forwarded from your nightride.com search.

On the next screen, you again need to make sure the correct date is selected. Then scroll all the way down and press “Select travel class”. On the next screen, you first have to decide between seats (Budget), 5-person couchettes (Classic), or 3-person couchette/sleepers (Comfort ). See our overview above.

Once you have selected the category, the view scrolls to a detailed overview with different options. Select the option you would like and then scroll to the very bottom, where you click on “Check journey”

In the last screen, you can select your price category and book extras, such as a breakfast (if not already included in your compartment). Scroll again all the way to the bottom and select “Passenger details”. On the next screen, enter them, scroll all the way down and click on “Check tickets”.

Take a last look at your order (and check whether all the travellers are in the same compartment or next to each other, seen from the carriage layout), then you can pay with your favourite payment method. You will receive your tickets per e-mail.

Interrail / Eurail

European Sleeper accepts Interrail and Eurail passes. A separate reservation is required on top of the pass. Book via europeansleeper.eu/interrail by selecting “Reservation Only” as your passenger type. Your pass must be valid for both the departure and arrival dates.

Reservation fees by cabin type:

Fees vary by travel distance. Private compartments require each passenger to hold an individual pass.