Embrace the Journey: New Paris-Berlin Sleeper Promises 90s Nostalgia

The romance of rail travel is receiving a fresh, albeit nostalgic, update on the Paris to Berlin route. The Dutch cooperative European Sleeper has announced it will launch a new service on March 26, 2026, stepping in to replace the soon-to-be-axed Nightjet. This new service is expected to lean into the company’s established reputation for “no-frills nostalgia,” offering an experience where the journey itself is as important as the destination. This approach has already garnered the company a loyal following on its routes to Brussels and Prague.
The rolling stock for this new flagship line will be German-rented coaches from the 1990s. While this may not sound luxurious, the company’s co-founder, Chris Engelsman, noted they are a significant step up from the 1950s-era carriages used on their Prague service and will offer a comfort level “quite similar” to the outgoing Nightjet. This “mishmash” of older carriages is part of the firm’s charm for many, offering a tangible connection to a simpler era of travel, free from the sterile uniformity of modern high-speed trains.
This news comes as a welcome relief after a “kink in the tracks” for the sleeper train renaissance. The Austrian operator ÖBB’s decision to cancel its Nightjet services from Paris (to both Berlin and Vienna) from December 14, due to the end of French subsidies, was a major blow. It sparked public outcry, including a ‘pyjama party’ protest by the ‘Oui au train de nuit!’ group, which gathered 91,000 petition signatures. This demonstrated a strong public appetite for the experience of night travel, not just its utility.
The new European Sleeper service will run three times a week, with evening departures from Paris Gare du Nord on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and return trips from Berlin on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. In a major route change, the service will travel via Brussels. This new path, combined with the 12-14 dedicated coaches for Berlin, will allow for a high capacity of 600-700 passengers, a significant increase on the split Nightjet train.
In line with the “no-frills nostalgia” theme, the company has been upfront about the amenities. Engelsman confirmed there will be “not from the start” a dining car. He explained that the high rental and staff costs make it a “challenge” to break even on food and drink sales. This pragmatic decision prioritizes the route’s viability, encouraging passengers to perhaps embrace the old-world charm of bringing their own picnic basket for the overnight journey.