ever since, has been a staunch fan of this railroad video channel of very high order with crisp videos and detailed description. rail journeys tower above all other travel options, especially in eu, uk, au and north america. that privilege of experiencing premier train travel without leaving home, is brought, by this channel like no other. compulsive viewing, indeed.
I've taken a train from London to Berlin twice, taking a 0815-ish Eurostar to Brussels, then ICE to Cologne and change for another ICE to Berlin, arriving about 1815 local time. So only 9 hours travelling and early enough in Berlin to check into your hotel and get a nice meal.
I was expecting this high-speed train to use the route Brussels-Aachen-Koln-Berlin, so was surprised when the train left Brussels headed for the Netherlands! I guess there are now different high-speed route choices than there were a few years ago?
@@tytn9978 Did you get the overnight train? That goes via the Netherlands. Otherwise you should just get the Köln direct from Brussels and change for a Berlin train there.
@@tytn9978That’s the route that D Bahn app suggests to London . It’s only 10 hours and you are in London early enough for a hotel for the night. I guess if you want to see the Dutch canals then the 18 hour route is ok.
When we went to Berlin, we went by daytime train, changing at Brussels and Cologne. I have to admit, I've been rather put off sleeper trains by our experience last summer, when we took a sleeper from Hamburg to Stockholm that ran 7 hours late!
Ha that sleeper from Hamburg to Stockholm has some issues. Was it the one run by SJ? We also took that last year and while the delay was only about an hour, we were surprised to find out our sleeper car just wasn't there. It wasn't part of the train. The staff seemed fairly clueless, but did manage to put us into an empty couchette compartment that we had to ourselves. The same thing happened on the return journey too.
Did this same route in the summer in a 6 berth couchette with my whole family. It was great fun and one of the coolest experiences of my life although obviously there was no air con and with it being August we did nearly boil alive. 😂 They weren’t branding the water bottles then, things have obviously got fancy since 😂
I did this trip in reverse last year, but actually starting from Hamburg! It was quite stressful, there was a signaling failure on the route form hamburg to berlin so my ICE hat to crawl along at 25 km/h until reaching the next section where things worked again, made me almost miss the sleeper and I had to hurry up the escalatros from the lower platforms to the upper ones. Then misfortune continued, I had been notified in advance that I was downgraded as their coaches needed repairs, so I got a couchette instead of the sleeper cabin. There was some cold airflow going through my compartment and I had to pull the blanket over my head to not feel it. Then in the middle of the night, the heating system failed. It was late october and outside temperatures were near freezing, it got really cold inside and I was sitting there, fully clothed, jacket on and wrapped in the blanked and it was still cold. But wait, there's more! In Rotterdam, some blind passenger hopped onto the train and got into an argument with the people 2 compartments over, I couldn't quite make out what the argument was about but him being onboard illegaly surely was part of it. The train had to make an unscheduled stop in Dordrecht so police could arrest him, which meant delays and em staying in the cold for longer. I was so happy to be on the warm and comfy Eurostar afterwards...
Yikes. That sounds horrible. These videos always make sleeper trains sound like the best thing ever, but I feel like they must be leaving out some of the down sides.
My experience was as near ghastly as yours @Dr Nagi! I, too, got a dirty, tired, couchette instead of a sleeper cabin on the outward trip - and on the way back, there was no hot water. The lavatory was disgusting. European Sleeper cannot make these primitive, ancient, carriages suitable for today’s traveller - they are way, way past their sell by date.
Let’s face it the only people who would make/pay for that journey are those who love trains or those who hate/fear flying. The cost and time taken rules it out as an even 3rd or 4th option the plane and hotel being the first. I have travelled all over Europe by train albeit a good few years ago and enjoyed the journey plus it was a lot cheaper than flying… now it’s the reverse The last time I arrived into Berlin by train was as a soldier posted to Berlin from Bielefeld on the famous military train which ran from the then West Germany through East Germany into West Berlin during the Cold War… now that was an interesting train trip lol
Fantastic Review, very well Narrated and Explained, very Professional over all. I liked the background Music 👍 Those 2 trains look very reliable and comfy. I just Had to Subscribe. 👌
Nice that long distance travel by train is beginning to be more popular. In the '70th we went on holiday with a sleeper & car train from Den Bosch (NL) to St. Raphael in France. Dinner on board. For a young kid, interested in trains, the ultimate way to travel!🤗🤗🤗
Having just returned from travelling on numerous Shinkansen in Japan, its interesting to hear the amount of background noise in the carriage. The shinkansen specifically ask if you want to talk or take a call to move to the area between carriages. So peaceful
@@mawo-z6rah yes, and here is another example again: A good example of a German whiner complaining about their national train operator. Whining has become number one hobby of the Germans these days (disclaimer, I’m German myself and I’m soooooosick and tired of this attitude).
My first mainland Europe trip in 2016 was to Berlin by train, although not all in one go. Had a couple of days in Brussels and Cologne to break up the journey.
A friend of mine did the sleeper trip from Umeå in Northern Sweden with the Arctic sleeper train to Stockholm, changed sleeper train there and then to Berlin. Can also do this trip from Narvik in Norway.
Travelled London to Oostende, Aachen , shunted onto the Paris Moscow express. Through the wall at Helmsted,into Berlin Central, though the wall again, West Berlin bright and alive East Berlin the opposite. Frankfurt oder. Then on Warszawa. 20 coaches in all, of rolling stock of 5 countries. Never forget it, made friends and seen each country and there people. Amazing. Age with held.😊 but you can guess.
🇬🇧🇫🇷🇧🇪🇳🇱🇩🇪🇪🇺 Exciting also you mentioned the freight trains which are also vital to trading. Sad that Brexit has lead to cuts of Eurostar services. I want to travel on the Eurostar Myself.
Great video. In the autumn, i will travel on the eurostar from London to Brussels with my dad who is a pensioner. We will go to Berlin after spending a few nights in Brussels. I asked him if he wanted to do the sleeper from Brussels to Berlin, he is not up for it - so it will be two ICE trains from Brussels to the German Capital with a change at Cologne. I would have liked to have done the Nightjet as well. I enjoy your videos - and look forward to more.
Your commentators are right. There are big reservations on this project. You should be able to get to Berlin the same day. The intransigence of the major shareholders SNCF, causing problems for DB to run a direct service, has just been messing about and restricting the potential of the Tunnel. At present, it's 6 hours from Brussels to Berlin and that includes a half hour wait at Köln (which could be eliminated). This gives you an insight into European red tape. I experience it all the time even on my telephone, so much so I'm installing an non-European VPN.
We have been to Brussels/Bruges on holiday precovid but not since as the Eurostar no longer stops at Ebbsfleet International which is our local station. Now we would have to catch the hispeed to St Pancras and then get onto the Eurostar there to travel back past the Ebbsfleet station. We are still hoping it will reopen.
We're booked in on this train in June but we're going all the way to Prague! 13:01 out of STP and the same 19:22 you took to Berlin and onwards. How was the transition in Brussels? My adult ed German teacher said he found it confusing.
The cost of home to london by train is more than a return flight from nearby airport to berlin, and a return coach to London isnt much less than a flight all the way. Let alone the flight even with generous allowance at airport and travel is about 7hours max. So i can leave at a similar time get a flight and then stay in a bed in berlin and be completely rested for a day in berlin and even including mid price hotel would be a lot less
I would definitely try this. Per usual when I take extended distance - tandem trains (ala London - Paris - Munich) I do the opposite of you and book many hours in between so I can have a nice walk around the city before departing on the 2nd train. It breaks the train trip up. The only time I didn't do this if the scheduling doesn't allow it such when I did Barcelona - Paris - London.
Nice video. I mean to try European sleeper once but it has to compete with the combination of a Ryanair flight to Berlin and a night in a hotel. A single occupancy compartment costs 319 EUR in a month from now. You could get one night in an IBIS and Ryanair for much less than that. Ryanair are also very reliable.
Hello Sir! Very informative video. Thanks for your service. I was wondering if there’s a way topen the window in the couchette car or the sleeper wagon? Thanks again and greetings from Berlin ❤
I make the first leg of this trip about 5 times a year for family, and lord almighty I'll take the eurostar every single time over travelling by air. I've had nothing but problems with BA and Brussels Airlines with hour plus delays. I'll happily sit on a train in a comfortable seat for 2 hours if it means not having to sit in an airport terminal.
Another great video with excellent commentary. I was your age in 1998 when I bought a 10 day Eurail pass for Germany. I took the Eurostar to Brussels from Waterloo, journey time back then was 3hrs 15 mins (no HS1 and no Belgian high speed line) before taking the sleeper to Berlin in a couchette. Amazing.
My son used the same services as yourself last month, he said he would do it again but not in a six-berth couchette next time! I am interested in the Schipol Airport stop, a flight from there would save both Eurostar and ex-London trains and would probably be cheaper. Thanks for the vid!
Took the sleeper recently both ways. The toilet was unusable and overflowing and no water in the cabin on the either journey. We had to use the next carriage toilet and wash room. The return journey was 1 and a half hours late arriving in Brussels, thus missing our Eurostar connection, . That was no problem, they just transferred us to the next one. It really needs an upgrade and I hope it will be successful. I would still do it again.
Hi i do like using eurostar from London as i live in Berlin just booked it for 58 EUROS .one way which i find ok . But going through Amsterdam to London St Pancress than Amsrerdamm Berlin only takes me 10 hours i total with break in Amsterdam . I find it more fun thsn through Brussels. Ciao
Quite enjoyable thanks for posting. It must be over 40 years since I took a train from Christchurch (Dorset) to Prague. None of your highspeed sleeper trains then. Unfortunately my memories of the journey are fading with just vague recollections of the efficiency of the trains.
Not only due to the lower speed conventional lines... The Traxx loco that European Sleeper used on this service appears to be the cargo variant of the Traxx Multivoltage... evident by the [140] on the UIC number... so the loco reaching ~133 km/h is not a flaw in the system...
@@jeroen2535 in Germany they could run 160+ kph if it was a Multivoltage P160 Traxx or a Vectron MS. Which are both fit to run 160 If they run 140 kph trains they obviously pick up delays by basically being less prioritized in track usage…
I have not yet traveled by train outside of South Africa. However, it seems as if the world has an obsession with speed and business. But even a 2 hour flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg includes a decent meal .
I was a bit surprised. I thought the Amsterdam - Berlin route was only provided by the IC train to Amsterdam-Berlin. I was not aware that this opportunity was there. I wonder, are there more stops in the Netherlands before reaching Bad Bentheim?
Definitely a train fan, and would certainly try this sleep to add to the journeys I’ve tried. I would however say, that the train website can be improved with more indication as to availability of each category. You have to click date and thenSeats, Couchettes or Sleepers to determine availability. If was you are searching isn’t available then you have to go back several steps and carry out the process all over again. You really have to want to travel by train doing this back and forth with the website.
I notice straightaway that Eurostar still hasn't learned how to clean a train window. I cross three or four times a year and the grimy windows really irritate me. I know it's only a detail, but you'd imagine that the PR department would have flagged this up to management by now. It could be fixed even if it meant a permanent team of people on the platform of St. Pancras or Gare du Nord giving a quick squeegee to the windows before boarding starts.
Sleeper trains are perfect if you have plenty of time, no hard travel deadlines, and are ok with various adventures you may encouter on your way (my last one was that all toilets on the train were out of use, bar one..)
Really food could at least be good as Pret or Marks and Spencer. I cleaned a reasonable pressure shower even timed to 3mins would win me over. Nice to split it up with stays allong route
I traveled on Eurostar in Summer 2018 from London to Lille, and for me at that time, I found the Business Premium ticket worth the additional cost. I bought my ticket months in advance, as soon as I was able. Of course, I'm sure the ticket price has increased since my trip in 2018. I don't fly, so taking Eurostar and follow-on trains to Berlin would be my preferred mode of travel.
I was excited about the whole idea, until ... the 'loo'! After that my enthusiasm went out the window. Such a shame. I was hoping that the sleeper cabin would have private facilities. Ah well! C'est la vie! 🙋♀️🤗
Looks great, but with prices like that, I might as well use an Interrail Global pass and then book reservations on those two trains, then I'd also be able to use the pass to get to London from my local station in Blackburn, as well as use the trains around Berlin with no extra cost.
I took the Eurostar from London to Amsterdam back in 2018, stayed there a few days and then took a direct train to Berlin. London to Amsterdam was great. I was visiting London from the US, staying with a friend who lives 2 tube stops away from King's Cross. He was leaving town the same day at almost the same time on another train, so we left together in the late afternoon and arrived 15 minutes later. Try that with a London airport. The trip to Amsterdam takes I think around 4 1/2 hours - quite a lot of the track after Brussels wasn't high speed, at least at the time. This sounds bad, but really it wasn't. Getting to the airport and then getting thru the airport to the gate in London takes at least an hour and a half in my experience, if you want to leave sufficient time for clearing security lines. Then there's customs and the trip from the airport into town on the other end. I'm sure I could have gotten to Amsterdam faster by plane if everything had gone right and there had been no delays, but probably only 90 minutes to an hour or so faster, and with a lot more stress and rushing about. But here's the deal - I'd have also needed to stop at some point for dinner, either paying outrageous airport prices for food after clearing security (assuming there was still adequate time to eat) or dining late in Amsterdam. On the Eurostar, they served us a fantastic meal I could eat at my leisure, so of that 4 1/2 hour trip, I consider an hour of it "dinnertime", time I would have spent anyhow even if I'd flown. If I were leaving early in the day on a business trip or something I'd still consider flying to Amsterdam, but for leisure travel later in the day, if I'm staying or living in central London and the train includes dinner, I'd rather just take the train and not deal with the hassle. You're saving yourself a lot of hassle and worry and city travel and not really consuming much more actual time, since you'd have to find a restaurant and grab dinner once you arrived, anyhow. The trip from Amsterdam to Berlin wasn't as much fun. The air conditioning on the German train was malfunctioning - a common occurrence (unlike the Americans, Japanese and Koreans - and even the French - air conditioning seems to be a technology which vexes the Germans) - and we were held up for almost an hour once crossing the border as they swapped out an engine or something attempting to fix it. I think it ultimately took like 6-7 hours to get to Berlin. The train was crowded and somewhat uncomfortable, although my cabin mates were a friendly older family from Hamburg. And the countryside was beautiful to watch. Still, I'd totally try a sleeper car from Brussels or Amsterdam to Berlin. I've always thought it was a time and money saver to sleep and travel at the same time, sparing you the expense of a hotel for the night and also the tedium and stress of travel by sleeping thru most of it and arriving refreshed. It puts the night to work.
Cool, I have traveled with Eurostar quiet a few times and I enjoyed. European rail network is wonderful, I have used it many times, in different countries and enjoyed it very much, I recomend it to everyone, however, I think London to Berlin is a bit too far for a train ride unless you are just enjoing yourself and having fun and have plenty time. I could do it for fun and for the experience but not as a method. Thanks for the video.
Indeed. I've also travelled on rail passages between countries in Europe, and it's a bit of a long ride, but it's not a bad experience. My friend told me that there are still discounts on train tickets.
How can we put pressure on European Sleeper to add a car transport option. There used to be many motor-rail services in Europe, most gone now, but with the price of fuel and the eco-friendly electric trains I am sure this would catch on - certainly in the main holiday seasons.
Just a quick note on Stratford, I have no idea why they decide to retain an inaccurate name for that station (although same could be said for Ashford and Ebbsfleet now). Why nobody changed it in 2013 to 'Stratford High Speed' given its location on HS1 baffles me. To this day people must turn up aiming to travel abroad and quickly getting nowhere!
The original Eurostar had sleeper cars and was intended to run from Manchesrer to Paris. With the privatisation of BR the operator did not want to run such a service. The carriages were parked in an army base in Warwickshire before being sold and shipped to Canada.
I noticed eurostar and tgv fares here un france are high if your not leaving from paris or the end terminus, i live soth of lyon with a tgv station but the prices are so high for london,berlin amsterdam etc its easier and cheaper to fly as for sleeper trains one to paris makes a driver and engine change at the central station but we cant buy a ticket for it
u seemed suprised that u were on time, but when Berlin Hbf is the Terminus station the train better be on time. I worked there for a bit and i know that it can get hard to get in the station when a train is late. New Station and yet it needs more capacity
Tank you for the review. We were considering travelling by train from Berlin to London but the train is very basic and spending 15 hours in that environment holds no appeal.
Yes I'm aware - this recording was done just before the Vectrons took over, hence why I mentioned in the video "at the time of recording" as it was done in November 2023.
Sleeper cabin seemed quite claustrophobic and basic. In 2024 through western Europe? No restaurant ok, but surely a cafe bar at the very least. Informative vid since I'll be going to Berlin in due course but I think via cologne
The NightJet services seems to sell out instantly when I look to plan a trip on a specific date. Was your journey planned around the availability or the date you wished to travel on? Also, the cost of other options on this train would have been useful. Ta.
I was interested to hear how old that sleeper coach was. Here in Canada, we have a large fleet of trains that date back to 1955. They are well past their life expiry date and, although VIA Rail does do their best, Canada *really* needs to invest in its rail services. VIA's maintenance crews are literally pulling rabbits out of their hats to keep the trains rolling, but a number of coaches have been withdrawn and we're at the point where if the government doesn't do something NOW, the world-famous Canadian will soon have to be discontinued because the coaches just can't handle the work.
@twinsonic Agreed, but VIA has been underfunded for decades by all governments--with the exception of David Collenette's little spending spree. And now the P 42's and Renaissance cars are due to be replaced--not that that will happen anytime soon...
@@twinsonic I mean, Canadians are willing to lectured on racism by the G7/8/whatever's only blackface minstrel, when he isn't dressing up as a stereotypical cartoon Indian (while calling everyone else racist obv) doesn't say a lot good about Canadians...
Stainless steel passenger rail cars actually do not have an expiration date. Exteriors almost last forever. Moving parts and interiors need refurbishment every decade or so. Better more often, of course. Very economica passenger carl purchase, though expensive short term.
A night train between London - Paris - Amsterdam - Berlin would be a true wonder and necessity, although I don't understand why the modern Orient Express cannot cross the pond through the English Channel Tunnel
Would probably be owing to ETCS signalling and clearance being required given the stringent requirements to run through the tunnel - hence why Eurostar has faced no competition since it was founded. DB came close until numerous issues pulled the plug sadly
Leaving aside all the other technical and regulatory requirements for the railways, the main reason for this is that for many destinations on the continent it does not make sense to build and maintain the necessary border control facilities. So if you'd have to get off the train in Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam anyway for security and border control reasons, it just makes more sense to have these dedicated services from those cities and have everyone else change there. This is also a major reason why, for example, a direct ICE service by Deutsche Bahn from Frankfurt and Cologne to London has not yet become a reality, despite being discussed for over a decade.
@@OMtheRailsoh, didn't see your answer before posting mine, but as I just did the google search for it, apparently DB and Renfe are interested again, after Getlink announced in january this year that they want to allow other companies to access the tunnel within five years.
@@patrickhanftMore than that I speculate that it is the lack of direct benefit for DB since the major infrastructure (ie the tunnel) is mostly French and Germans have no share into its business. A Frankfurt London rail destination could benefit at least 20M German people and a Cologne London rail destination I guess at least 50M German people since the Cologne rail "hub" is the German rail entry gate to Belgium... so those are quite sufficient numbers if you compare with Brussels and Amsterdam. Cologne is almost as distant from London as Paris is... the Cologne-Bruxelles service could be reduced from 1h50 to 1h20 if the line was upgraded, making the Cologne-London direct service within 3 hour.... But surely Germans see it more profitable if they maintain the air travel to London via the existing rail-well-connected German airports (where regulatory passenger checks are performed) Maybe if from the start of its construction the tunnel had been a true European project with Germans having an equal share as the French then they would be more interested in using that expensive facility... In a sense the Channel tunnel can be considered as an (anglo-)French rail hub... No nation likes financing other nations' hubs...
Done it several times via Koln and I love travelling by train, but it Costs as much to get from my home station to London as it does to fly from Manchester to Berlin unfortunately. If governments want us to cut emissions then they must do something about rail prices. The best unfulfilled idea was the “Night Stock” which was never even given a fair trial. UK rail is still making a big error in not connecting HS2 to HS1. At lest we might have then had Birmingham to Berlin without a walk down the Euston road in the rain !
Have you done the Rome Express overnight sleeper from Calais? Or does it even exist anymore? I did it twice in the 70's - quite some journey. Great video by the way.
The Dutch trains and companies are amazing but as you no doubt have noticed during your travels with them so far... avoid the toilets at all cost.. regardless of what Dutch service you travel on. And this has been the casee as long as I have been traveling by train in the early 70's.
I did london to munich by train I went eurostar to Paris then Paris to munich on a double deck tgv. All in first class, I was amazed how smooth the tgv was at 184 kmh, didn't feel a bump at all. One of the best train journeys i have ever done 😂
@@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm Oh it's great seeing the US, but the ride is so slow. We have the technology to make it so much faster, but here in the US, trains are an after thought.
@@edwardcricchio6106 Younger generations in the USA look at trains as being old technology. Trains are an old concept but modernized, they can provide a very useful service. Alas, the youth decide on something and are never willing to revisit any concepts upon which they have already decided, perhaps wrongly, are not useful today. Never let the facts change your settled opinion. It is an admission of initial stupidity. No one likes to do that.
@@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm The automobile then air travel were huge factors in the death of the train. Once the US built the inter-state highways it was obvious the train was not a priority. When the government deregulated the airlines and prices dropped to be afforded by the masses, it was over for the railways. Like anything in the US, the the government gets involved, you know things are only going to get worse--Amtrak.
ever since, has been a staunch fan of this railroad video channel of very high order with crisp videos and detailed description. rail journeys tower above all other travel options, especially in eu, uk, au and north america. that privilege of experiencing premier train travel without leaving home, is brought, by this channel like no other. compulsive viewing, indeed.
Yessss! Tourists can also buy it for saving🥺 and I also know a cheaper channel😎
"There's no doubt this operator is Dutch" made me chuckle
Especially since I'm pretty sure this is an unaltered Deutsche Bahn car.
Interesting/informative. Entertaining.
Glad that the UK trains are much better 😂
Early arrival, no coffee, huge price. You might as well take a bike.
Tallyho! Dear boy. Germany, is a great place to visit. This train journey, must be grand.
I've taken a train from London to Berlin twice, taking a 0815-ish Eurostar to Brussels, then ICE to Cologne and change for another ICE to Berlin, arriving about 1815 local time. So only 9 hours travelling and early enough in Berlin to check into your hotel and get a nice meal.
I've done it, it was fun, but there's sod all to look at really. The people I met doing the same route made up for the underwhelming scenery however.
Yes, train is convenient in trip☺️ Hope the rail tickets bought in a cheap price can use🥺
I was expecting this high-speed train to use the route Brussels-Aachen-Koln-Berlin, so was surprised when the train left Brussels headed for the Netherlands! I guess there are now different high-speed route choices than there were a few years ago?
@@tytn9978 Did you get the overnight train? That goes via the Netherlands. Otherwise you should just get the Köln direct from Brussels and change for a Berlin train there.
@@tytn9978That’s the route that D Bahn app suggests to London . It’s only 10 hours and you are in London early enough for a hotel for the night. I guess if you want to see the Dutch canals then the 18 hour route is ok.
When we went to Berlin, we went by daytime train, changing at Brussels and Cologne. I have to admit, I've been rather put off sleeper trains by our experience last summer, when we took a sleeper from Hamburg to Stockholm that ran 7 hours late!
Ha that sleeper from Hamburg to Stockholm has some issues. Was it the one run by SJ? We also took that last year and while the delay was only about an hour, we were surprised to find out our sleeper car just wasn't there. It wasn't part of the train. The staff seemed fairly clueless, but did manage to put us into an empty couchette compartment that we had to ourselves. The same thing happened on the return journey too.
Wow that is strange and goofy
Did this same route in the summer in a 6 berth couchette with my whole family. It was great fun and one of the coolest experiences of my life although obviously there was no air con and with it being August we did nearly boil alive. 😂
They weren’t branding the water bottles then, things have obviously got fancy since 😂
I did this trip in reverse last year, but actually starting from Hamburg!
It was quite stressful, there was a signaling failure on the route form hamburg to berlin so my ICE hat to crawl along at 25 km/h until reaching the next section where things worked again, made me almost miss the sleeper and I had to hurry up the escalatros from the lower platforms to the upper ones.
Then misfortune continued, I had been notified in advance that I was downgraded as their coaches needed repairs, so I got a couchette instead of the sleeper cabin. There was some cold airflow going through my compartment and I had to pull the blanket over my head to not feel it.
Then in the middle of the night, the heating system failed. It was late october and outside temperatures were near freezing, it got really cold inside and I was sitting there, fully clothed, jacket on and wrapped in the blanked and it was still cold.
But wait, there's more! In Rotterdam, some blind passenger hopped onto the train and got into an argument with the people 2 compartments over, I couldn't quite make out what the argument was about but him being onboard illegaly surely was part of it. The train had to make an unscheduled stop in Dordrecht so police could arrest him, which meant delays and em staying in the cold for longer.
I was so happy to be on the warm and comfy Eurostar afterwards...
Yikes. That sounds horrible. These videos always make sleeper trains sound like the best thing ever, but I feel like they must be leaving out some of the down sides.
My experience was as near ghastly as yours @Dr Nagi! I, too, got a dirty, tired, couchette instead of a sleeper cabin on the outward trip - and on the way back, there was no hot water. The lavatory was disgusting. European Sleeper cannot make these primitive, ancient, carriages suitable for today’s traveller - they are way, way past their sell by date.
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Let’s face it the only people who would make/pay for that journey are those who love trains or those who hate/fear flying. The cost and time taken rules it out as an even 3rd or 4th option the plane and hotel being the first.
I have travelled all over Europe by train albeit a good few years ago and enjoyed the journey plus it was a lot cheaper than flying… now it’s the reverse
The last time I arrived into Berlin by train was as a soldier posted to Berlin from Bielefeld on the famous military train which ran from the then West Germany through East Germany into West Berlin during the Cold War… now that was an interesting train trip lol
I agree with you about the pricing, particularly considering the disgusting bathroom in mediocre food.
Fantastic Review, very well Narrated and Explained, very Professional over all. I liked the background Music 👍 Those 2 trains look very reliable and comfy. I just Had to Subscribe. 👌
What a great video I really enjoyed . Keep up the good work 👍.
Nice that long distance travel by train is beginning to be more popular. In the '70th we went on holiday with a sleeper & car train from Den Bosch (NL) to St. Raphael in France. Dinner on board. For a young kid, interested in trains, the ultimate way to travel!🤗🤗🤗
Having just returned from travelling on numerous Shinkansen in Japan, its interesting to hear the amount of background noise in the carriage. The shinkansen specifically ask if you want to talk or take a call to move to the area between carriages. So peaceful
Japan is like being on another planet though
Beautiful well-made video, plenty of useful information, thanks so much.
24:00 amazingly for Germany currently 90% of our trains are on time and its getting better everyday! great video, thanks
And now we in Austria have a big issue. Our trains are often canceled, so they are no delays...
@@Kaiserschmarren they are just not affordable. In England a train ticket is even more expensive, costs as much as a flight across the pond
I mean if you ignore long distance trains and the recent strikes it’s pretty decent in Germany.
@@mawo-z6rah yes, and here is another example again: A good example of a German whiner complaining about their national train operator. Whining has become number one hobby of the Germans these days (disclaimer, I’m German myself and I’m soooooosick and tired of this attitude).
@@marcd6897 I’m not German, but have had the displeasure of being shafted by DB long distance trains multiple times.
My first mainland Europe trip in 2016 was to Berlin by train, although not all in one go. Had a couple of days in Brussels and Cologne to break up the journey.
Berlin is amazing hope you had fun
One of your best videos
A friend of mine did the sleeper trip from Umeå in Northern Sweden with the Arctic sleeper train to Stockholm, changed sleeper train there and then to Berlin. Can also do this trip from Narvik in Norway.
Travelled London to Oostende, Aachen , shunted onto the Paris Moscow express. Through the wall at Helmsted,into Berlin Central, though the wall again, West Berlin bright and alive East Berlin the opposite. Frankfurt oder. Then on Warszawa. 20 coaches in all, of rolling stock of 5 countries. Never forget it, made friends and seen each country and there people. Amazing. Age with held.😊 but you can guess.
I should add to my previous comment - excellent video, thanks very much.
Love the champagne bar in St Pancras!!! I took the same train couple of weeks ago 9142 Easy Travel!!!
Very interesting
Thank you
🇬🇧🇫🇷🇧🇪🇳🇱🇩🇪🇪🇺
Exciting also you mentioned the freight trains which are also vital to trading.
Sad that Brexit has lead to cuts of Eurostar services.
I want to travel on the Eurostar Myself.
Super video, thanks! We shall certainly consider this but in the opposite direction, I hope it stops at Spandau, Berlin Hbh is a pain!
What a lovely video i hope too travel on a train like this soon
Great video. In the autumn, i will travel on the eurostar from London to Brussels with my dad who is a pensioner. We will go to Berlin after spending a few nights in Brussels. I asked him if he wanted to do the sleeper from Brussels to Berlin, he is not up for it - so it will be two ICE trains from Brussels to the German Capital with a change at Cologne. I would have liked to have done the Nightjet as well. I enjoy your videos - and look forward to more.
nice video and lovely shots; i like the video of the full train with the berlin tv tower in the background 😂
wow didnt know they have this! thnx for uploading
Brilliant video as always
Trains are great, but it's much more fun to drive!
Your commentators are right. There are big reservations on this project.
You should be able to get to Berlin the same day.
The intransigence of the major shareholders SNCF, causing problems for DB to run a direct service, has just been messing about and restricting the potential of the Tunnel.
At present, it's 6 hours from Brussels to Berlin and that includes a half hour wait at Köln (which could be eliminated).
This gives you an insight into European red tape.
I experience it all the time even on my telephone, so much so I'm installing an non-European VPN.
OBB seem like a clear choice in terms of night trains.
Interesting, well filmed with good sound. Highly watchable.
Well done ,and a very comfortable trip !
Lovely video very informative thank you. Cant beat train travel.
When I visit Europe, Great information. Thanks
We have been to Brussels/Bruges on holiday precovid but not since as the Eurostar no longer stops at Ebbsfleet International which is our local station. Now we would have to catch the hispeed to St Pancras and then get onto the Eurostar there to travel back past the Ebbsfleet station. We are still hoping it will reopen.
Same here!
Excellent video.
We're booked in on this train in June but we're going all the way to Prague!
13:01 out of STP and the same 19:22 you took to Berlin and onwards.
How was the transition in Brussels? My adult ed German teacher said he found it confusing.
It's great to see. I would like to add that there are extra discounts on train tickets recently, friends who are interested can pay attention to it.
The cost of home to london by train is more than a return flight from nearby airport to berlin, and a return coach to London isnt much less than a flight all the way. Let alone the flight even with generous allowance at airport and travel is about 7hours max. So i can leave at a similar time get a flight and then stay in a bed in berlin and be completely rested for a day in berlin and even including mid price hotel would be a lot less
Unless, of course, you count the train journey as a part of the adventure!
@@LosPeregrinos51 I count flying definitely part of the adventure. Much safer too.
Great video
I would definitely try this. Per usual when I take extended distance - tandem trains (ala London - Paris - Munich) I do the opposite of you and book many hours in between so I can have a nice walk around the city before departing on the 2nd train. It breaks the train trip up. The only time I didn't do this if the scheduling doesn't allow it such when I did Barcelona - Paris - London.
Brilliant video. Would love to try a sleeper train.
Really good review of this combined service, thanks!
Nice video. I mean to try European sleeper once but it has to compete with the combination of a Ryanair flight to Berlin and a night in a hotel. A single occupancy compartment costs 319 EUR in a month from now. You could get one night in an IBIS and Ryanair for much less than that. Ryanair are also very reliable.
Hello Sir! Very informative video. Thanks for your service. I was wondering if there’s a way topen the window in the couchette car or the sleeper wagon? Thanks again and greetings from Berlin ❤
I make the first leg of this trip about 5 times a year for family, and lord almighty I'll take the eurostar every single time over travelling by air. I've had nothing but problems with BA and Brussels Airlines with hour plus delays. I'll happily sit on a train in a comfortable seat for 2 hours if it means not having to sit in an airport terminal.
Another great video with excellent commentary. I was your age in 1998 when I bought a 10 day Eurail pass for Germany. I took the Eurostar to Brussels from Waterloo, journey time back then was 3hrs 15 mins (no HS1 and no Belgian high speed line) before taking the sleeper to Berlin in a couchette. Amazing.
My son used the same services as yourself last month, he said he would do it again but not in a six-berth couchette next time! I am interested in the Schipol Airport stop, a flight from there would save both Eurostar and ex-London trains and would probably be cheaper. Thanks for the vid!
Took the sleeper recently both ways. The toilet was unusable and overflowing and no water in the cabin on the either journey. We had to use the next carriage toilet and wash room. The return journey was 1 and a half hours late arriving in Brussels, thus missing our Eurostar connection, . That was no problem, they just transferred us to the next one. It really needs an upgrade and I hope it will be successful. I would still do it again.
Hi i do like using eurostar from London as i live in Berlin just booked it for 58 EUROS .one way which i find ok . But going through Amsterdam to London St Pancress than Amsrerdamm Berlin only takes me 10 hours i total with break in Amsterdam . I find it more fun thsn through Brussels. Ciao
Loved your video, august 2023 i went from London to Warsaw By train and it was amazing which you should try, London-Amsterdam-Frankfurt-Berlin-Warsaw!
Quite enjoyable thanks for posting. It must be over 40 years since I took a train from Christchurch (Dorset) to Prague. None of your highspeed sleeper trains then. Unfortunately my memories of the journey are fading with just vague recollections of the efficiency of the trains.
That snack breakfast is more than I have at home!😂
Not only due to the lower speed conventional lines... The Traxx loco that European Sleeper used on this service appears to be the cargo variant of the Traxx Multivoltage... evident by the [140] on the UIC number... so the loco reaching ~133 km/h is not a flaw in the system...
But in Belgium and the Netherlands speed at conventional lines is max 140 km/h. Has nothing to do with the locomotive. 🥴
@@jeroen2535 in Germany they could run 160+ kph if it was a Multivoltage P160 Traxx or a Vectron MS. Which are both fit to run 160
If they run 140 kph trains they obviously pick up delays by basically being less prioritized in track usage…
I have not yet traveled by train outside of South Africa. However, it seems as if the world has an obsession with speed and business. But even a 2 hour flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg includes a decent meal .
European Sleeper is actually a Belgian-Dutch cooperation
Very informative and great information.
I was a bit surprised. I thought the Amsterdam - Berlin route was only provided by the IC train to Amsterdam-Berlin. I was not aware that this opportunity was there. I wonder, are there more stops in the Netherlands before reaching Bad Bentheim?
Definitely a train fan, and would certainly try this sleep to add to the journeys I’ve tried. I would however say, that the train website can be improved with more indication as to availability of each category. You have to click date and thenSeats, Couchettes or Sleepers to determine availability. If was you are searching isn’t available then you have to go back several steps and carry out the process all over again. You really have to want to travel by train doing this back and forth with the website.
I notice straightaway that Eurostar still hasn't learned how to clean a train window. I cross three or four times a year and the grimy windows really irritate me. I know it's only a detail, but you'd imagine that the PR department would have flagged this up to management by now. It could be fixed even if it meant a permanent team of people on the platform of St. Pancras or Gare du Nord giving a quick squeegee to the windows before boarding starts.
Sleeper trains are perfect if you have plenty of time, no hard travel deadlines, and are ok with various adventures you may encouter on your way (my last one was that all toilets on the train were out of use, bar one..)
They make sense to run overnight to maximise time. It’s a shame there’s no cross channel sleeper train.
That must have been tough!
Really food could at least be good as Pret or Marks and Spencer. I cleaned a reasonable pressure shower even timed to 3mins would win me over. Nice to split it up with stays allong route
I traveled on Eurostar in Summer 2018 from London to Lille, and for me at that time, I found the Business Premium ticket worth the additional cost. I bought my ticket months in advance, as soon as I was able. Of course, I'm sure the ticket price has increased since my trip in 2018. I don't fly, so taking Eurostar and follow-on trains to Berlin would be my preferred mode of travel.
I was excited about the whole idea, until ... the 'loo'! After that my enthusiasm went out the window. Such a shame. I was hoping that the sleeper cabin would have private facilities. Ah well! C'est la vie! 🙋♀️🤗
Looks great, but with prices like that, I might as well use an Interrail Global pass and then book reservations on those two trains, then I'd also be able to use the pass to get to London from my local station in Blackburn, as well as use the trains around Berlin with no extra cost.
While St. Pancras is an epic station, I think Antwerp Central is certainly in the same league.
St. Pancras might be the grandest station in Europe, but Antwerp is the grandest station in the EU!
I took the Eurostar from London to Amsterdam back in 2018, stayed there a few days and then took a direct train to Berlin. London to Amsterdam was great. I was visiting London from the US, staying with a friend who lives 2 tube stops away from King's Cross. He was leaving town the same day at almost the same time on another train, so we left together in the late afternoon and arrived 15 minutes later. Try that with a London airport.
The trip to Amsterdam takes I think around 4 1/2 hours - quite a lot of the track after Brussels wasn't high speed, at least at the time. This sounds bad, but really it wasn't. Getting to the airport and then getting thru the airport to the gate in London takes at least an hour and a half in my experience, if you want to leave sufficient time for clearing security lines. Then there's customs and the trip from the airport into town on the other end. I'm sure I could have gotten to Amsterdam faster by plane if everything had gone right and there had been no delays, but probably only 90 minutes to an hour or so faster, and with a lot more stress and rushing about.
But here's the deal - I'd have also needed to stop at some point for dinner, either paying outrageous airport prices for food after clearing security (assuming there was still adequate time to eat) or dining late in Amsterdam. On the Eurostar, they served us a fantastic meal I could eat at my leisure, so of that 4 1/2 hour trip, I consider an hour of it "dinnertime", time I would have spent anyhow even if I'd flown.
If I were leaving early in the day on a business trip or something I'd still consider flying to Amsterdam, but for leisure travel later in the day, if I'm staying or living in central London and the train includes dinner, I'd rather just take the train and not deal with the hassle. You're saving yourself a lot of hassle and worry and city travel and not really consuming much more actual time, since you'd have to find a restaurant and grab dinner once you arrived, anyhow.
The trip from Amsterdam to Berlin wasn't as much fun. The air conditioning on the German train was malfunctioning - a common occurrence (unlike the Americans, Japanese and Koreans - and even the French - air conditioning seems to be a technology which vexes the Germans) - and we were held up for almost an hour once crossing the border as they swapped out an engine or something attempting to fix it. I think it ultimately took like 6-7 hours to get to Berlin. The train was crowded and somewhat uncomfortable, although my cabin mates were a friendly older family from Hamburg. And the countryside was beautiful to watch. Still, I'd totally try a sleeper car from Brussels or Amsterdam to Berlin. I've always thought it was a time and money saver to sleep and travel at the same time, sparing you the expense of a hotel for the night and also the tedium and stress of travel by sleeping thru most of it and arriving refreshed. It puts the night to work.
Cool, I have traveled with Eurostar quiet a few times and I enjoyed. European rail network is wonderful, I have used it many times, in different countries and enjoyed it very much, I recomend it to everyone, however, I think London to Berlin is a bit too far for a train ride unless you are just enjoing yourself and having fun and have plenty time. I could do it for fun and for the experience but not as a method. Thanks for the video.
Indeed. I've also travelled on rail passages between countries in Europe, and it's a bit of a long ride, but it's not a bad experience. My friend told me that there are still discounts on train tickets.
How can we put pressure on European Sleeper to add a car transport option. There used to be many motor-rail services in Europe, most gone now, but with the price of fuel and the eco-friendly electric trains I am sure this would catch on - certainly in the main holiday seasons.
Just a quick note on Stratford, I have no idea why they decide to retain an inaccurate name for that station (although same could be said for Ashford and Ebbsfleet now). Why nobody changed it in 2013 to 'Stratford High Speed' given its location on HS1 baffles me. To this day people must turn up aiming to travel abroad and quickly getting nowhere!
The original Eurostar had sleeper cars and was intended to run from Manchesrer to Paris. With the privatisation of BR the operator did not want to run such a service. The carriages were parked in an army base in Warwickshire before being sold and shipped to Canada.
I noticed eurostar and tgv fares here un france are high if your not leaving from paris or the end terminus, i live soth of lyon with a tgv station but the prices are so high for london,berlin amsterdam etc its easier and cheaper to fly as for sleeper trains one to paris makes a driver and engine change at the central station but we cant buy a ticket for it
u seemed suprised that u were on time, but when Berlin Hbf is the Terminus station the train better be on time. I worked there for a bit and i know that it can get hard to get in the station when a train is late. New Station and yet it needs more capacity
I wish European Sleeper were to travel to the UK 🤞😊
Maybe hauled by Class 92s?
The new Eurostar logo is ok but it needs something. I liked the older logo but if they made the new logo bolder, it would be good. Cool vid!
Its ridiculous that Eurostop haven't resumed service at Ebbsfleet. So much more convenient (and cheaper) than schlepping into London.
Scandalous how many Million of pounds have been wasted at UK stations.
Doing the couchette option end of May to Dresden
£271 one-way? Insane. If it were £71 I would do it.
Ryanair, £50 return, 90 minutes flight time 😂
@@chairmakerPete+50£ fine for your overweight cabin luggage 🤡
@ChristopherDoron even if true, the passenger is up £171 and tens of hours.
@@chairmakerPete i know ;)
@@chairmakerPete I know, I‘d rather fly as well ;)
Tank you for the review. We were considering travelling by train from Berlin to London but the train is very basic and spending 15 hours in that environment holds no appeal.
NS is not doing a locomotive change at Bad Bentheim anymore either. New NS Vectron locos have taken over from the venerable 1700 class 3 months ago.
Yes I'm aware - this recording was done just before the Vectrons took over, hence why I mentioned in the video "at the time of recording" as it was done in November 2023.
@@OMtheRails cool, no worries.
Sleeper cabin seemed quite claustrophobic and basic. In 2024 through western Europe? No restaurant ok, but surely a cafe bar at the very least. Informative vid since I'll be going to Berlin in due course but I think via cologne
The NightJet services seems to sell out instantly when I look to plan a trip on a specific date. Was your journey planned around the availability or the date you wished to travel on? Also, the cost of other options on this train would have been useful. Ta.
I was interested to hear how old that sleeper coach was. Here in Canada, we have a large fleet of trains that date back to 1955. They are well past their life expiry date and, although VIA Rail does do their best, Canada *really* needs to invest in its rail services. VIA's maintenance crews are literally pulling rabbits out of their hats to keep the trains rolling, but a number of coaches have been withdrawn and we're at the point where if the government doesn't do something NOW, the world-famous Canadian will soon have to be discontinued because the coaches just can't handle the work.
You are spot on. Justin Trudope rather hikes the carbon tax than doing anything else
@twinsonic Agreed, but VIA has been underfunded for decades by all governments--with the exception of David Collenette's little spending spree. And now the P 42's and Renaissance cars are due to be replaced--not that that will happen anytime soon...
@@twinsonic I mean, Canadians are willing to lectured on racism by the G7/8/whatever's only blackface minstrel, when he isn't dressing up as a stereotypical cartoon Indian (while calling everyone else racist obv) doesn't say a lot good about Canadians...
Stainless steel passenger rail cars actually do not have an expiration date. Exteriors almost last forever. Moving parts and interiors need refurbishment every decade or so. Better more often, of course. Very economica passenger carl purchase, though expensive short term.
Now I'm sad you don't see an aquarium while in the channel tunnel 😢😂😂
A night train between London - Paris - Amsterdam - Berlin would be a true wonder and necessity, although I don't understand why the modern Orient Express cannot cross the pond through the English Channel Tunnel
Would probably be owing to ETCS signalling and clearance being required given the stringent requirements to run through the tunnel - hence why Eurostar has faced no competition since it was founded. DB came close until numerous issues pulled the plug sadly
Leaving aside all the other technical and regulatory requirements for the railways, the main reason for this is that for many destinations on the continent it does not make sense to build and maintain the necessary border control facilities. So if you'd have to get off the train in Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam anyway for security and border control reasons, it just makes more sense to have these dedicated services from those cities and have everyone else change there. This is also a major reason why, for example, a direct ICE service by Deutsche Bahn from Frankfurt and Cologne to London has not yet become a reality, despite being discussed for over a decade.
@@OMtheRailsoh, didn't see your answer before posting mine, but as I just did the google search for it, apparently DB and Renfe are interested again, after Getlink announced in january this year that they want to allow other companies to access the tunnel within five years.
why would Englanders want to travel to Europe? Brexit was about they didn't want any relationship with us but with the US and England's colonies
@@patrickhanftMore than that I speculate that it is the lack of direct benefit for DB since the major infrastructure (ie the tunnel) is mostly French and Germans have no share into its business. A Frankfurt London rail destination could benefit at least 20M German people and a Cologne London rail destination I guess at least 50M German people since the Cologne rail "hub" is the German rail entry gate to Belgium... so those are quite sufficient numbers if you compare with Brussels and Amsterdam.
Cologne is almost as distant from London as Paris is... the Cologne-Bruxelles service could be reduced from 1h50 to 1h20 if the line was upgraded, making the Cologne-London direct service within 3 hour....
But surely Germans see it more profitable if they maintain the air travel to London via the existing rail-well-connected German airports (where regulatory passenger checks are performed)
Maybe if from the start of its construction the tunnel had been a true European project with Germans having an equal share as the French then they would be more interested in using that expensive facility...
In a sense the Channel tunnel can be considered as an (anglo-)French rail hub...
No nation likes financing other nations' hubs...
Arriving at CDG at 8:15 am. Would a 3-4pm Eurostar give us enough time to get thru customs, get to Gare du Nord to get to London?
Done it several times via Koln and I love travelling by train, but it Costs as much to get from my home station to London as it does to fly from Manchester to Berlin unfortunately. If governments want us to cut emissions then they must do something about rail prices. The best unfulfilled idea was the “Night Stock” which was never even given a fair trial. UK rail is still making a big error in not connecting HS2 to HS1. At lest we might have then had Birmingham to Berlin without a walk down the Euston road in the rain !
Wonder how much this cost ? Thanks for sharing it looks amazing something love to do
Have you done the Rome Express overnight sleeper from Calais? Or does it even exist anymore? I did it twice in the 70's - quite some journey. Great video by the way.
Long gone-I did one to Italy from Paris once-that’s been revived too now.
The Dutch trains and companies are amazing but as you no doubt have noticed during your travels with them so far... avoid the toilets at all cost.. regardless of what Dutch service you travel on. And this has been the casee as long as I have been traveling by train in the early 70's.
6.30am is way too early to arrive in Berlin
imagine a direct high speed train from London to Berlin or any other major European city
I did london to munich by train I went eurostar to Paris then Paris to munich on a double deck tgv. All in first class, I was amazed how smooth the tgv was at 184 kmh, didn't feel a bump at all. One of the best train journeys i have ever done 😂
American Express Platinum card holders get access to the Eurostar lounges on any ticket
US Amtrak system--New York City to Miami, Florida. About 1800 miles, time of train ride, 24 hours. Lovely, huh.
Guess you did not enjoy the ride or sights along the way. Sorry, no refunds.
@@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm Oh it's great seeing the US, but the ride is so slow. We have the technology to make it so much faster, but here in the US, trains are an after thought.
@@edwardcricchio6106 Younger generations in the USA look at trains as being old technology. Trains are an old concept but modernized, they can provide a very useful service. Alas, the youth decide on something and are never willing to revisit any concepts upon which they have already decided, perhaps wrongly, are not useful today. Never let the facts change your settled opinion. It is an admission of initial stupidity. No one likes to do that.
@@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm The automobile then air travel were huge factors in the death of the train. Once the US built the inter-state highways it was obvious the train was not a priority. When the government deregulated the airlines and prices dropped to be afforded by the masses, it was over for the railways. Like anything in the US, the the government gets involved, you know things are only going to get worse--Amtrak.
@@edwardcricchio6106 Sad, but true. Thanks for your comments.
I’ll fly
If the two European company’s want to use St Pancras for end to end trips through Europe then it would need to be expanded as it’s crowded already.