A new low(ish) cost train service offers the opportunity, with a change at Brussels for an overnight train trip between London and Berlin.

The new service, set up by a couple of entrepreneurs, Elmer van Buuren of Train2EU and Chris Engelsman of Noord West Express, has been in planning for several years, with an initial fundraising effort in 2021 and since then they’ve been raising the rest of the money and looking for the sleeping cars for the train service.

The new Belgian-Dutch company will start offering overnight sleeper trains between Brussels and Berlin from 25th May, with plans to expand to Dresden and Prague at the end of next year.

What’s tantalising is that the predicted times for the service means that it would be possible to catch a Eurostar from London to Brussels, for example, leaving London on Friday at 3pm, arriving in Brussels for 6pm. Time to stretch legs and then catch the overnight to Berlin at 7:22pm.

The train arrives in Berlin just before 7am on Saturday morning.

Although the journey time is longer than flying, as you’re asleep for most of it, that’s not really an issue, and of course, it’s a lot greener than flying.

Returns from Berlin depart just before 11pm on Sunday, arriving in Brussels for 9:30am, and if you’re quick swapping between trains, you can be back in London by 10:45am.

Ideal for a long weekend.

Prices for the Brussels-Berlin leg start from €49 for a seat in a 6-person compartment, from €79 for a couchette bed in a 6-person compartment, and from €109 for a bed. Those are one-way prices.

Eurostar isn’t showing prices for May yet, but sample prices in April for a Friday out, Monday return at the above times are currently just £78 (£39 each way).

So from about £160 return from London to Berlin, which is cheaper than British Airways and comparable to Ryanair at the moment.

Ticket sales will start on 20th February 2023 from here. Remember you need to add a separate Eurostar ticket to get to Brussels.