The new European train that will take you to Spain without needing to fly
A NEW train service will link Barcelona directly to another major European city.
The route will make it easier to access the Catalan capital for those who aren’t keen on flying.
The service will run overnight and be operated by Dutch-Belgian startup European Sleeper, who will start the trip in Amsterdam.
The company have said that the route will stop at Rotterdam, Antwerp, Brussels and Lille in the evening and Avignon, Montpellier, Perpignan, Figueras and Girona in the morning en route to its destination.
There are as of yet no concrete details about how long it will take to make the full journey, other than the fact it will run overnight.
The company said in a statement: “The Amsterdam-Barcelona night train will strongly improve Europe’s quality of north-south rail connections.
“Even more so because one travels efficiently while asleep on the night train, and distances are reduced to just a night away.”
The train will make it easier to reach Spain without flying, with the Dutch capital accessible by train from London, with a changeover in France, or from Newcastle by ferry.
While there are currently plenty of sleeper train options running through Europe at the moment, European Sleeper say they are looking to improve what’s on offer.
They continued: “A crucial element of the pilot project is the deployment of refurbished night train carriages with more comfort, a modern feel, and more privacy options.
“European Sleeper aims to start the new night train between Amsterdam and Barcelona in the spring of 2025.”
The route won’t be European Sleeper’s first night train, with a route between Berlin and Brussels, set to launch on May 25 this year.
There are already plans to extend the service to Dresden and Prague in 2024.
Because the train will depart from Brussels it will give Brits the option of reaching the German capital by train in just one day.
The new route will see passengers board the service in Brussels before travelling onto Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
Passengers will then arrive in Berlin in the morning where they’ll be ready and rested to explore the city.
Brits looking to take the Berlin-bound sleeper train will be able to board a connecting train at London St Pancras International.
According to Time Out, Brits can board the 15:04 train from the London station and arrive in Brussels in time to change onto the sleeper service.
Three trains will run between Brussels and Berlin each week with tickets starting at €49 (£43) per person for a one-way journey.
Meanwhile, Brits can reach France, which has been dubbed the world’s most popular holiday destination on the train thank to direct Eurostar services between London and Paris.
We’ve rounded up the best UK railway journeys where Brit holidaymakers can enjoy beautiful scenery without dusting off their passports.