Want to travel to Italy but hate the hassle of flying?
A new sleeper train linking Paris with Milan and Venice could be the answer, whisking you away to these popular Italian cities without baggage restrictions, queues and cramped aeroplane seats.
French rail company Midnight Trains has plans to launch an overnight route from the French capital.
Travellers catching the Eurostar from London will be able to link up with the service to take them all the way to Italy.
Another new long-distance rail service between Paris and Berlin will also launch in 2024, connecting Germany to Italy via this route.
And Midnight Trains has plans to launch its own services from Paris to Copenhagen, Berlin and Edinburgh in the future too. A specific date for this connection hasn’t been announced.
The company says it hopes to add one new service a year from its hub in the French capital with a fully operational network by 2030.
The route from Paris to Milan and Venice is due to start running in 2025. It could make international rail travel to popular cities across Europe much easier and smoother.
Travellers are becoming more aware of the environmental impact of flying and France has just become the first country to ban domestic flights where there is a rail alternative.
This shift in attitudes has led to a boom in international train travel with rail routes opening up across Europe.
And sleeper services offer the perfect opportunity to leave in the evening and wake up at your destination.
But modern services are nothing like the sometimes questionable offerings of the past.
Midnight Trains says its electric trains are like a “hotel on rails” with a focus on privacy, real beds and good soundproofing. The accommodation will have private showers and passengers can choose from one, two and four-bed rooms.
They also have a proper bar with cocktails and restaurants onboard. Living up to the hotel on rails claim, you will even be able to get room service delivered directly to your cabin.
Midnight Trains is hoping to cover a range of different passenger needs and says it has designed its trains so there is accommodation that fits the price and comfort needs of everyone.