Night train from Berlin to Paris: last trip before the end in December!

Night train from Berlin to Paris: last trip before the end in December!

Everyone is talking about night trains in Europe, but not all connections are permanent. The popular route between Berlin and Paris, which has existed for two years, will be discontinued on December 14, 2025. Behind this is the cancellation of financial aid by the French Ministry of Transport, which amounts to around ten million euros per year. This decision, which was discussed on Deutschlandfunk on September 29, 2025, is part of larger austerity measures in the budget.

The operators of this connection, the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), must now draw the consequences. Although the night train ran three times a week and pleased many travelers, the financial conditions are now no longer sustainable. The similar connection between Vienna and Paris via Munich will also be discontinued, further reducing the number of night trains available in Europe.

Although night trains have made a comeback in recent years and are considered an environmentally friendly alternative for travelers, national differences in regulations and infrastructure represent a major hurdle. A study by PB CONSULT, which was carried out for the ADAC, mentions that many existing connections have already been expanded and new, additional routes have been set up. Nevertheless, providers and users face challenges that affect the attractiveness of this travel option.

The impact on travelers

What does this mean for travelers? The suspension of night trains could leave a big gap in travel options. Especially in times when sustainability and climate protection are very important, it is regrettable that such environmentally friendly options are no longer supported. Travelers who want to commute between European cities in a comfortable yet environmentally conscious way now face new challenges, as alternative connections are often neither as convenient nor as direct.

The travel markets in Germany and Europe are changing, and night trains are emerging as a beacon of hope in climate protection. The range of services has been expanding since 2021 and many new connections have been set up. Nevertheless, the loss of night trains between Berlin and Paris and Vienna and Paris is causing mixed feelings among travelers who are longing for environmentally friendly travel options.

The results of a study on night trains in Europe show that although there are theoretically many route options, the practical implementation is often slowed down by different prerequisites. Particular attention was paid to criteria such as the total duration of the connections, number of changes, waiting times and ticket prices, which are crucial for the choice of travel method. The extensive study is available online from ADAC and provides valuable information for travelers who want to know their options.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen what steps Deutsche Bahn and the French state railway will take to create alternatives and get night train connections back on track. It remains to be hoped that such environmentally friendly travel options do not completely disappear from the European travel image.

Deutschlandfunk reports that...
Tagesschau mentions that...
PB Consult has reported that…