Heading to Europe this summer and already scouring Skyscanner and Google Flights for 2-hour flights that will get you zig-zagging like crazy around the continent like a proper logistical nightmare?
You might want to hold off on booking until you read this.
Listen, we get it. If you’re going all the way to the Old World, you might as well tick off as many iconic sights as you (reasonably) can over your 7 to 10-day vacation.
We’ve all been there, and while we wouldn’t necessarily encourage you to dash through entire countries like you’re collecting Pokémon—or souvenir magnets—Europe is built around seamless cross-border travel.
This September, there’ll be a smarter way to do it, though.
A new sleeper train is launching, connecting 4 of the most beautiful cities you could visit, without the whole airport chaos and Ryanair’s ridiculously restrictive baggage rules:
Belgium To Germany To Switzerland To Italy
Starting September 9, 2026, there will be a new overnight sleeper by European Sleeper launching, hot on the wheels of their Brussels ↔ Prague and Paris ↔ Berlin.
Which 4 major cities will the new route service, you ask?
- Brussels, Belgium
- Cologne, Germany
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Milan, Italy
We believe it requires no introduction, but for the sake of tradition, Brussels is the capital city of Belgium.
It’s where you go for gorging on Belgian waffles and fries, admiring the ornate guildhalls in Grand-Place, and taking silly selfies by the Pissing Boy statue (or the even-quirkier, bordering-on-uncanny Pissing Girl companion).
Skip the Atomium. Major tourist trap, and not worth the half-day trip out of the city center.
Before you fly to Europe this summer to set out on your epic Euro train journey, you should know that travel rules have changed recently, and simply presenting a valid U.S. passport will no longer suffice.
Make sure you check the Entry Requirements that apply at your destination beforehand to avoid being denied boarding at the airport.
Back to the train route.
Cologne is Berlin 2.0. Lively bier gartens, artsy hoods, Rhine cruises, a reconstructed Historic Center that can’t exactly recreate the medieval flair of pre-WWII Germany, though it tries, and a soaring Gothic cathedral known to have survived a ton of Allied bombings.
It’s lowkey cool, and it’s one of those places that literally caters to every crowd. It’s no wonder it’s been breaking tourism records as of late.
Zurich, on the other hand, is a lot more chill.
Think cobbled streets lined with refurbished half-timbered dwellings, flag-draped thoroughfares made for heritage trams to rattle through, and a scenic lakeside promenade with church towers reflecting on the crystal-clear alpine water.
It may not be the capital of Switzerland, contrary to popular belief, but it surely packs quite the punch.
Zurich is also one of the safest cities to visit in Europe right now, with lower pickpocketing rates than average, and no major incidents reported by travelers in recent months:
Finally, Milan is the most loved or hated Italian city depending on who you ask.
Some love it for the high-maintenance, Paris-coded way of life and more cosmopolitan feel, compared to your average Italian city, others find it too pretentious, flashy, and anything but authentic.
Regardless on which side of the debate you stand, there’s no denying that Gothic fever-dream of a cathedral is a sight to behold.
Sod that, give us a full museum haul weekend, or then just a lazy morning sipping capuccino and sinking our teeths into those fluffy, generously-filled pistacchio croissants, and we’ll be there first thing.
By the way, in case you ever wonder what kinds of precautions you must take before flying abroad, the Travel Advisory Checker is your best pal at providing succint, unbiased, straightforward updates on all relevant regional alerts you need to stay on top of while traveling.
From Central Europe To The Alps
The train’s basically branded as a north–south ‘Alps crossing’ night train, letting passengers board in Belgium or Germany in the evening, and wake up in either Switzerland or Northern Italy the next morning.
Though originally planned to launch in June 2026, the new sleeper was delayed to the fall period due to major rail works in Germany taking place in summer, and issues in obtaining a Swiss certification of operationability.
European Sleeper’s drawing board plan was to have the train travel on the historic Venice-Simplon ‘Orient Express’ route.
We’re not sure why those didn’t come to fruition, but it has now been diverted to the Gotthard Pass, in the Swiss Alps.
We’re not exactly mad at it, mind. The new morningtime journey includes tunnel crossings, mountain valleys, and views of snow-capped peaks for days.
Frequency & Timetable
The train will run 3x per week, departing form Brussels on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturday evenings.
Exact timetables are yet to be divulged, but based on earlier estimates, the trains could leave Brussels at 5:56 PM.
Given the fact it takes roughly 2h to reach Cologne, with potential intermediate stops in Liège (Belgium) and Aachen (Germany), passengers boarding in Germany will get picked up at around 8:10 PM.
Arrival in Milan (Porta Garibaldi) is expected at 11:30 AM the following day.
The return route starting from Milan will run on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sunday nights, following a similar pattern. Overall, the total journey time is of around 17 hours, including stops.
Core route:
Brussels → Cologne → Zurich → Milan
Key intermediate stops:
- Liège, Belgium
- Aachen, Germany
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Frankfurt region, Germany (stops may vary depending on pathing)
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich region, Switzerland (Arth-Goldau, Göschenen, and others)
- Lugano, Switzerland
- Chiasso, Switzerland
- Como, Italy
- Milan (Porta Garibaldi Station), Italy
Onboard experience
- Budget seats (cheapest option)
- Couchettes (classic sleeper bunks, usually 4 or 6 people per compartment)
- Comfort Standard (more privacy, comfier bedding)
- Comfort Plus (even more private, typically includes breakfast)
Pricing
- Budget seats: around €29.99
- Couchettes: from €49.99 (booked well in advance)
- Mid-tier sleepers: €100.00+
- Private/Comfort Plus: €180.00+
In sum, you’re combining accommodation + transport costs into a single booking, not to mention completely skipping over those insane baggage rules and long security lines at European airports right now.
No need to tell us twice. Catch us on that European Sleeper, like angels in the rafters, as we whoosh past fairytale city after fairytale city next fall.
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