EuropeThe rail revival is one of the most exciting upheavals to travel on the continent in decades. From new ultra-cheap high-speed routes to a growing network of night trains, Europe is showing that trains are an affordable, convenient and environmentally friendly alternative to air travel.
And now another railroad is getting in on the act. the Czech Republicthe national railway operator Czech Railways (České dráhy or ČD) announced a new dormant service that will transition from prague to the Swiss city of Zürich via Dresden, Leipzig, Frankfurt am Main and Basel.
The new service will be called the “Canopus” train and will be a collaborative project with the national rail providers of Austria (ÖBB), Switzerland (SBB) and Germany (DB). It’s the rebirth of an old service that closed in 2017.
The trains themselves will include multiple classes of seating, with sleeper tickets starting at €69 (£60, $69) and fares for sleeping car compartments starting at €89 (£78, $89). The service will depart Prague at 6:25 p.m. and arrive in Zurich at 9:05 a.m., while the return will leave Zurich at 7:59 p.m. and return to Prague at 9:25 a.m.
And that’s not all ČD is doing to improve Czech sleeper services. The operator has ordered brand new night trains which will be equipped with Wi-Fi, new toilets and improved fire protection. In other words, some of the most beautiful night roads in Europe could soon boast very chic cars.
The date of entry into service of the new cars has not been confirmed, but the Prague-Zurich night line is expected to restart on December 11. There’s never been a better time to plan an overnight train jaunt through Europe, so here’s our handy guide to all the continent’s new night roads.
did you see that young people could soon travel by train even cheaper in Europe?
Stay informed: subscribe to our Time Out Travel free newsletter for the latest travel news and the best things happening around the world.
Comments are closed.