[title]
Currently, if you want to travel by train between Amsterdam and Barcelona – two of Europe’s most marvellously culture-packed coastal cities – it’s all a bit of a faff. Involving several trains and nearly 17 hours of travel, the two capitals of the Netherlands and Catalonia aren’t very conveniently linked at all.
But that could soon be set to change. New Dutch-Belgian rail company European Sleeper has announced plans to set up a direct night train route between Amsterdam and Barcelona – and, excitingly, those plans recently got official support from the European Commission. In other words, a ‘Dam-Barca route could well be on the cards!
A direct night train link between Amsterdam and Barcelona is exciting for a whole host of reasons. For foodies, poffertjes and patatas bravas are just one train away; for clubbers, two of the continent’s finest nightlife spots are now within easy reach. And art lovers? Well, you can now get between one city filled with Van Gogh and Rembrandt and another teeming with Picasso, Miró and Gaudi with ease.
European Sleeper’s new Amsterdam-Barcelona route will stop at Rotterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Lille, Avignon, Montpellier, Perpignan, Figueras and Girona. At the moment, the plan is to launch the line in spring 2025. The European Sleeper project has been selected by the European Commission as one of ten pilot projects aiming to improve train services and reduce emissions across the continent.
In other news, European Sleeper is officially launching its new route linking Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Berlin on May 25. Tickets went on sale on February 20 and you can find out more here. Then check out our list of all the European sleeper trains we can’t wait to ride in 2023.
Did you see this spectacular new night train that links two of Europe’s coolest cities?
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for the latest travel news and the best stuff happening across the world.