THREE new European sleeper train routes to much-loved Italian cities have been announced for later this year.
The Austrian operator ÖBB has acquired new trains to offer overnight travel to these beloved holiday destinations.
Passengers can choose to visit Bologna, Florence, or Rome.
These sleeper trains will depart from Munich, Salzburg or Vienna – depending on your destination and will start from September 10, 2024,
ÖBB’s new sleeper trains feature seven carriages, including two with beds and three with convertible seats.
One carriage is dedicated to luggage, and another offers standard seating.
For the best comfort, travellers should opt for carriages with beds, which include adjustable temperature control, multi-coloured mood lighting, attendant call buttons, and a shower cubicle.
The three convertible-seat carriages have 28 mini cabins, perfect for families, with chairs that transform into beds.
Solo travellers can choose to go for single-gender compartments.
ÖBB aren’t the only rail company offering overnight train services to Italy.
A new sleeper train is set to begin operating from Brussels to the Italian Alps next year.
Train operator European Sleeper plans to run a 15-hour overnight train from Brussels to the Austrian and Italian Alps.
They hope the seasonal service will attract skiers and snowboarders from the UK.
Trains will leave Brussels on a Wednesday before making an epic 15-hour train journey to Venice, according to Travel Weekly
The sleeper service will also make a stop in Innsbruck before arriving in Italy.
Return journeys would then leave Venice every Sunday, making for an ideal long weekend on the slopes.
The route will line up perfectly for Brits, as the Eurostar currently connects London St Pancras to Brussels.
Journeys between London and Brussels take just under two hours, giving passengers the ability to connect onto a second train in Brussels.
Because of this connection, train company European Sleeper hopes the route will attract winter sports enthusiasts from the UK.
Each train will be able to hold around 750 passengers in sleeper compartments.
European Sleeper co-founder Elmer van Buuren told Travel Weekly that ticket prices will be “much more attractive” in comparison to airfares.
It comes after news that two cities in Europe could soon be linked by a direct train service for the first time in over a decade.
And Milan will soon be connected to another lesser-visited city in the south of Ital thanks to a new sleeper train.
