A French start-up is planning to revolutionise the way people travel through the European continent by launching a series of new routes departing from its main hub in Paris.
One of the first services expected to be launched by Midnight Trains is Paris-Venice. This route promises to whisk away tourists to two hugely popular holiday destinations – all done aboard a sleeper train, without the hassle coming with short-haul trips.
British travellers who want to visit European cities without having to board a plane will be able to reach Paris from London in just a couple of hours thanks to the Eurostar service, and then board one of the Midnight Trains’ sleeper carriages.
The sleeper train is also set to stop in Milan, Italy’s financial capital and a massive transport hub linked to dozens other cities.
This key stop will make it even easier for tourists to see more of the Mediterranean peninsula.
The French rail company wants to launch the first service in 2025 and is hoping to build up from there a network of more than 10 destinations.
Among the routes announced are Paris-Edinburgh, Paris-Copenhagen and Paris-Rome – a variety that would allow travellers to see some of the most beautiful European destinations without going through airport security checks and baggage restrictions.
Upon promoting its way of travel, Midnight Trains also said the speed offered by short-haul flights is an “illusion”.
Noting many airports are located far from city centres and that security checks and queues can make a short journey an experience lasting for several hours, the company’s website read: “The speed the airlines offer is an illusion, and a 1-hour flight is actually a gruelling 4-hour trip from door to door.”
As the French company boasts electric trains, boarding these sleeper carriages would also be a greener way of travelling when compared to aeroplanes.
In 2022, Paris retained its record as the most-visited city in the world, with some 44 million tourists walking through its streets in a single year.
A whopping two million Britons were among the tourists heading to the city of love last year.
Venice is also a destination much-beloved by UK nationals. In 2022, some 304,000 Britons walked through its historic canals and took an amazed look at the lagoon.
