Berlin sleeper trains cut

Along with sleeper-car service on rail routes from Berlin to Amsterdam, Prague, Basel and Copenhagen, the only sleeper-car-equipped train from Berlin to Paris made its last journey on Dec. 13, putting an end to an institution that predated WWII. Travelers who want to travel by train from Berlin to Paris now must change trains at Cologne.

Rail operator Deutsche Bahn revealed that the overnight Berlin-Paris service had been piling up monetary losses and pointed to a decline in passenger interest in the 12-hour trip due to the lower costs of budget airlines (as low as €55 compared to €70 per person for a berth in a sleeper cabin on the train). Deutsche Bahn also announced that they plan on resurrecting the service in 2015 with new sleeper car models that are more cost effective.