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France to Germany by rail
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Paris to Berlin by rail takes about 7 h 46 min on the direct ICE run jointly by Deutsche Bahn and SNCF — the first-ever direct ICE between the two capitals, launched in December 2024 and rerouted via Erfurt and Halle in December 2025. Nearly a quarter of a million passengers rode it in its first year. A direct night option returned in March 2026 with the private European Sleeper.
| Duration (day) | ≈ 7 h 46 direct ICE, one daily each way (Berlin dep 07:06, Paris dep 11:07)1 |
|---|---|
| Duration (night) | ≈ 16 h, European Sleeper via Brussels, 3 nights/week since 26 March 20262 |
| Distance | ≈ 878 km3 |
| Operators | DB + SNCF (ICE 3, up to 320 km/h on the LGV Est); European Sleeper (night)4 |
| Reservations | ICE tickets include the seat reservation5 |
| Fares (2026) | ICE from €59.99 (2nd) / €89.99 (1st); European Sleeper seats from €49, sleepers from €139. Book at int.bahn.de / europeansleeper.eu1 |
| Direct ICE since | 16 December 20244 |
The route's recent history is a compressed story of Europe's rail revival: after nine years with no direct train, the ÖBB Nightjet returned in December 2023, the direct ICE followed in December 2024, the Nightjet was withdrawn again in December 2025 when French public funding ended — and the private European Sleeper stepped in from March 2026 (Railway Pro, Seat 61).
“The good German-French cooperation is the backbone of a united Europe. The new ICE direct connection between Berlin and Paris is a symbol of this.”
— Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn, 16 December 20245
Facts last verified 2026-07-18 · About Trainmap · All iconic routes
Rail data: signal.eu.org/osm
Stations: Trainline, Nominatim
Maps: Carto, OpenStreetMap, Stamen, Stadia Maps
3D Terrain: AWS Terrain Tiles, Mapzen
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