New European sleeper train to launch next month with tickets from £50

A new sleeper train is set to connect travellers from Poland with four European cities for just £50.

The new overnight service will offer direct rail travel from southeastern Poland to Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Munich, according to local media outlet TVP World.

Polish state rail operator PKP Intercity will launch the EN Carpatia service on 14 December, with trains departing from Przemysl, a town in the southeast of the country. The train will leave at 5.51pm local time and arrive in Munich the following morning at 10.24am, a journey time of around 16 and a half hours.

On the way, the route will run through Rzeszow, Krakow and Katowice in southern Poland before crossing into the Czech Republic.

In Bohumin, a town in the east of the Czech Republic, several carriages will detach and continue to Bratislava and Budapest. The rest of the train will travel to Vienna, Linz and Salzburg in Austria, before terminating in Munich.

The return leg will depart Munich at 6.45pm, reaching Przemysl at 10.10am the following day.

Passengers can select from different accommodation options, including standard seating and couchette cars.

“Deluxe” passengers will stay in a sleeper compartment – with room for up to three people – and will be issued with towels, slippers, shower gel and a dental kit, plus snacks and hot drinks.

Lights are turned off for sleep between 10pm and 6am, with train conductors waking up passengers 30 minutes before their arrival time at their chosen destination.

The train will run as an official EuroNight service with mandatory reservations.

The low ticket price is in stark contrast to sleeper options in the UK. A ticket for a “Classic” cabin on the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Inverness on 14 December is priced from £230. An upright seat starts at £79.

The Independent has contacted PKP Intercity for comment.

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