Paris to Berlin by train is now faster by five hours. We try out the new service | Rail travel

UUntil last week, the last time I took a direct day train from Paris to Berlin was in early 2015, on a RZD Russian Railways flight. There is a Polish dining car on the train with a quirky menu including caviar, kangaroo steak and South African wine. The journey between the two capital cities was expected to take 13 hours, but despite the grind, we arrived in Berlin on time. On this day, we had breakfast by the Seine, lunch on the train across the Rhine (no caviar), and then had a nightcap by the Spree River in Berlin.

These days, the only direct service between Paris and Berlin is an evening train three times a week. It’s called Nightjet, but it bears no resemblance to a jet. It takes even longer than Russian day trains did a decade ago. But as of last week, there is now a faster, direct option. German state rail operator Deutsche Bahn and SNCF have just launched faster daytime direct trains from Paris to Berlin.

I was on the first train from Paris on Monday 16 December, with a journey time of 7 hours and 59 minutes, which is symbolically important for ushering in a new era of rail travel between the EU’s two most populous capitals. Fast, but some say not fast enough. On board were an assortment of media and railroad industry officials, as well as frequent flyers who inadvertently found themselves a minor player in railroad history. An Australian family on a train were surprised to find garlands, ribbons and gifts. “This is our first train in Europe. Will we get this on every train?” they asked.

This new direct Intercity Express (ICE) train from Paris to Berlin departs from Gare de l’Est, a one-time departure station for famous trains such as the Orient-Express. On platform 29, a German ICE train was ready to board.

The new trains only serve three intermediate cities on the way to Berlin: Strasbourg, Karlsruhe and Frankfurt am Main, the latter serving a secondary station (Frankfurt Sudbahnhof) in the city’s trendy Sachsenhausen district. . Departing from Paris at 09.55, it is expected to arrive at Berlin Central Station at 17.58. Along the way, tourists travel from the Seine to the Spree, crossing six other major rivers: Moselle, Meuse, Rhine, Neckar, Main and Elbe, and experience the beauty of European geography.

I was impressed by the combination of stunning scenery. The train travels quickly east from Paris, passing through the Champagne vineyards and then over the Vosges Mountains via the Saverne Tunnel before descending into Strasbourg, which can be reached from the French capital in just 1 hour and 45 minutes. In 2015, a Russian train took just over four hours to reach Strasbourg. The city is keen to enhance its status as a city Christmas CityBut on this particular Monday, Santa was held back by an enthusiastic group of people waving Strasbourg flags delegates It’s great to see the first direct daytime train to Berlin in nine years.

A few minutes after leaving Strasbourg we crossed the Rhine and arrived in Kehl, Germany. Long before the Schengen era, even the Orient Express was forced to stop in Kehl for customs and immigration formalities. Our ICE to Berlin slid by without slowing down. Once in Germany, progress was slower than the initial quick trip from Paris to Strasbourg. As we make our way to Karlsruhe across reedy plains with hazy views of the Black Forest to the east, I head to the dining car to taste that most quintessentially German delicacy: currywurst and fries.

Karlsruhe has come and gone, and now we’re running peacefully along the flanks of the Odenwald, a series of forested hills whose western slopes are dotted with charming villages and vineyards. The Odenwald is one of the massive highlands in central Germany that is not particularly mountainous in character.

Beyond Frankfurt, our train followed the main railway route northeast towards the Fulda Gorge, taking advantage of the higher terrain between the Vogelsberg (on our left) and the Lönn Oberland (on our right). lowland route. Admire the beautiful mountain scenery before catching the high-speed train in Kassel to Hannover, where we head east, leaving the hills behind and heading across the Nordic plains to Berlin. The beauty of this ride is that you can really feel the changing scenery.

The direct flight distance from Paris to Berlin is approximately 550 miles. The new trains will travel 770 miles of route. So the average speed of our train from Paris to Berlin was 96 mph, which is not particularly “high speed” by the standards of French TGV services.

As winter night falls on Wolfsburg, a slower train on the track ahead slows us down. We slipped past Wolfsburg’s eye-catching Volkswagen factory, part of it decorated with Christmas lights and a giant Santa Claus by the railway line. Within minutes we were crossing the former border between two German states, rushing through sparsely populated areas towards Berlin.

Luckily, after arriving at Berlin’s main train station a few minutes early, there was a low-key but joyful European-style celebration. The two major capitals are now connected by direct and very comfortable daytime ICE trains, providing ample reason for many smiles and handshakes. But many still ask why it took so long to launch the service. How many years will it take to shave an hour or two off the journey time so that this new route can bring real competition to air travel.

There is still a way to go

The new ICE direct trains depart from Paris East Station at 09.55 and from Berlin Central Station at 11.54 daily. One-way fares start at €59.99 for second class and €69.99 for first class. On such a long daytime journey, a first class upgrade might be worthwhile, if not overkill. buy online Deutsche Bahn or european rail network. Interrail passes are valid but pass holders need to pay a surcharge (usually €19) on journeys to and from Paris or Strasbourg. This can be purchased at Rail Europe.

Nicky Gardner is the lead author of European Rail: The Definitive Guide (18th edition, Hidden Europe, £20.99), available from Guardianship Bookstore