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Agence France-Presse

French and German rail operators have launched the first direct high-speed rail link between Paris and Berlin, in response to growing European demand for train travel.
The inaugural service on the 1,100-kilometre route, a German ICE train, left the French capital’s Gare de l’Est station at 9.55am on December 16 and was due at Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 6.03pm.
According to a post on X, the actual travel time was 7 hours 59 minutes.
In comparison, in China the fastest journey between Beijing South and Shanghai Hongqiao stations by high-speed train, a distance of 1,318 kilometres, is 4 hours 18 minutes.

Travelled today on the first direct ICE train from Paris to Berlin, seen here after arrival at Berlin Hbf. Travel time was 7hrs 59mins @GuardianTravel @EuropeanRailTT @AndyBTravels @seatsixtyone @Schienenallianz @raileurope @Eurail @Interrail pic.twitter.com/ujV6v5lNpu
— EuropeByRail (@EuropeByRail) December 16, 2024

The service shaves only minutes off the fastest one-change connection between both capitals.
The trains run at up to 320km/h (199 miles per hour) per hour while in France, but that speed drops to a maximum 250km/h in Germany – only just meeting the definition of high-speed rail travel.

A one-way ticket for the journey costs upwards of €59.99 (US$63), rising sharply on busy days. Budget airlines, such as easyJet, charge around €50 for a 1h45 nonstop flight between both capitals.
But French rail operator SNCF has reported an occupancy rate of over 80 per cent for the new trains.
“Bookings are going very well,” said Jean-Pierre Farandou, head of French state-owned rail company SNCF. “People like to travel in comfort rather than negotiating the sometimes difficult access” to airports, he said.

A spirit of European enthusiasm in Strasbourg today as the city's first direct ICE to Berlin pulls into Platform 1. Wonderful to see. First direct daytime train from France to Berlin since June 2015 @EuropeanRailTT @AndyBTravels @raileurope @raileurope pic.twitter.com/A9WOzxy9LK
— EuropeByRail (@EuropeByRail) December 16, 2024

Lea Bader, who travelled on the first train, said she did not hesitate to take the train because she would have had to buy an extra ticket for her cello on a plane.
She said the train was also more comfortable, and she welcomed the absence of a need to change trains, which she said had been “horrible, because each time there was a problem or a delay”.
A third of Germany’s high-speed train services suffered delays in 2023, and line closures because of repairs or maintenance work are commonplace.

Kevin Kern, a 33-year-old Berliner, said his main motivation for rail travel is “the environment”, with the trip generating an estimated 100 times less CO2 emissions per passenger than taking the plane.
SNCF and Deutsche Bahn together account for 30 million journeys between France and Germany.
SNCF’s Farandou meanwhile said he was “perfectly confident” that the new daytime service will not see the same problems as a night service between Paris and Berlin relaunched a year ago after a near-10-year pause.

The night service has been dogged with delays, and was even halted completely between August and October of last year because of railway work done on the German side.
Additional reporting by Staff reporter


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German ICE trains now run between Berlin and Paris. Photo: Deutsche Bahn

Wearing a traditional Christmas gingerbread reading Bon voyage (“‘good trip”), French ambassador to Germany Francois Delattre (right) reacts as the chief executive of German railway operator Deutsche Bahn Richard Lutz (second from right) shakes hands with German Minister for Transport Volker Wissing (centre) before the departure of the first daytime Berlin-Paris high-speed train. Photo: AFP

The first daytime train to run direct Paris to Berlin departed Paris Gare de L’est on December 16. Passengers can now travel between the German and French capitals in roughly eight hours, with ticket prices starting at €59.99. Photo: German Embassy London

The main railway station in Berlin, from which high-speed trains to Paris depart. Delays are common on high-speed trains in Germany. Photo: AFP

A French high-speed train operated by SNCF. Photo: Shutterstock

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Monica Xu, a naturopath at the Integrated Medicine Institute in Hong Kong, recommends taking herbal remedies on trips in case you fall ill. Photo: Monica Xu

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For those who have trouble sleeping in a new environment, Xu recommends taking magnesium glycinate. Melatonin is also a helpful sleep aid, but can cause hangover-like symptoms. Photo: Shutterstock

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Some passengers have complained over a lack of charging facilities in the cabins. Photo: Elson Li

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Shenzhen taxis can be ordered via Didi Chuxing, the Chinese equivalent of Uber. Photo: Shutterstock

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Direct daytime high-speed trains link French and German capitals, but journey time nearly twice that of Beijing to Shanghai, a longer trip


Direct daytime high-speed trains link French and German capitals, but journey time nearly twice that of Beijing to Shanghai, a longer trip.


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