Malmö – Berlin by train

Last year I went to the Microsoft Xbox Dev Days 2025 in Stockholm for the first time and it was an opportunity to check out the direct train connection that exists between Berlin and Stockholm.

Actually there are two of them – connecting Berlin to Stockholm – via Hamburg, Copenhagen and Malmö:

• Snälltåget
• RDC Nachtexpress

Both are driving several times a week but somehow I ended up with the Snälltåget. It is quite a ride from Berlin to Stockholm as it took me 16 hours starting at roughly 9 PM at Berlin Hauptbahnhof and arriving Stockholm Central at 1:30 PM the next day but I really enjoyed it.

There are three options to travel with – seat, berth, or private compartment. Seat was not my thing for such a long trip and the private compartment, which features 6 berth, was to expensive. So I just booked a berth in public compartment which features six of them. Lucky me – when I travelled to Stockholm I had the whole compartment for myself as no one else joined on this trip. On my way back it was packed with six people including myself but it was still ok. You need to bring earplugs anyway and I did not have any issues sleeping there. Either way you usually will not sleep undisturbed for 8 hours but is still relaxing and enjoyable if you bring a minimum affinity for trains and especially night trains at least.

Price was 360 € for the return trip – which is sadly I bit more expensive than a flight but you can also bring a big bag with you, without worrying about extra pricing on the plane.

Being part of the games business comes with a lot of privileges and also with a lot of Carbon Dioxid emissions as well when it comes to travelling to all the different conferences. So travelling with a night train is climate-friendly alternative that also comes with a lot of benefits:

• You are travelling with more Grandezza and get to know Europe better
• You usually start in a central part of the city and arrive in a central part as well – no airport commuting
• You might get to know other people better who you are travelling with (but you do not have to)
• You need way less Carbon-dioxide
• You do not have to worry about luggage restrictions

By the way, I am part of the Sustainable Game Alliance which is a non-profit founded by the world’s leading game entrepreneurs and environmental researchers with one goal: to make the games industry the leader in sustainability by setting ambitious and achievable standards for environmental and social responsibility. Maybe it is something for you too?

[All images are my own – no AI was used in writing this post.]