A direct line between Paris and Berlin is slated to launch next year.

The service could be up and running in December.

It makes sense because people are accepting longer journeys. SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou told Euronews that there are people who are willing to spend seven hours on a train.

The route from Paris to Berlin would take seven hours.

There is no direct line to Berlin from the French capital, but there are other high-speed train services in Germany.

This summer travel pass will allow you to explore Germany for just nine euro.

TGV trains at Gare de Lyon Railway Station
The route will operate on SNCF'S TGV high-speed trains ©Jean-Bernard Carillet/Lonely Planet

The success of the Paris-Milan and Paris- Barcelona high-speed links has spurred the SNCF to connect Paris with more European cities.

The observation we make today is that Paris-Milan and Paris- Barcelona have amazingOccupancy rates: on Paris-Milan, the offer has doubled with the arrival of Trenitalia.

We should be able to do that on Paris-Berlin.

The Paris-Berlin high-speed service will start with one train between the two capitals daily in December of 2023.

In time for summer travel, a new train will connect these European cities.

A Group Of Friends Exploring Berlin
The high-speed service from Paris to Berlin will take seven hours © Hinterhaus Productions/Getty Images

What's next for European rail travel?

Thalys, the French-Belgian rail operator, is joining forces with the high-speed rail service Eurostar to connect London with cities in Germany for the first time.

The EuroNight service from Swedish operator SJ is set to launch this September, giving passengers even more choice when traveling by rail in Europe.

The new high-speed railway in London makes it easier to get around the city.

It will provide a night service from Sweden's capital city of Stockholm to the German city of Hamburg, with a stop in the Danish capital of Copenhagen along the way.

The missing link in rail travel between the UK and Sweden is the stop in Hamburg. When it launches, passengers in London will be able to take the train to join the EuroNight service to Stockholm. If passengers get the 9pm service to Stockholm, they will arrive in the Swedish capital just in time for breakfast the next day.