by Snuggling between crisp clean sheets, reading by the glow of the bedside light and the steel wheel swinging on a steel rail behind you – for more than a century, the sleeper train has been the most romantic way to cross Europe. Once popular, they have been struggling in the shadow of budget airlines since the 1990s. Their nadir came in 2016, when the largest operator, Deutsche Bahn (German railways), pulled the plug on its City Night Line sleeper network, claiming it was impossible to make sleeper trains work on a regular basis. commercial.
However, a much smaller operator came in and took a huge risk: ÖBB (Österreichische Bundesbahnen, Austrian railways) bought DB’s sleeper cars and took over many of its routes, rebranding them with its own sleeper routes. night jet. The gamble paid off. ÖBB is now the largest sleeper operator in Europe and the Nightjet network is in the dark. As climate-conscious travelers look for a time-efficient alternative to flying, ÖBB has carefully expanded its sleeper routes, reinstating sleepers from Vienna to Amsterdam, Brussels , Paris and Berlin and from Amsterdam to Zurich. They often leave fully booked.
ÖBB is now investing in new trains and in December 2023 the first of 33 brand new jetliners went into service from Hamburg to Vienna, Munich and Innsbruck. These smart new sleeper trains feature toilets and showers in each one and two-berth sleeper, traditional four-berth couchettes for families and friends, and innovative individual ‘mini-cabins’ reminiscent of Japanese capsule hotels for those who want a bed and privacy . , on a budget.
ÖBB is not the only operator to reset crossings. France has restored overnight trains from Paris to Nice and Lourdes. Italy is ordering new sleeper trains. Start-up train operator European Sleeper introduced a new overnight train from Brussels and Amsterdam to Berlin in May 2023 and expanded to Prague in March this year.
The Swedish government has also acquired the Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper to provide a time-efficient rail link between Germany and home Ireland. Flyskam (‘shame of flight’), later extended to and from Berlin. I rode the first event in September 2022, which was not without its initial problems – the rolling stock to expand sleeper services is in short supply and the refurbished sleeper cars were not ready in time. But the couchettes were comfortable, my travel companion and I chatted over wine until midnight, slept well and woke up to the Swedish countryside sun before rolling into the Swedish capital Bang on time. It reminded me why I love sleepers and why I’m glad they’re here to stay. A much more pleasant experience than flying with a fraction of the emissions, and if they leave in the evening and arrive the next morning they take fewer hours during the day than flying. With bunk beds on a train, what’s not to like?
Here are eight of the best overnight lines – two in Britain and five further afield.
1. Go to sleep in London, wake up in Cornwall
Imagine your favorite Cornish Bed & Breakfast, on wheels. Leaving Paddington station before midnight every day except Saturday, the Riviera night there are cozy one and two bed rooms, a relaxing lounge car and great staff. Wake up to Truro cathedral and Knock Mary before arriving in sunny Penzance.
The details: From £125.40 for a single room, £114.90 per person for a twin (gwr.com).
2. Fall asleep in London, wake up in the West Highlands
The Caledonian Sleeper leaves London Euston at 21:00 Monday-Friday and 21:15 on Sundays for Fort William, at the foot of Mount Nevis. Enjoy haggis, neeps and tatties in the lounge as you leave the Big Smoke, then wake up to rustling oak trees, bubbling fires and deer bounding from the train. Caledonian Double rooms even boast a double bed, toilet and shower.
The details: From £140 for a single room, £170 for a twin (sleeper.scot).
3. Go to sleep in Paris, wake up in Nice (or Cannes)
Today’s incarnation of the fabled Paris Train Bleu leaves Austerlitz at 20:08, with a four-hundred-class socket and six-bed first-class couchettes. Wake up to rocky headlands, yacht-filled bays and villas of millionaires and the train snakes on the Cote d’Azur to reach Cannes at 08:57, Nice at 09:25.
The details: From €29 (£25) in a second-class couchette, €69 (£60) in a first-class couchette (sncf-connect.com).
4. Fall asleep in Paris, wake up in Salzburg
Take the 14:31 Eurostar from London to Paris Nord and stroll to the Gare de l’Est. A Nightjet sleeper Est leaves Paris at 19:12 on Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday arriving in Salzburg at 07:26, with four and six-bed couchettes and one, two, and three-beds, some with shower and loo. . It is expected to become daily in October this year, as well as leaving it fully booked often.
The details: Eurostar from £52 one way (eurostar.com). Nightjet from €59.90 (£52) with couchette, or €159.90 (£139) in one sleeper, including breakfast (oebb.at).
5. Fall asleep in Milan, wake up in Sicily
On the longest sleeper journey from Western Europe, the InterCity Notte to Sicily leaves the wonderful Milan Centrale station at 20:10 every night, with sleeper cars and couchettes for Palermo, Catania and Syracuse, arriving the following evening. The train is put on a ferry to cross the Strait of Messina to Sicily, a unique experience.
The details: From €39.90 (£35) in a four-piece suite or €89.90 (£78) in a single-bed sleeping suit (trenitalia.com).
6. Fall asleep in Brussels, wake up in Vienna
Leave London on the Eurostar 13:01 to Brussels, arriving at 16:06. A Nightjet sleeper leaves Brussels at 19:07 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, arriving in Vienna at 10:13, with four and six-bed couchettes and one-, two- and three-bed sleepers, some with shower and loo .
The details: Eurostar from £52 one way (eurostar.com). Nightjet from €59.90 (£51.50) with a couchette or €159.90 (£138) in a single bed, including breakfast (oebb.at).
7. Fall asleep in Brussels, wake up in Prague
New train operator European Sleeper now offers an overnight train from Brussels to Prague, with an easy connection from London to Eurostar. Leave London on the Eurostar 13:01 to Brussels, arriving at 16:06. The European Sleeper leaves Brussels at 19:22 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, arriving in Prague at 10:56 after a scenic run along the Elbe river valley south of Dresden. There are four and six bed couchettes and one, two & three bed sleepers on the train. It returns from Prague to Brussels at 18:04 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
The details: Eurostar from £52 one way (eurostar.com). European Sleep from €79 (£68) with a couchette or €159 (£137) in a single bed, breakfast included (europeansleeper.eu).
8. Go to sleep in Berlin, wake up in Stockholm
The SJ EuroNight train leaves Berlin Gesundbrunnen at 18:37 every day, arriving in Stockholm Central at 09:57 the next morning. There are four and six bed couchettes and one and two bed sleepers, some with shower and loo. In Stockholm, the amazing Vasa Museum (www.vasamuseet.se) is worth the trip alone.
The details: From €44.90 (£39) in a six-bed sofa, €69.90 (£61) in a four-bed (sj.se).
