Lovers, lunatics and 80,000 meatballs: adventures on sleeper trains
However, those who have taken the Great Western Railway sleeper from Paddington to Penzance will also know that a night train can be as sexy as a Travelodge on a wet Wednesday in February.
In Moonlight Express: Around the World by Night Train, the travel writer Monisha Rajesh eloquently and amusingly combines the fact and fiction, the cocktail hours and backed-up loos, the charming ticket inspectors and deranged fellow travellers, as she enjoys — and endures — 18 journeys spanning four continents.
Rajesh surveys a form of travel that many might have considered obsolete. However, she explains, the night train has risen from its slumbers. After the Covid lockdowns 'many people were nervous to fly, booking private compartments and taking the time to explore closer to home', she writes. 'In 2022, Interrail had a record year of sales — and then I saw it, one line at a time, sleeper trains inching back out of the darkness.'
Rajesh zips through moonlit mountain passes in Scandinavia and South America and takes city links in North America, Asia and Europe, routes that vary in quality, comfort and distance. On a press jolly on board the deluxe Belmond Andean Explorer to Arequipa, she enjoys pisco sours with a former Miss Peru and beds down on plush banquettes; in Turkey, she gets caught up in the maelstrom of the 2023 earthquake; and in the north of Norway, whistling through the land of the midnight sun, she enjoys a night train without night.
She soon discovers that sleeping arrangements rarely fail to disappoint — her 'first-class' compartment on the Shalimar Express across the north of India 'looked like it had been repurposed from a scrapyard'. Sometimes the accommodation is simply surreal: the new Vienna-Hamburg Nightjet service provides a morgue-style row of single-berth wooden lockers into which passengers slot and lock. 'It's like sleeping in a bread bin,' her travelling companion observes.
• 22 of the best rail journeys in Europe — your carriages await
While compartments, couchettes — dorm-rooms of bunk beds — or reclining seats provide rest, the beating heart of a night train is its dining car. The meals are often geographical signifiers: there's 'sweaty gravlax' in Sweden and Angus beef and whisky on the Royal Scotsman. But these trains are not for fussy eaters, Rajesh writes. 'I'd once spent five days on the Trans-Mongolian eating onlyinstant mash and noodles.'
Meanwhile, dining cars provide delicious opportunities for eavesdropping. 'Do you think people shag on these trains,' a woman whispers to her husband on the Caledonian Sleeper. 'I have,' a passenger at the next table interjects. 'The very last empty coach … we just got down to it.'
Since publishing Around the World in 80 Trains (2019), Rajesh has become a mother, which affords her considerable empathy for those dealing with sleepy, grumpy and hungry children as they clamber on board with the paraphernalia of parenthood. Sometimes her young daughters come along for the ride (confectionery and nappies required).
Rajesh is an endearing railway junkie — a German passenger calls her a 'Pufferküsser' — who has authored two previous anthologies of railway journeys. But there is something about the nocturnal quality of these trips that covers new, almost philosophical, terrain. At night everything is heightened, both the romantic — sunsets, cosy spaces, suggestive rhythmic motion — and the gripes that come with being cooped up with a bunch of strangers.
The sound of a train in the night suggests secrets: while cities, towns and villages sleep there is activity under way. Not all of it good. Rajesh touches on their sinister possibilities when she stops off in Brussels to meet Simon Gronowski, a nonagenarian Holocaust survivor. On a spring night in 1943, Simon's mother lowered her 11-year-old son on to the tracks from a moving cattle truck as it coursed through the darkness on its way to Auschwitz. The Nazis used the night-time to cover their crimes. Simon survived; his mother perished.
• Read more book reviews and interviews — and see what's top of the Sunday Times Bestsellers List
The renaissance of the night train is driven by economic, environmental and social factors, all largely positive. However, as Rajesh explains in this hugely entertaining book, a night train is only as good as the people on board. Speeding to Lapland on the Santa Claus Express, impeccably polite Finnish attendants serve up meatballs (about 80,000 portions a year) and patiently look after hordes of over-excited children. It 'fulfilled my every dream', Rajesh concludes.
Compare that with the author's early morning experience between Washington DC and New York on Amtrak's Silver Meteor, a train summed up as a 'magnet for the unhinged'. Watching the sun rise over the Potomac River, Rajesh recalls: 'I crouched by the window to photograph the moment, just as a man in a sweatshirt tapped me on the shoulder and moved me to one side so he could vomit into the recycling bin.' Cary Grant would have been appalled.
Moonlight Express: Around the World by Night Train by Monisha Rajesh (Bloomsbury £22 pp336). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Stranger Things creators are reportedly eyeing deal with Paramount
Matt and Ross Duffer, creators of Netflix 's Stranger Things, are reportedly in advanced negotiations to move to Paramount to create new exclusive TV shows and films. The potential move would see the Duffer Brothers reunite with former Netflix executives Cindy Holland and Matt Thunell, now heading streaming and TV studios at Paramount, respectively. Paramount reportedly aims for the siblings to focus on developing tentpole movies, marking a significant coup for the company following its merger with Skydance. Despite the potential move, the Duffer Brothers still have several unreleased titles with Netflix, including The Boroughs and Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, and are expected to confirm a Stranger Things spin-off. The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is scheduled for release in three batches later this year, with episodes dropping on November 26, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
'Bus fares eat my budget': Under-22s join call for free travel
Young people have told the BBC the "extortionate" cost of bus travel in England means they socialise less and struggle to pay rent. A report by MPs has recommended everyone under the age of 22 should get free bus travel to help them get into work and education - similar to in Department for Transport says it is already spending "£1bn in multi-year funding to improve the reliability and frequency of bus services across the country".But the BBC has heard from people aged 22 and under who say bus fares are too expensive and eat into their food budget. 'I get hungry at college but can't afford snacks' Maisy Moazzenkivi, 18, lives in Coventry with her mum, dad and brother, and travels almost two hours each way to get to college, four days a has a disability bus pass because of her autism, meaning she pays less for travel than her friends. However, she still spends £8 a day on getting to college as her free travel allowance only kicks in after 09:30, half an hour after she needs to be says money she spends on travel eats into what she would otherwise spend on food and snacks throughout the day. "Sometimes, when I finish college I'm really hungry and just want to get a meal deal or something for the way home, but it's so expensive on top of everything. I'm very lucky that I can go home and my family can feed me, but not everyone has that." If bus travel was free, Maisy says she would be able to socialise more, and save for "luxury items". "I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, or an essential item, but one day, I'd love to save for a Juicy Couture tracksuit," she said. 'I don't understand how it's so extortionate' Gracie Moore, 22, lives in Slough and catches the bus every day to and from work, which costs her £120 a month."For someone who is not earning much more than minimum wage, it's quite a big expenditure," says Gracie who works as an administration assistant for a care home says the high cost of travel for young people makes it difficult to navigate having a job and a social costs are "absolutely" a factor which stop her from moving out from her family home, she says."I have less independence this way, but I'm paying so much less."Gracie previously lived in Madrid, where she enjoyed unlimited travel on bus, train, tube, and tram) for only €8 (£6.90) a month with a young person's travel card. "I don't understand how it's so extortionate here when other countries in Europe subsidise it so well," she says. "I just don't know how the price of transport here can be justified." 'Free bus pass would make a big difference' Originally from Nepal, Nikita Upreti, 20, is an international student studying at University College Birmingham. She says the rising price of travel means it is getting "harder" to pay for her bus pass each month. When Nikita first moved to Birmingham in September 2024, a monthly bus pass with a student discount cost her £49. Now, it costs her £53."The student discount is not helping us anymore," she says. Nikita also works 20 hours a week as a waitress. Despite working the maximum amount of hours her university will allow her to while studying, she still struggles to pay her rent while juggling the rising cost of living. She says that free bus travel "would make a big difference" to her life. "I could spend the money I save on groceries and things that would help my education. It would be really helpful."
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
The five airport rip-offs to avoid this summer
Holidays are supposed to be relaxing, but getting away can be anything but. Once you've made it to the airport, you are faced with hidden charges and high prices that can leave you out of pocket before you even get out of the country. Oversized luggage, lengthy airport queues and parking are all lucrative money makers for airlines, while even a short time spent in an airport can add huge costs to your holiday bill. Here are some of the most common pitfalls that catch passengers out, and how to avoid them. Long gone are the days when a flight ticket covered all the costs associated with getting on a plane. The advertised price of a flight is just the tip of the iceberg, with extra costs for essentials such as luggage and somewhere to sit quickly racking up. Most airlines charge for the luxury of choosing your seat — particularly annoying for families who are travelling with children. You can often wait until check-in and get a seat free, running the risk of being seated separately, but some airlines give you no option but to pay for a seat if you are travelling with a young child. Airlines are raking in cash from these charges for seats. The best way to beat them is to check in as early as possible for the best chance of getting seats together — unless you are flying with Ryanair. Most airlines say they make every effort to sit groups together but Ryanair says its seat allocation is completely random. (Some passengers claim it deliberately seats groups separately.) Most ensure that children are seated next to at least one adult from their booking, although the age requirements vary between companies, and, as mentioned, some have compulsory charges. Once on board you'll have to pay if you want wi-fi. Airlines including British Airways, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic charge from £5 to more than £20 for wi-fi access, with the cost varying on whether a flight is long or short-haul. And you won't get a refund for a slow connection, although some will refund you if the wi-fi didn't work — but this can be hard to prove. Airlines have to get you on a replacement flight or refund your money (which can be as a voucher) if they cancel your flight. But you may not get your money back for any extras booked alongside, such as airport parking. Airlines including Jet2 and Ryanair offer airport parking when you book your flight, but like with any third-party service, you should check your refund rights. While Jet2 allows parking cancellations up to the time of your flight, giving you a voucher or cash refund, if your flight is cancelled or changed, Ryanair's car park bookings are non-refundable. In February Ian and Gaye Orford booked return flights from Stansted to Tenerife for a golf trip next January. The couple, 57 and 59, paid £608.41, which covered luggage (including their golf bags) and parking, with the latter costing £67.49. Ian, a retired computer programmer, said they regularly booked parking through Ryanair because it was usually £10 cheaper than going directly through the airport. But Ryanair emailed in July to say their flight had been rescheduled to seven hours later and they would now arrive at their hotel after midnight, so they asked for a refund and booked with another airline. Although Ryanair refunded the flights, it refused to refund them the parking. 'If you had booked directly with Stansted, you can change for free, and I guess we just assumed the same deal with this,' Ian said. Ryanair said because the booking was with Stansted Airport, the Orfords needed to contact the airport to request a refund. Stansted Airport said because the booking had been made through a third party, it was governed by Ryanair's terms and conditions. • Parking private jet at Edinburgh airport 'cheaper than a car' 'Through no fault of our own, we're out of pocket and we apparently have no recourse,' said Ian, who intends to only book parking with the airport directly in future. Booking fees for plane seats can also be non-refundable, such as with BA. It will refund your seat fees if it cancels your flight, but not if you do, even if the flight itself can be refunded. Rhys Jones from the frequent flyer advice site Head for Points said these fees can be as much as £62 per person on long-haul business class flights. He said: 'It doesn't seem particularly fair to keep seat selection fees for someone who no longer needs those seats because they've cancelled their flight.' There is no consistency on baggage allowances between airlines. And if you have booked through one airline, but American Airlines or Iberia actually operates the flight, their baggage rules will apply. BA allows a maximum cabin bag of 56cm x 45cm x 25cm while Iberia, part of BA's parent company International Airlines Group (IAG), has a limit of 56cm x 40cm x 25cm. BA's 'partner' American Airlines' allowance is 56cm x 36cm x 23cm. And while BA allows a cabin bag weighing up to 23kg, its IAG stablemate Vueling only allows up to 10kg, along with slightly smaller dimensions of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm. Check who you are flying with and the baggage allowance to avoid a bill at the gate. Wizz Air charges £13 for every kilogram you exceed the cabin or hold baggage allowance, easyJet £12, Ryanair £13 and BA £65 for each oversized bag. Jo Rhodes from the consumer group Which? said there had been many cases where passengers who thought they had the right sized bags were still charged. Swissport, which runs cargo handling and passenger services across 276 airports, easyJet and Ryanair have been in the news this summer for reportedly paying commission to staff who catch out passengers with oversized luggage. 'We've heard of passengers being forced to pay nearly £50 extra for having too big a bag, despite it meeting the required measurements,' Rhodes said. 'It can feel like you won't be granted entry on to the flight unless you stump up the money, so we would advise you to keep the receipt and take a photo of the bag from different angles in the sizer (rather than at the time of boarding, so the airline doesn't claim you've removed items) to challenge it afterwards.' • Hand luggage: Ryanair, easyJet and British Airways policies explained Doing pretty much anything at the airport is likely to cost more than anywhere else. While checking in online beforehand is free, Wizz Air charges £36.50 and Ryanair £55 for checking in at the airport, which they claim covers the cost of servicing airport check-ins. Wizz Air said: 'We aim to make check-in simple for passengers and provide instructions during the booking process, on the Wizz Air website and via email reminders on how to check-in online to avoid fees.' Most big airports now offer to 'fast-track' you through security using a separate lane. Costs range from £5 at Belfast International to £12.50 at Heathrow, depending on how far in advance you book. Rhodes said: 'Fast-track security may seem like a tempting way to beat the queues, but in reality it's not worth shelling out for because you won't save that much time. Fast-track is also not always guaranteed at peak times, such as the school summer holidays, and can come with other conditions, like not allowing buggies, which will be impractical for young families.' • The best airlines in the world — according to you As anyone who has ever bought a bottle of water just before boarding will know, airport shopping can be pricey, even though some things (including bottled water) are free of VAT. Passengers are often sceptical about whether duty-free really represents a saving — and the experts agree. Jones said: 'I've compared prices, especially for alcohol, and often found that airport duty-free is the same price or only marginally cheaper than some of the more competitive supermarkets. The bottom line is that it's always worth doing a quick price comparison before your trip to make sure you're getting a good deal.' For those without hold luggage and who have to stick to the 100 millilitres of liquid rule for cabin bags, there could be a cheaper alternative to expensive travel-sized toiletries or buying them after going through security. Boots has a click and collect service where you can order items at normal retail prices and pick them up at 15 airports, after security, for a £4.50 delivery fee. If your flight is cancelled items are returned to the warehouse after seven days and you will be your holiday rip-off pet peeve? Let us know in the comments below
