Europe's 10 best sleeper trains

Telegraph

22-04-2025

Lovers of sleeper trains can rest easy in their bunks. While there is undoubtedly something of a stop/start motion to the celebrated renaissance of this glorious form of transport in Europe, the direction of travel is clear.
Nightjet, the sleeper train network run by the Austrian state rail operator ÖBB, which has spearheaded the revival, will next month (May 2025) bring its swisher, slicker new-generation trains – complete with compact capsule-style mini-cabins – into operation on two of its stellar routings: Amsterdam-Vienna and Amsterdam-Innsbruck.
Earlier this year, one of the newer entrants, European Sleeper, launched a Brussels-Venice routing. Further down the line it is eying a Brussels-Barcelona service travelling through France, a country which has also revived several key sleeper train routes, such as the legendary run from Paris to Nice.
In Italy, a new fleet of night train carriages is currently under construction and is scheduled to come into play in 2026 on the spectacular night journeys down to Sicily.
These moves all reflect a growing demand from a cohort of travellers looking for a slower, more sociable form of transport, one that is gentler on the environment, a lot more enjoyable – certainly than low-cost flights – and one which saves on hotel bills.
It's not all full steam ahead – particularly for operators who do not benefit from the backing of a state. Last year Midnight Trains – a private French start-up that had ambitious plans for a new fleet of luxurious 'hotel-on-rails' sleeper trains crossing the continent – had to bow out after failing to secure sufficient rolling stock and backing.
With its new route to Venice, European Sleeper discovered how difficult the logistics of such operations can be when the Italian authorities initially denied the train access.
Even NightJet has had its setbacks, announcing in March that it was withdrawing its Brussels-Berlin routing. But lovers of this form of travel know all too well that sleeper train journeys have always been a bit stop-start – that's all part of the fun.
Here, then, from the northern Norwegian town of Narvik to the great cross-continental city of Istanbul, are 10 European night trains to fire the imagination and rekindle the joy of the journey.
Milan to Palermo
Intercity Notte (Trenitalia)
Let's start with an epic – and the only train journey in Europe that involves boarding a ferry: in this case the 20-minute hop across the Strait of Messina linking the Italian mainland with the magnificent island of Sicily. Departing from Milan just after 8pm, the train passes through some big hitters such as Bologna and Florence at night but some of the loveliest coastal stretches south of Naples by day.
If a journey time of 21 hours is off-putting (it arrives in Palermo at nearly 5pm), there's also a service from Rome that takes about 13 hours. Sit on the right for the best views going south (the left going north), and stock up on supplies of Parma ham, olives, biscotti and chianti. La Dolce Vita starts here.
Stockholm to Berlin
Snälltåget
It comes as no surprise that in the land of flygskam ('flight shame'), there are a number of night train options. In direct competition with state-owned SJ, the independent operator Snälltåget offers a link to Berlin on a no-frills train that harks back to an earlier era of European rail travel.
It may be quite slow and traditional (the only sleeping option is in a six-berth couchette), but, glory of glories, it has a dining car which goes by the name Krogen (pub). Enjoy cheese-filled schnitzels and organic pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream while passing a series of lakes and forested landscapes as the train heads south towards Malmö and the famous bridge crossing to Copenhagen. There's a very early stop in Hamburg should you wish to alight there, otherwise the train reaches Berlin at 07.45: just in time for a proper Berlin Frühstück (breakfast). A few departures carry on to Dresden.
Daily (no Saturday service April-October). From €74 (in a six-berth compartment); snalltaget.se
Paris to Nice
Intercités de Nuit (SNCF)
Who doesn't want to wake up looking out of a train window at the dazzlingly blue seas of the Côte d'Azur interspersed with glimpses of fabled French Riviera resorts such as Cannes and Antibes? This journey, discontinued in 2017 but restored in 2021, is a cost-effective way of travelling between the French capital and Nice, offering two levels of couchette – 1st class with four berths (which can be booked for solo occupancy) and 2nd class with six.
The reborn train has been modernised (with carpeting and soft fabric bunks) and is not scheduled to stop until it reaches Marseille at around 6.30am. From here on you have a thrilling stretch of track to look forward to. There's no buffet car, but for this segment you can buy coffee and a croissant from train staff. Doing the journey in the other direction you get those views in the evening.
Daily (subject to engineering work disruptions). From €29 (in a six-berth compartment). See sncf-connect.com
Brussels to Prague
European Sleeper
This routing – the first offered by Netherlands-based newbie independent operator European Sleeper – goes though some of the loveliest scenery in central Europe, the Sächsische Schweiz, a region of spectacularly beautiful rock formations in the sandstone mountains of the Elbe valley south of Dresden. Heading to Prague, this stretch comes in the early morning; going back it is in the evening.
The route, which also takes in Amsterdam, was launched in 2023, originally to Berlin, and extended to the Czech capital a year later, when a bistro-style dining car was introduced. The rolling stock may be a bit dated (many carriages stem from the 1980s; some from the 1950s) and the power and water supply can sometimes be a bit hit and miss, but that's all part of an experience that for an earlier generation was a rite of passage.
Three times weekly (each way). From €79 (in a six-berth couchette). See europeansleeper.eu.
Sofia to Istanbul
Sofia-Istanbul Express (TCDD/BDŽ)
Istanbul, eh? If that doesn't conjure up images of train travel at its most romantic (barring the odd murder), nothing will. While there is an extremely luxurious version of the original Orient Express journey between Paris and Istanbul (see here), those on more modest budgets might prefer the regular night train to Istanbul from Sofia.
The journey out – on a train offering spacious sleeper and regular couchette compartments, but no catering facility – passes through the ancient Bulgarian city of Plovdiv before arriving in the early hours at the border which on the Turkish side involves getting off the train for passport and baggage checks. None of your namby-pamby Schengen stuff here, this is an old-school border crossing that involves being turfed out of bed for some middle-of-the-night scrutiny and plenty of frisson. That done, retire back to your cabin to rest and anticipate the arrival in the city that signals the end of Europe and the beginning of Asia.
Daily. From €29 (in a four-berth couchette). For tips on how to book (not possible online), see seat61.com.
Vienna to Bucharest
The Dacia (CFR Călători)
Another epic journey, another cluster of superlative views. The first significant stop is at Budapest-Keleti where there's time to admire one of Europe's grandest and most eclectic stations (look out for the statue of George Stephenson). From here it's on through the night and the Great Hungarian Plain (puszta).
Dawn ushers in the mystical, misty landscapes of Transylvania – with options to get out at the spellbinding cities of Sighișoara or Brasov (well worth visiting, especially if the idea of almost 20 hours on a train palls). Alternatively, if you want to move smartly away from Dracula territory, stay on board for stellar views of the Carpathian Mountains as you head ever deeper into the Balkans and an afternoon arrival in Bucharest. The train offers sleeper, couchette and women-only compartments. The legendary Bar-Bistro evening dining car is alas no more, though coffee and snacks may be available for some of the journey.
Daily. From €59 (in a six-bed couchette). See cfrcalatori.ro or oebb.at.
Stockholm to Narvik
Arctic Circle Train (SJ)
And now for something completely different – a night train run by the Swedish state-owned SJ operator that covers 1,361 km, extends over almost 20 hours, is thrilling in both summer and winter (and all periods in between), and which, hugely alluringly, goes by the name Arctic Circle Train. An early evening departure from Stockholm sees the train take the coastal route along the Gulf of Bothnia between Sweden and Finland before turning inland and making for the heart of Swedish Lapland and the iron ore mining town of Kiruna.
In the summer months of almost permanent daylight, the journey – in a train furnished with a wide variety of sleeping options including single-occupancy 1st class, a splash of Scandi chic and a bistro car – is punctuated by wonderful vistas of coniferous forests and lakes; in winter there is a snowy wonderland-like quality and, if the stars align, sightings of the Northern Lights. The final stretch crosses into Norway and concludes in the northern city of Narvik. Just in case you're pining for the fjords.
Daily. From €70 (in a six-berth couchette). See sj.se.
Warsaw to Budapest
Chopin (PKP and CD)
Another stellar night train journey, another stellar night train name, this one celebrating Frédéric Chopin, Poland's greatest composer. Part of the EuroNight network comprising multiple train operators, this routing links two of central Europe's great powerhouses – a rejuvenated Warsaw and Budapest, a city beautifully bisected by the Danube.
The train skirts around the Tatra mountains in the south of Poland just after (or before if going north) Krakow – the ancient capital of Poland and city of such splendour it still thinks of itself as the country's cultural capital. There is a selection of sleeper and couchette options, sometimes including a deluxe variation. Dining facilities are modest, so stock up on supplies in advance. If you're lucky, you may get to enjoy sunrise glimpses of the Danube between Bratislava and Vac (sunset if going the other way).
Daily. From €49.90 (in a six-berth couchette). See intercity.pl; ; mavcsoport.hu.
Zurich to Zagreb
Alpine Pearls (HŽPP)
A journey linking Zurich and Zagreb has a certain ring to it – how often do you get to travel by night train between two places beginning with the letter Z? This is another EuroNight special with a route taking in great swathes of Austria before dipping south into Slovenia with early morning stops in Bled (famous for its lake) and the delightful city of Ljubljana – complete with views of the Julian Alps.
The Croatian capital Zagreb, reached courtesy of a long stretch along the River Sava, boasts a rich Habsburg heritage, the shortest funicular journey in the world (66 metres) and a Museum of Broken Relationships. Those who still have itchy feet can travel on by train or bus to Split, the Adriatic – and the Makarska Riviera.
Daily. From €49.90 (in a six-berth couchette). See oebb.at. Note that ongoing works until summer 2025 could mean a diversion via Graz. The route through Slovenia is due to reopen in mid-July.
Amsterdam to Innsbruck
NightJet (ÖBB)
Fancy trying the latest thing in night train accommodation? From the end of May, NightJet's new generation trains will be deployed on this 14-hour jaunt between Amsterdam and Innsbruck. The Siemens-constructed trains embrace a more modern design, additional comforts – en suite toilet and shower facilities in all sleeper carriages – free Wi-Fi throughout and, in the case of the pioneering mini cabins, the chance for solo travellers to enjoy privacy in their own space – admittedly a fairly restricted one (think Japanese-style capsule hotels).
With so much to engage the senses inside, you will barely miss Bavarian treasures such as Würzburg and Nuremberg, passed in the dead of night. Come the dawn, enjoy the spires of Munich and spectacular Alpine peaks ahead of arrival in Innsbruck, a city prized for its proximity to ski slopes and history as the one-time heart of the Holy Roman Empire.