2 days ago
9 of the best sleeper trains in Europe
There's something special about a sleeper train — it can actually make the prospect of getting from A to B an appealing part of the trip. It comes with a romance that you won't find attached to overnight flights or coach journeys, rocking you to the rhythm of wheels on steel while you watch the sun drop outside the window. You'll avoid a stiff neck from trying to sleep upright — a sleeper train offers a bed that's properly, 180-degree flat — and there's ample chance to go for a wander without worrying about seatbelt signs or narrow aisles. What's more, the boarding experience is more relaxed than the cattle-herding so familiar to those using airports, and often you'll alight at your desired final destination rather than at an airport an hour away.
As you head to the dining car, or have a picnic in your cabin, read in your bunk or chat with a fellow passenger, you'll know too that you've chosen a greener way to go. Whether you're travelling on a budget or with the purse strings fully undone, sleeper services across Europe offer a range of options, from the pampering to the functional. Most services include compartments with cabins for two to four people and dormitory-style couchettes (seats that convert into sleeping berths) for six, as well as economy seat carriages. Here are the continent's best sleeper trains.
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Newest to the tracks — and sprinkling some serious stardust along the way — is the Britannic Explorer, run by luxury heritage rail operator Belmond. The train, which has two dining cars, a wellness suite and an observation car with art deco-styled bar, offers comfort of the highest order. There are five journeys to choose between, each departing from London Victoria: three-night trips to Cornwall, the Lake District or Wales, or six-night trips featuring Wales and either Cornwall or the Lake District. As well as enjoying some of the country's choicest inland and coastal scenery, you'll make stops for several off-train excursions along the way, from art galleries in Cornwall and hikes in Wales to a meal in the two-Michelin-star Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in the Cotswolds. There are 18 classy suites, top-quality food and impeccable service. And, as you'd expect, whichever trip you choose, it will cost you a pretty penny.
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The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is the grand dame of sleeper trains. After being featured in Agatha Christie's best-known novel, it's become the byword for yesteryear elegance and is one of the few surviving chariots of the golden age of travel. The interior has wood panelling and lush drapes, antique lamps and art deco mirrors, and a pianist in Bar Car 3764. Twin sleeper cabins have banquettes that are converted to beds after dark, while cabin suites have a pair of loungers. Splash out on one of the six grand suites for marble en suites, butler service and as much champagne as you can glug. The Eurostar will take you from London St Pancras to Paris where you'll join the Orient Express for the overnight leg to Venice. The following day, enjoy a lavish three-course lunch created by chef Jean Imbert, as well as afternoon tea, all served by liveried stewards.
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The Caledonian Sleeper is not only a civilised way to travel between London Euston and Scotland but — if the moon is high — one that promises sweeping views of stately castles and remote Highland wilderness as night falls. There are several routes: the Lowland Sleeper service travels to Edinburgh and Glasgow, the Highland Sleeper to Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William. Accommodation options include the en suite Caledonian Double (with double bed; breakfast included), the en suite Club room (twin bunks; breakfast included), the Classic room (twin bunks and shared bathroom) and a seated coach. There are accessible double and twin rooms. Classic and contemporary dishes with a focus on Scottish fare are served in the Club Car, and when morning comes the menu features everything from porridge to a cooked full Scottish breakfast. Room service is available, cabins come with complimentary sleep kits and there's wi-fi throughout — these are new trains that provide proper 21st-century comforts.
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This option presents the chance to ride a train and a boat at the same time. The night train to Sicily departs Milan in northern Italy in the evening, heading south through the hours of darkness. Eat a small breakfast of coffee and a sweet and savoury snack in your cabin while admiring the coastal views around the toe of Italy's boot, before the train is divided into sections of four carriages and shunted on to a special ferry that takes you across the Straits of Messina to Sicily; you'll reach Palermo late that afternoon. Choose from four-berth compartments with couchettes (which can be converted to seats during the day) or one, two or three-bed compartments (with basins) in the sleeping car. The journey takes the best part of 20 hours; there's a trolley service with snacks and drinks, but no bar or restaurant car, so take provisions and fill up at the ferry café if you're running low.
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Linking London Paddington and the West Country, the Night Riviera Sleeper runs back and forth between the bright lights of the capital and the beaches, fishing villages and wild corners of Cornwall. Services leave London shortly before midnight, taking a little over eight hours to reach the end stop at Penzance, where you can stroll across to the tidal island of St Michael's Mount. Trains the other way leave earlier in the evening and get into Paddington at around 5am, but cabin guests can remain on board until 6.45am, so you needn't rise with the lark. The train has a slick lounge area complete with art deco-style bar where you can stock up on snacks and drinks. Cabins have washbasins and are available in singles and twins; bookings include breakfast and access to first-class lounges (with showers) at Paddington, Truro and Penzance. Pets are welcome on board.
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This route links two of Europe's grandest, most romantic cities. Taking just under 15 hours, the train leaves Vienna in the early evening and reaches Rome at the civilised hour of 10.05am, giving you the whole day to explore the sights. Book a sleeper compartment (single, double or triple) — either standard or Comfortline (the former with basin and the latter fully en suite); or there are four and six-berth couchettes (shared bathroom), including a female-only option, and seating carriages. You'll be served either a Viennese breakfast of a roll with ham, or choices from a more substantial à la carte menu if you're travelling in a sleeping car. There's a bistro too, where you can buy snacks.
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Although built just 40 years ago, the Royal Scotsman is already a legendary train, with lacquered wood and plush fabrics that evoke an earlier, golden age of travel. Today, it whisks you from Edinburgh into the romantic wildness of the Scottish Highlands, with a series of experience-led itineraries ranging across two-night trips focused on food, four-night journeys into the world of malt whisky, and week-long extravaganzas taking you on a looping tour right around the Highlands. Choose an ensuite twin cabin, or properly splash out on a Grand Suite, complete with personal butler service and a complimentary treatment at the onboard spa. The two mahogany-panelled dining cars offer haute cuisine that focuses on fresh Scottish produce, together with a selection of more than 50 whiskies. Prepare yourself for ancient castles, rugged landscapes and a dram or two of Scotland's finest.
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This is a double-decker train that charts a 12-hour northward course from the capital of Finland up to the heart of Finnish Lapland. The night journey takes you above the Arctic Circle, offering a chance to see the midnight sun or the northern lights (depending on when you travel) as well as meet Father Christmas at his village in Rovaniemi, where most passengers alight. There are cabins that sleep up to two and three passengers, and pairs of '2+2' connected cabins downstairs for groups of four. All cabins have bunk beds; those on the upper deck have en suite bathrooms. Cabins on the lower deck share facilities, but can be a better bet for families due to the adjoining rooms. Accessible and pet-frieldy cabins are available. The cheapest ticket is simply a seat only and there's a restaurant carriage that sells snacks and drinks.
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Take an 11-day journey gliding through nine countries to tick off some of the world's most historic cities, including Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Belgrade, Skopje and Sofia. Most nights are spent aboard your hotel on wheels: the Golden Eagle Danube Express, which is firmly in the five-star category. Choose between deluxe (twin beds) and superior deluxe sleeper cabins (king-size doubles), each with wood-panelled rooms for relaxing during the day that are converted to bedrooms come night time. The restaurant serves up fine dining and you can enjoy a digestif in the bar lounge car, where a pianist plays in the evening. This is an inspiring, high-end trip with a price-tag to match.
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