He tested all the night trains in Europe: from worst to best
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Published on 8/13/25, modified on 4/3/26
Fall asleep in Paris and wake up in Nice, Vienna or Berlin? Close your eyes in Brussels and open them in Venice or Prague? Discover several European capitals while saving on hotel nights? Enjoy a unique travel experience, eat in a dining car and watch magnificent sunsets and sunrises from your bunk? That's the magic of night trains!
If you want to try your hand at visiting the Old Continent (great idea!) Here's a little guide to help you find your way around. What is Europe's night train network? And in France? Where can you book your tickets? And first of all, why travel by train at night rather than during the day, and is it really comfortable? We explain it all.
After decades of neglect, night trains are making a comeback in Europe (much to our delight).
For the record, night trains have enjoyed a decline from the 1980s after a golden age between 1930-1970. The reason: the arrival of high-speed trains (TGVs), which redrew the railway map; growing competition from air travel and low-cost airlines; and the increasingly widespread use of cars.
But in 2016, the Austrian company ÖBB took over the brand (and the City Night Line network) from Deutsche Bahn and renamed it Nightjet. She became the spearhead of the revival of night trains in Europe before being joined by other cooperating public companies.
Since then, it would seem that this mode of transport has become very popular, since several international lines have recently been (re)launched.
| Company | Base country | Main lines | Reservations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nightjet (ÖBB) | Austria | Vienna, Innsbruck, Salzburg → all of Central Europe | nightjet.com |
| Deutsche Bahn | Germany | Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt (international connections) | bahn.de |
| SBB | Switzerland | Zurich → Vienna, Berlin, Amsterdam, Prague | sbb.ch |
| SNCF Voyageurs | France | Paris → internal network France | sncf-connect.com |
| Trenitalia (Intercity Notte) | Italy | Rome, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Venice | trenitalia.com |
| MAV | Hungary | Budapest → Munich, Zurich, Warsaw, Bucharest | mavcsoport.hu |
| ČD | Czech Republic | Prague → Vienna, Budapest, Zurich, Warsaw | cd.cz |
| European Sleeper | Belgium | Brussels, Amsterdam, Prague, Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg | europeansleeper.eu |
| Snälltåget | Sweden | Berlin-Copenhagen-Stockholm (seasonal) | snalltaget.se |
| Caledonian Sleeper | United Kingdom | London → Scotland | sleeper.scot |
And the good news is that it exists a complete map Signed Back-on-Track to list Europe's entire night train network, right here !
A sample of the European night train map from ©Back on Track.
On this map of night trains in Europe simply click on an itinerary to obtain Company name and booking link.
But here's an overview of the main operators in Europe to help you get a clearer picture:
Nightjet the night train brand of ÖBB (Austrian State Railways), is known for its night-blue trains and its evocative name, but not only that.
What makes her famous, above all, is her extensive night train network in Eastern and Central Europe the France to the Belgium through the Netherlands, l' Germany the Czech Republic, l' Italy the Switzerland or, of course, the Austria!
To book your tickets, go to www.nightjet.com/fr.
And to discover the full Nightjet range, you can go to the Destinations" tab"of the Nightjet website by ÖBB, or take a look at this Nightjet line map.
Here's a tip: on the nightjet.com You can even click on "Other destinations" to discover the night-time routes offered by other operators that are not on sale on the site!
Attention, October 2024 update: until july 2025, traffic will be disrupted on night trains ÖBB Nightjet Munich-Rome, Munich-La Spezia and Stuttgart-Munich-Ljubljana-Zagreb due to work on the Austrian Federal Railways' Tauern tunnel. More info here and here.
ÖBB's partner companies include :
DB is involved in several international agreements (notably on the Paris-Berlin, Brussels-Berlin, Berlin-Zurich and Hamburg-Zurich lines).
To book your tickets, go to www.bahn.de.
The Swiss company is also working closely with ÖBB and its Nightjet network to offer night trains from Switzerland. His main destinations include :
For further information and to book your tickets, go to on the company website.
Unfortunately, the only two international night services from Paris were discontinued in December 2025.
Launched in December 2021 in cooperation with ÖBB Nightjet, the P aris-Vienne was cancelled in December 2025 due to a lack of financing. No buyer has yet been announced.
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Paris-Berlin and Paris-Vienna night trains: can they still be saved?
As for the Paris-Berlin launched in December 2023 by SNCF Voyageurs and ÖBB, was also discontinued in December 2025. Fortunately, it was taken over by European Sleeper in March 2026. Our complete guide to the Paris-Berlin European Sleeper route :
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Paris–Berlin night train: European Sleeper relaunches the route (and adds Hamburg)
As for our border neighbors, Italy offers a wide choice of night trains! Visit Trenitalia's InterCity Notte network All of Italy's major cities are served: Rome, Milan, Naples, Venice or even Palermo in Sicily !
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Intercity Notte: everything you have to know about night trains in Italy
Tickets are available (for example, you can find Rome-Venice tickets for around €30 if you book a month in advance!), and some lines offer several departures a day (4 daily trains from Milan, 2 from Rome and Turin...).
Trenitalia.com
Comfort : like most companies, Trenitalia offers seats, berths or sleeper cars (with breakfast included if you travel in a berth). A little Italian speciality: sleeper cars are automatically private ! And as an added bonus, your four-legged friend is welcome on the train.
Find out about all the connections and book your ticket, here (InterCity Notte offer on trenitalia.com).
In Europe, the Hungarian night trains of the company MAV (Magyar Államvasutak) also allow you to link Budapest to several major cities such as :
And the good news is that most night trains run daily, all year round.
Comfort : MAV offers seating, berths and sleeping cars (with breakfast included in berths and sleeping cars), for very affordable prices (seats from €29, berths from €54, sleeping cars from €79, bookable up to 3 months in advance).
For reservations, visit MAV company website or on the Nightjet website.
And to find out more, take a look at our article on the Retro Istria Express Europe's most vintage 80s-style night train, linking Budapest and the popular seaside resorts of the Istrian peninsula.
If you want to travel in Central and Eastern Europe, Czech night trains ČD also connect :
cd.cz - Night train map ČD
Comfort : ČD offers tickets in seats, berths, sleeper cars with Standard (up to 3 people) and Deluxe (with private shower and WC) cabins - for prices between €50 and €90 approximately - and offers a dining car on board our trains!
To reserve, visit company website ČD or on the Nightjet website.
And the latest addition to the family photo is European Sleeper, a start-up founded in 2021 by two entrepreneurs with a passion for travel. And not just any start-up, as it is clearly one of the players in the revival of overnight trains.
After an initial route between Brussels and Prague via Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Berlin European Sleeper has launched a Paris-Berlin and Paris-Hamburg route, opening up a new gateway to the Nordic countries!
We detail all the European Sleeper lines in this dedicated article:
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European Sleeper: Brussels–Milan, Paris–Berlin, and Prague night trains in 2026
And to book your tickets, go to European Sleeper website.
Thibault Constant of the Youtube channel @SimplyRailway in front of a European Sleeper night train
And to find out more, take a look at our Top of Europe's most comfortable night trains !
And in France? By 2017, only three routes were still operating in France. But as of 2018, discussions are once again underway to relaunch night trains. And thanks to a recent study by the French government as part of the French law on mobility, nearly 10 night train lines could be created by 2030 ! Let's hope so...
At present, a dozen French cities are served by INTERCITÉS night trains departing from Paris-Austerlitz (to reserve your tickets, go to www.sncf-connect.com) :
Would you like to fall asleep in Paris only to wake up in the red city, with its cicadas and Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile (a UNESCO World Heritage site) just a 13-minute walk from the station?
Would you like to fall asleep in Paris, only to wake up on the Mediterranean, sunbathing just a stone's throw from Spain?
Would you like to fall asleep in Paris only to wake up in the Cantal and enjoy a delicious truffle?
Would you like to fall asleep in Paris only to wake up in a spa town and enjoy the warmest waters of the Pyrenees?
Would you like to fall asleep in Paris only to wake up in the heart of the Alps breathing pure mountain air?
Want to fall asleep in Paris and have breakfast on the Croisette?
Would you like to fall asleep in Paris only to wake up on the doorstep of Spain?
Would you like to fall asleep in Paris and wake up in the Pyrénées-Orientales?
Would you like to fall asleep in Paris only to wake up in "the city of miracles" and enjoy the scenery of the Hautes-Pyrénées?
And if you don't know what to do for two days in Lourdes, check out our article " A weekend in Lourdes" !
Would you like to fall asleep in Paris and wake up in the heart of Occitanie?
Want to fall asleep in Paris and wake up on the Côte d'Azur, strolling along the Promenade des Anglais and enjoying the view of the Baie des Anges from the Colline du Château? It's possible, since 2021 (incidentally, our reporter Louise has tested it for you: don't hesitate to find out more! feedback here)!
Psst... Once in Nice, why not continue the adventure by taking the TER to Menton or Ventimiglia, or continue with the Expresso Riviera to Milan ?
Would you like to fall asleep in Paris and wake up in the Hautes-Pyrénées?
And since the end of 2024, you can also visit in Gironde or in the Landes thanks to two new stops on the Paris-Tarbes line: Facture-Biganos (Gironde) and Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse (Landes).
From Facture-Biganos station, you can then easily reach the various stations in the area. Arcachon Basin less than 20 minutes by TER!
The view of the Arcachon Basin from the famous Dune du Pilat
Would you like to fall asleep in Paris, only to wake up in the pink city and stroll along the banks of the Garonne?
And if you lack inspiration for your next weekend on the night train, SNCF Connect gives more details in this article !
First of all, as you can imagine, taking a night train allows you to save money. By falling asleep in one city and waking up in another, you not only you don't see time passing since the journey takes place at night, but you save on hotel nights.
You wake up the next morning at your destination, and all you have to do is enjoy your day.
Tolt on the road!
Ecological, time-saving, money-saving... the night train has it all. But beyond its practicality, it also lets you s urther travel experience ! And that, at HOURRAIL! We like it a lot.
If you've never taken an overnight train before, here's what our guests had to say about their overnight train journeys on Can I buy you a rail? :
" Breakfast in your pyjamas a, watching the landscape go by through the glass, it's better than a hotel." - Luc, who travelled 31,000 km through 27 countries on his Interrail trip.
"The Trans-Siberian Railway is like being in another world. Three and a half days on a train through emptiness, surrounded by snow and trees as far as the eye can see." - Benjamin, who travelled to Mongolia by train.
"As I was with my dog we were lucky enough to have a six-berth bunk just for the two of us. Thanks Rafiki!" - Marion, who travelled with her Shetland shepherd Rafiki to Stockholm by train.
"The sleeper train in the Carpathians, with that little traveler kit, was truly one of the magical moments of this journey." - Anna, on her train journey to Greece.
"I love night trains. They're all different, and you meet lots of people. They all have their little peculiarities. For example, on Hungarian and Czech trains we're given a chocolate-filled croissant in the morning." - Luc, who travelled 31,000 km through 27 countries on his Interrail trip.
Still not convinced? We recommend this article to go further!
Each company offers its own classification. But most offer these 3 travel classes :
Thibault Constant - "Seating" option
Thibault Constant - "Sleeper" option
Thibault Constant - Sleeper option
Other operators, such as SNCF Voyageurs offer a different range of products, with seating and sleeper cars with 4 berths in first class and 6 in second class (the sleeper car has not been offered by SNCF since 2007 due to lack of profitability).
Finally, you should know that most night trains are equipped with individual sockets. So there's no need to worry about recharging your phone!
If you're looking for inspiration for your next overnight train trip, we highly recommend these articles:
And there you have it. With all that, you should know everything there is to know about night trains. But the best thing is to experience it for yourself... Enjoy your adventure!
Issue du monde de la communication et des médias, Sophie est Responsable éditoriale chez HOURRAIL ! depuis août 2024. Elle est notamment derrière le contenu éditorial du site ainsi que La Locomissive (de l'inspiration voyage bas carbone et des bons plans, un jeudi sur deux, gratuitement dans ta boîte mail !).
Convaincue que les changements d’habitude passent par la transformation de nos imaginaires, elle s’attache à montrer qu’il est possible de voyager autrement, de manière plus consciente, plus lente et plus joyeuse. Son objectif : rendre le slow travel accessible à toutes et tous, à travers des astuces, des décryptages et surtout, de nouveaux récits.
