European overnight trains are making a comeback

Traveling Europe by train is a classic travel experience, and for good reason—rail travel can be comfortable and convenient, and you can take in the scenery between stops. But perhaps the epitome of riding a train for travel, not just commuting, is the sleeper train.

In recent years, affordability relative to other means of transportation, such as budget airlines, has caused train companies to cut back on their overnight offers. This year though, that trend appears to be reversing with new and established European train operators announcing expanded offerings.

Austria’s national railway ÖBB has officially launched the first of their sleek new Nightjet trains. Each can carry up to 254 people on overnight rides between Vienna, Budapest, Berlin, Milan, Rome and Zurich, with amenities such as wireless charging stations, free wifi, bicycle and snow sports equipment storage, and private compartments. And it’s not just the big operations. The start-up European Sleeper launched in May with overnight train routes between Berlin and Brussels.

For those doing the math on your own, yes, you can get from Brussels to Berlin in 90 minutes by plane. But that would require navigating understaffed and overcrowded airports, disruption-prone flights, and cramped, uncomfortable planes. 

If time isn’t your top priority, the longer train journey offers plenty of conveniences—it’s a lot easier to bring a pet or extra luggage, and there’s more elbow room. Sleeper trains are also a particularly comfortable opportunity for the classic and, in our opinion, underrated shoestring travel trick of saving on lodging by being in transit through the night.

Environmental concerns are another reason both individual travelers and governments are trying to divert some trips to trains instead of planes. Last year, before the Nightjet fleet was in operation, Austria’s environment minister, Leonore Gewessler, emphasized the relative emissions at the launch of the new fleet, saying that, “A journey with a NightJet is 50 times more climate-friendly than making the same journey by plane.” 

For some vacationers, it’s not about convenience, greenhouse gas emissions, or any other way that a train ride stacks up against a flight. Instead, it’s about the novelty—and sometimes the luxury—of being on the train.

Deluxe sleeper trains offering a unique travel experience have been popping up recently too, in addition to more economically-oriented options. A newly recovered and restored Orient Express, featuring cars from the original line, is scheduled to operate trips from Paris starting next year. The latest iteration of the famous train will feature refurbished furniture, dining cars, and all the comforts of an all-inclusive luxury trip.

The hospitality company that owns the Orient Express also operates a number of Orient Express-themed hotels in Europe, and runs a sister train line in Italy called Orient Express La Dolce Vita. On board, passengers can enjoy the “tribute to the glamor, joie de vivre and artistic fervor of the 1960s.”

With no-frills budget fares included on a EuroRail pass to all-inclusive luxury rides, there are more and more ways to take an overnight train ride in Europe this summer. Whether you’re worried about environmental impact, comfort, the views, or just want the novelty of staying in a fancy coach, Europe’s sleeper train offerings are only increasing.

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