Night Trains are Amazing, here's a top FIVE of European Sleeper Trains

Night trains are incredible, board in a city center  fall asleep and wake up in another country you've   just traveled more than a thousand kilometers and  barely notice plus you serve on a hotel night and   at the planet night trains are one of the lowest  carbon footprint emission for traveling long   distances that folks the magic of night trains hi  everybody and welcome to the channel today I will   present you what's in my opinion the top five of  Night Train in Europe not trained on my favorite   way of traveling I grew up in Night Train in  France and in my opinion traveling by Night Train   is the best way to travel long distances without  wasting too much time also I sleep incredibly well   on nitrate of course I would base my ranking  on my feelings when riding the train feel free   to disagree with me if you're respectful in the  comment section before diving into the subject   remember to subscribe to the channel alright  so first on this list number five and this is   the Great Western Railway Night Riviera service  it's one of the two remaining sleeper train in   the UK and to be fair it's one of the best train  connects London with Penzance and Cornwall sources   part of the UK I took this train back in 2018 as  my first sleeper experience in the United Kingdom   and first of all I was surprised by the price I  bought my ticket two days before departure and   I paid 85 British pound for my ticket which is a  fair price uh because in the UK you have a private   cabinet with breakfast when you book a Night  Train unlike many European country when you book   a sleeping compartment in the UK you're automatically  alone so you won't have to worry about sharing   your compartment with a stranger I love this  train so much uh primarily because of the vibe   the style of front and Paddington is absolutely  Charming Once onboard the train you discover a   modern cozy cabin with an ensuite washbasin and two beds if you also loaded up a bed   would be folded for more Comfort the bed itself  is very comfortable and that's why I love the most   in the cabin is the vibe on board these coaches  are rather old and were refurbished lately and you   can feel the coziness in a Britain way the carpet  the lightning it's a whole vibe once on board the   train you'll be greeted by a steward who will check  your ticket and take your breakfast order then   once set up feel free to fall asleep the great  thing about the Night Riviera is the fact that the   train is in the station and ready to board before  23:00 so you can board and fall asleep even   before the train turn the wheels the attendant  will wake you up one hour before arriving in   Penzance with your breakfast and what a delight  to have breakfast serve in bed while traveling   through the countryside I remember opening the  window and seeing the countryside passing by with   a light rain of course it's a UK but and sipping  my English breakfast tea in a proper teapot while   cruising was truly Unforgettable a few minutes  before arrival you will finally meet the ocean   and the Bay of Penzance on your left hand side it  sure is turning and I highly recommend Cornwall   to visit it's such a beautiful place in the UK  the train run every day and leave London at 23   45 which is quite late but helpful if you want to  have a night out in London you will arrive eight   hours later in pendants if you're heading to our  London the departure from Penzance will be at 21: 45   at night but there were arrival in London will be  at five in the morning which is a bit early so I   recommend you something other than this option  going east will be better for you and I just   remember that the dining cars have food and drinks  on both the train it's located between coach and   the sleeping car and if you're traveling on a  budget you can always travel by coach but I really   don't recommend it the seat is uncomfortable  the price difference is not worth it it's only   six British pound to upgrade to a sleeping  accommodation then the next one on the list   is the Euronight Croatia and that's a train I took  recently and I loved every second of this journey   Linking Zagreb, the Croatian capital and  Zurich in Switzerland the Euronight Croatia is   an incredible way of traveling between Croatia and  Switzerland I took this train back in the summer   of 2022 and I remember it very clearly because  this trip was right after my exhausting Journey   on Optima Express a train I will talk later in  the video and I do have a strong memory from this   trip because I was so happy to have finally some  AC after suffering three days of extreme heat and   non-climatized coach on the Optima Express so  picture this you board in the heart of Zagreb   from Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor around six in the afternoon  and you climb onboard a very modern sleeping car   made in Croatia and trust me guys it's a it  was a lovely sleeping car really modern and   really with everything you need there are three  type of accommodation onboard this train the most   expensive would be the sleeping car you can book  either with the compartment for yourself for a   total of 120 Euro or you can book a compartment  but you might end up with stranger for 69 Euro   keep in mind the maximum occupancy of the  compartment is three passenger for the sleeping   car then you can book a couchette compartment but  you have different amenities in the sleeping car   no snack and no ensuite washroom nope just a  compartment that you share with 6 passengers the   last accommodation is a coach seating where you  are just have a compartment with six seats and   I really don't recommend this unless you're  really broke it's not a great idea you will   spend your night wide awake so the price of the  couchette start at 49 euros and 29 Euros for the   seat accommodation but so why is this train in  your best European night trains ranking well you   would cross several countries the first one being  Slovenia quickly you'll make your way through the   Sava River Gorge and the rails strictly followed  the river curve it's beautiful it's really   truly tuning you will follow this River until the  capital Ljubljana in Slovenia right after you might   and I saw it a gorgeous sunset in the mountain  background and I remember reading my book while enjoying   the sunset but here's an example it guys it  was just amazing and I suggest you to ride this   train during the summer to increase your chance of  seeing the Sava River Gorge during the daylight   once you wake up the following day by the way it  was one of the most silent sleeping car I've been   on it's so cozy, it's really comfy and you  will wake up in the earth of the Alps somewhere   in Australia or Switzerland depending on how late  you sleep you might even wake up in Liechtenstein   my favorite moment was when we went by the lake  of Walenstadt and you can enjoy breakfast you ever   buy your sleeping car attendant while in bed and  watching the Alps go by just awesome with that then   you will arrive in the heart of Zurich at the Hauptbahnof  of station by 10 o'clock also it's perfect for   enjoy the day in Zurich or catching another train  to Paris like I did if you are traveling to Zagreb   from Zurich you probably miss the Alpine part and  the train leaves Zurich around nine o'clock   still you'll have lot of time in the morning to  enjoy Slovenian landscape and prime time in the   Sava Gorge but the journey northbound to Zurich would be your best bet to enjoy the train   from memories I try to book on the Croatian  website the train but it was really tricky so   you can book it in Zurich or you can book it in  in Zagreb or any Croatian station but also the   the Austrian website ÖBB is selling the ticket  and the website is pretty well made so the best   book online would be ÖBB website the third one on  the list will be snow Snälltåget or Snälltåget   depending on how you say it but uh between the  German capital of Berlin and Stockholm the capital   of Sweden this train is an absolute blessing for  good old-fashioned Night Trains enjoyers like me you   won't find any fancy sleeping cars onboard this train but let me explain why this train sneak into the   third position today so I took this train twice  for Hamburg because back in the days the train   originated in the Hamburg Haupbahnof and but the  train originated from Berlin now very clearly   about the end of the afternoon so you will enjoy  an incredible Sunset over Northern Germany between   Berlin and Hamburg and as I said earlier the train  is old-fashioned with an old engine and four five   couchette car from the old Deutsche Bahn fleet but they  have a fresh paint scheme of course but you can   tell they are pretty rustic there is no fancy  sleeping car on the train only a couchette that you   share with stranger but no worries you can always  book the entire compartment for couple extra euros   and if you want to make friends the Snälltåget is made for you people on board all chill and   they are here to meet people and take their time  and I rarely saw a train where the vibe was so   chill I remember one day in Hamburg I saw a dude  boarding with flip-flops and a surfboard going to   Sweden anyway so you leave Hamburg at 22:00 in the  night and you have nothing else to do but relax   and sleep you will arrive in Stockholm in the  in the middle of the afternoon but protip once   you leave Hamburg be sure to take a look on the left  hand side to see a gorgeous view of the city of   Hamburg weirdly enough my two nights on the Snälltåget were amongst my favorite why despite the   old couchette Snälltåget provide true true bed  linen where you'll find some simple or all-in-one   bed linen in most night trains and I took in my life  but here it's like home and boy it feel great   on both trips I woke up on the island of  Funen (Denmark) around 07:00 in the morning and since   it's an old rolling stock you can open the  window and enjoy the brisk of Danish morning   and a couple of minutes later you can enjoy the  crossing of the Great Belt Bridge you literally fly   over the Northern sea, it's gorgeous after this we  bypass Copenhagen and pass on the Øresund Bridge   that's massive infrastructure linking Denmark  in Sweden and I made a video about that bridge   one day back in the day and then you're finally  in Sweden YAY! The train is making you a rather   long stop in Malmö to turn around and add some  more cars to our consist because Snälltåget also operate as an Intercity brand between Malmö and  Stockholm Malmö's stop is perfect, you will have   roughly one hour to go and do what you want and I  usually go for a walk and then I get a coffee at   the local station coffee shop and a break like  that is essential for an enjoyable long train   journey because this train is pretty long and  back on the train the Snälltåget get to "Krogen" it's a dining car again from the old DB fleet but oh my this was probably the one of the   best Dining Car I've eaten in my life so far most  of the food is freshly cooked and the vibe is   old school the ride to Stockholm is rather long  but feel free to hang out at the window and enjoy   the gorgeous forest, plains and lakes Sweden has to  offer it's truly unique and beautiful you will   live right after lunch in the heart of Stockholm  and don't miss a rival in Stockholm it's a true   Delight be sure to look on the left hand side  and both sides are pretty cool by the way SJ the   Swedish State operator recently launched a similar  service in frontal competition with Snälltåget   and despite being slightly faster and not again  and more convenient for travelers the schedule   need to be earlier to see most of the cool thing  I mentioned about it's like taking a highway it's   and not a scenic road it's sufficient but it's not  worth it at all so price start around 50 Euro for   a seat and yeah there is a seated coach but again  I don't recommend it and you can find tickets   around 89 Euro for shared compartment with six  passengers you have the option of booking a private   compartment what I did for both trip and you must  spend 350 Euros yep it's expensive but it's the   price of being alone for the schedule of the train  I will recommend to check Snälltåget's website   they have a lot of track works during the night  since it's a night train, that stuff happened   a lot and the schedule are constantly changing  number two on the list is the night train to Lapland   in Finland by VR the national state operator  of Finland with this train you can board in the evening   from downtown Helsinki and wake up in the middle  of Lapland in a great North though I took this   train back in the summer of 2019 I saw dozens of  experiences of this train during the winter and it   looks even better than my experiences during the  server so if you want to do it you should do it   during the winter the great thing about this train  is you can choose multiple departure and leave out   either 19:45 or 23:15 in the evening flexibility  is one of the key to an enjoyable Night Train   ride with no stress is your apartment longer than  expected no worries thanks the next one anyway   so why do I love this trend so much well for once  it's not all about scenery but VR sleeping car or   massive this is mainly due to the Finnish loading  gauge which is more generous than the European   one allowing massive railcar on the tracks  trust me it's gigantic the sleeping cars are    double-decker and on the upper level you will  find a deluxe cabin with an ensuite toilet and   a shower at the lower level some similar cabin  but without the toilet and the shower and when I   boarded the train, I was initially booked with a  stranger on the lower level and which was okay for   me but I saw many Deluxe compartment upstairs once  the train departed in and once I departed I kindly   asked the train manager and explain the situation. He kindly allocated me to a Deluxe compartment   just with me myself and I it was delightful and  of course you won't see any right away stunning   landscape but I can ensure you would have  one of the best night onboard this sleeping car   since your few meters above the tracks the Comfort  onboard is stunning it's the quietest I've been   on this is the quietest in my experience and how awesome is to slowly wake up in the morning in the middle   of the tundra forest and the first thing I did was  to take a shower and I remember showering and I was   like hell yeah bro this is sick I'm I'm showering  at 160 kilometers while going through the Finnish   Forest then feel free to grab a coffee at the  nearby dining car or any Finnish specialties it was   pretty expensive but remember you're on the train  it's almost a shame that no food or drinks are   included with the Deluxe ticket though right now on  the website you can pre-order your breakfast and a   dining car attendant will deliver you breakfast to  your bed and before you even realize you would be   arriving at the destination of Rovaniemi and the  official hometown of Santa Claus I have personally   never been there because I was traveling to Sweden  right after on my trip during the summer but there   is several lines for this night train but the  most famous one is Helsinki to Rovaniemi you can   go to others places in Finland if you book early  enough you can find a compartment for around   40 euros if you want to be alone you will have to  pay extra but one making this video I found some   private upstairs cabin for as low as 60 Euros  remember that these night trains are pretty busy   so price are constantly changing the earliest is  always the best when planning a train journey especially night trains because night trains are  pretty popular in Europe so book as early as you   can and now finally the number one on the list  ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the   last Ferry-train in Europe yeah Ferry-train it's a  train on a very boat and you can find this special   overnight trains in Italy, specifically Sicily if  you take a closer look you can see that Sicily in   Mainland Italy aren't physically connected by  land or bridge and the only way to get there is to...........  by flying or taking the ferry so imagine falling  asleep in the middle of an Italian city and   waking up in the morning in the middle of the  Strait of Messina on a boat yes on a boat while   sleeping on night trains so an Intercity Notte a service from Trenitalia is split into two   parts and loaded onto the boat in Villa San  Giovanni then the boat is on its way to Sicily   and Messina, before you even notice, well  you kind of feel the train when it's boarding   it's pretty it's pretty shaky but I'm telling you  folks when I woke up I was like "am I awake?"when I   excited my compartment and set foot on a boat  this was a weird yet unique experience through   the crossing of the Strait of Messina is quite  short around 30 minutes but you have plenty of   time to get up on the main deck and enjoy an  Italian expresso between the two land that's   what I did and if you are lucky you can see the  mount Etna in the background folks there is no   better way to wake up while traveling and you  can also enjoy the view for your train being   ferried like this footage from Paul Lucas  once you docked in Messina you can hang out for   a few minutes inside the ship and if you're lucky  you can see the unloading process of the other   part of the train I was going to Syracuse that day  and the staff unloaded the Palermo part first   yes because the two trains part yes because the  two-part train is traveling together in Mainland   Italy but it is then split on the boat and one is  heading toward the northern coast of Sicily   and the other one is heading South to Syracuse so after  a short break in Messina the train is on his way   to his final destination and there is no need to  say that Sicilian coastline is simply stunning   you're going through the small town, clearwater  beaches and in the background one and Etna this   train is the last Ferry train in Europe and that's  why it is of the title of the best overnight train   in Europe as for price and booking you need to  book on Trenitalia's website. Prices   range from 80 Euros for couchette compartment in  Italy you're traveling with four people not six   um and the upgrade to a sleeping car isisn't too  expensive it's around 100 euro so fourty euros   more so I would suggest taking the sleeping  car, if you can but hurry tickets, are limited   especially on the sleeping car again the price  varies a lot depending on how busy the train is   The train there is like a few trains going to  Sicily the first one being the one from Roma to Sicily   there are two departures from Roma one around  20:00 and one around 23:00 at night   and I suggest you to take the train that leaves  Rome late at night so the 23:00 one   because 20:00 departure as for the of the Strait of Messina during the night and not   in the morning so you can't really see anything  and you won't sleep for it because it's going   to be too shaky during the night there is also  a Intercity Notte that connects Milan and   Sicily this train leaves Milan around 20:00  at night and cross the Strait of Messina in   the middle of the morning so this option is great  if you are coming from Germany or France or even   Switzerland because Milan is greatly connected  by Europe by rail so this is this one would be   really useful especially if you want to sleep a  lot before seeing the crossing but you will spend   a lot of time on the train because you arrive  in um in Syracuse or Palermo around five in   the afternoon so here are some tips if traveling  by Night Train folks always travel with several   items like a sleeping mask and earplugs to make  your journey on Night Train more enjoyable you   can take also water or snacks hoodies and guess if  it's cold and battery packs all good idea I can't   tell you how many times like I had some problems  like that and no I'm I'm never traveling without   also all of this is not really listed above all  bookable with an Interrail pass of course you   will have to pay a fee for the reservation and of  course all these videos are available in classic trip report format on the channel I will link something don't  forget that I wrote a book about night trains  and 30 Unforgettable Journey in Europe it's only  available in French and German for now and you can   find a link to order the book worldwide uh down  below also folks I even talk about Nightjet and   the Optima Express first of all because Nightjet  is as you may know one of the leading companies   for night trains in Europe and basically without them  we wouldn't have that much night trains right now   in Europe uh but they usually go from downtown  to downtown and they're all doing this thing   great their sleeping cars are great, couchette as well. it's it's great it's not the most   unique but I wanted to mention them in the video  too also the Optima Express would have been   neck to neck who is number three but that train  is not really it's more like a charter train   and if it was a regular train it would have been  on number three but if you can do it do it it's   a it's a fun ride for real alright folks I hope  you like this video it's a premiere for me it's   been a lot of work gonna be honest I did it  and I'm kind of proud of it so I hope you like   it let me know in the comment section and I need  your honest out if I suck let me know too I will   do my best for the next one and don't forget  to subscribe alright folks see you next time

Channel: Simply Railway

Views: 82,700

Keywords: Europe, Night trains, Nacht Zug, Zug, Sleeper train, Overnight trains, Treno notte, Nightjet, Nachtzüge, ÖBB, Nattåg, Snälltåget, snalltaget, SJ, VR, GWR, Night Riviera, Euronight, Croatia, VR lapland Express, Santa Claus Express, Lapland train, Optima express, Intercity notte sicily, train boat, Italy, Interrail, Eurail, Europe by train, Simply Railway, Seat 61, Best sleeper, best night train europe, Night train guide, Train guide, Travel, Trains, Railway, Railroad, Switzerland, DB, sleeping car

Id: mq-qIqn6bsc

Length: 21min 53sec (1313 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 14 2023