The reality of exploring Europe by sleeper train

Can sleeper trains really compete with flying? I tested two operators to find out

Almost 150 years since the unveiling of the Orient Express, many of us still get a flicker of romance from sleeper trains – even if we’ve fallen thoroughly out of love with their daytime equivalents.
Is Europe on the verge of a great sleeper train renaissance? In the past few years, the idea has seemingly come back into fashion, with a number of new routes, services and features being launched.
Perhaps operators are betting that climate concerns will persuade more travellers to choose trains over planes. But can spending a night on the railways really hold a candle to the comfort and convenience of flying?
To find out, I headed on a weekend trip on the continent, setting off on the Eurostar before taking sleeper services across Germany and into the Czech Republic, before coming back the other way.
While Brussels is hardly the most enticing of cities, there’s no arguing that the Eurostar is a truly top-tier travel experience.
Speedy boarding, no baggage limits and a lunch menu created by Michelin-starred chefs all give Eurostar’s business-class service the edge over most flights. As I leave the Eurostar well-fed, refreshed and thoroughly satisfied, I have only one concern: has it set unrealistic expectations for the rest of my trip?
The great sleeper tour kicks off with the European Sleeper, an entirely new service that was launched in 2023 by two Dutch rail enthusiasts looking to bring back the old-fashioned overnight train.
As I watch the train roll into Brussels Midi, I realise that old-fashioned is no exaggeration. The service runs using carriages built in the 1950s and 1970s (although the interiors are more recent), giving them an imposing, almost industrial appearance.
After clambering up metal steps to get on board, I head to my couchette: the classic multi-person compartments that have been part of the sleeper experience since Victorian times. Despite the dated interiors seemingly recycled from Bakerloo Line trains, I get an initial flush of excitement as I close the door behind me.
As a solo traveller, I’ve been slightly greedy and reserved the entire couchette to myself. Typically, each bunk would cost around €89 (£73), but the European Sleeper lets you book an entire compartment for around €500 (£415). Suitable for a family then, but somewhat prohibitive for most singletons.
The couchette isn’t luxurious, but it is spacious, allowing me to use one side of the compartment as a seating area and the other as my bunk. I’m able to store my luggage completely out of sight – as well as hang up my coat – and utilise the pocket sockets to charge my devices.
Unlike the more plush cabins (known as Sleepers), there’s no private loo – meaning I’ll have to make do with the communal ones shared with nine other couchettes. There’s also no Wi-Fi, which is a tad disappointing, so I must rely on my phone’s 5G.
Rather than turn in immediately, I head to the dining car, which the European Sleeper is trialling on some services this autumn. Unlike the rest of the train, it’s completely new and also rather impressive. I enjoy some absolutely delicious gyoza and several glasses of wine.
When I return to my couchette, I’m relieved to find that the bed is much more comfortable than it looks. As I’m travelling alone, I’m only given one blanket, bedsheet and pillow. While I wasn’t planning on building a pillow fort, an extra set for comfort wouldn’t have gone amiss.
Still, I have no trouble nodding off, helped by the fact that – when you shut the curtains – it’s possible to plunge the entire room into sheer darkness. Once you’ve locked the door, you have a feeling of total privacy – something you don’t get on a business-class flight.
After seven or so hours’ kip comes a surprise as an announcement plays over the loudspeakers – a familiar bugbear for train passengers. What’s worse than an irritating announcement? Being woken up by one at 7.30am – in German.
Given I’ve slept well, perhaps I shouldn’t complain. But it’s frustrating to find that the volume dial above the door with an alluring silence symbol turns out to be purely decorative. (European Sleeper says its policy is not to make announcements between 10pm and 7am, when the trains are in “quiet mode”).
About an hour before Prague, I’m served a packed lunch-style breakfast. I also head to the washroom to freshen up. While the washrooms are pokey, they help reduce queueing as you don’t need to wait for a full bathroom just to wash your face. It’s also perfectly big enough to brush your teeth, even though the train’s rocking motion may turn a morning shave into a risky endeavour.
I arrive in Prague rather impressed by the whole experience, particularly when I find out that European Sleeper started on an investment of just €3 million (for context, the Eurostar’s annual revenue is well over €1 billion). I’ve known West End restaurants with bigger budgets – and they didn’t have such good gyoza.
Using the Trainline app, I book two daytime services to get me from Prague to Linz in Austria, where I can board another sleeper train the next night.
Despite expectations though, the first leg turns out not to be a train at all, but a coach (confusingly called RegioJet). Having boarded more than my fair share of bus replacement services, I prepare for disappointment.
For all my fears, the Regiojet turns out to be much more advanced than most British coaches, with internet-enabled screens on every seat. Travellers can also play basic card games, or most surprisingly of all, watch a documentary about Milan Kundera.
Backed by the Austrian government, ÖBB’s Nightjet is the more established sleeper service, with trains running across much of Western Europe.
Having already tried a couchette, I opt for a more modern sleeper car. At €200 (£166) upwards, they’re not cheap given their size, but they do come with more amenities – such as an in-room wash-basin and even a private shower if you opt for the deluxe version (around €300).
The sleeper car certainly looked snazzier than the couchettes (including the Nightjet’s couchettes, which weren’t that different from the European Sleeper). Like a lot of premium products though, most of the differences came from the little extras and amenities festooned upon you as you board.
No sooner had I found my cabin, I’d been served with a small bottle of sparkling wine, as well as a package containing snacks, a sleep mask, a hand towel and some of those throwaway slippers for when you’re walking around the train. Nice to have, absolutely, but probably not a deal breaker.
Unlike the European Sleeper, there wasn’t a dining car on board, but there was a hot food menu and the option to order a custom breakfast (included in the ticket price) for the morning. There was also no Wi-Fi, although ÖBB says that this is available on their new trains (which don’t yet run on the Brussels route).
One advantage the Nightjet does have though, is that it offers showers. But would they be any good? Having tolerated some rather titchy hotel bathrooms over the years, I was pleasantly surprised by the space, even the water pressure too.
The larger bed with a proper duvet may have had a slight edge over the couchette but, in truth, I didn’t notice much difference in the quality of sleep. I managed to snooze for most of the night and that’s good enough for me.
Perhaps more than any other form of travel, whether you enjoy the sleeper train experience is always going to depend largely on your personality. Even looking at a couchette probably gives you an idea of which camp you’re in.
As a more adventurous traveller, I was always more likely to enjoy myself. But both the European Sleeper and Nightjet were still more comfortable than I had anticipated. On the other hand, did I see anything that might win over a sleeper train sceptic? Probably not.
I also encountered an issue on the Nightjet when German police gave me a midnight knock as part of their emergency checks on the Austrian border and insisted on checking my passport. Obviously it wasn’t something that ÖBB can control, but it was a bit of a surprise. If you’re thinking about an Interrail adventure, it could be worth keeping an eye on what’s happening in terms of enhanced border checks.
I also have one confession, which is that I chose to spend one night in a hotel in the Czech town of České Budějovice. Given that sleeper trains depart late and arrive early in the morning, I didn’t fancy a whole day on my feet or to go 24 hours without taking a decent shower.
Factor in that slight deviation from the sleeper train experience and I was one happy camper – despite those irritating announcements.