There’s nothing more relaxing than watching the world pass from the comforts of the night trains in Europe. The sound of revving engines, meeting new people from around the world, luxurious amenities and tasting some of the best in-house meals are some of the memorable takeaways you can expect if you travel Europe by sleeper trains.

European sleeper trains are highly regarded for their long routes, comfortable compartments and stylish cabins that make the journey enjoyable if you are travelling solo or with a group of friends or family.

The reason travellers love sleeper trains in Europe is that it is the sixth-largest continent in the world, which covers some of the most beautiful places on earth. It has one of the largest railway networks, spanning 44 nations and several major cities across different time zones.

If you’re up for an adventure or want to see how the glamorous sleeper trains in Europe can be, here is everything you need to know about travelling Europe by sleeper trains.

A look at some of the best sleeper trains in Europe

ÖBB Nightjet

Run by Austrian Railways (ÖBB), Nightjets offer some of the most comfortable ways of travelling across the gorgeous cities in Europe. With its 12-hour overnight route connecting the Netherlands with Switzerland via Cologne and Frankfurt in Germany, the Nightjet sleeper service train takes its passengers through over 25 cities.Travellers opting for ÖBB Nightjet can choose from three accommodations — Seating Carriage, Couchette and Sleeper Cabin. While those who wish to travel with other passengers, make new friends and have a gala time can choose the Seating Carriage, those looking to immerse themselves in a luxurious experience can choose the Sleeper Cabin. Additionally, budget-conscious passengers, who might want to journey solo, in groups or with family, can go for the Couchette.Of the three, the Sleeper Cabin offers deluxe services to make your travel a leisurely experience. Its standard compartments come with a wash basin, while its luxury variant has a bathroom, which includes a shower, a wash basin and towels, among other amenities.Moreover, the Sleeper Cabin offers accommodation through its three types of compartments — single, double and triple. While the single has enough room for one occupant, the double offers separate beds for two individuals and the triple accommodates three passengers in three separate beds. These cabins come with a menu, hot and cold beverages, as well as an à la carte breakfast.The Couchette offers compartments with four and six berths, which include amenities like blankets, sheets and pillow for every berth, Viennese breakfast that includes tea/coffee, a roll, butter and jam, as well as a food menu listing other beverages and delectable snacks.Finally, the most affordable way of travelling in an ÖBB Nightjet is by opting for a Seating Carriage that has six seats in a compartment, a common toilet in the coach and a menu for snacks and beverages.While Nightjets do not have Wi-Fi connectivity, one can expect affordable fares. The price of a standard cabin with second-class seating carriage starts at around EUR 29 (Rs 2,388 approx).
Itinerary: Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Croatia and Sweden

Caledonian Sleeper

Caledonian Sleeper offers sleeper train services between London and Scotland. It is one of the two main trains that runs six nights a week, covering a round trip from London Euston to Scotland. The trains take you through two main routes – Highlander, which travels through popular Scottish destinations like Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William. While the Lowlander route takes you to Edinburgh and Glasgow.As for its amenities and features, all the Guest Lounges have access to shower and en suite bathroom facilities, and it has an in-room washbasin and Wi-Fi access throughout the sleeper compartments. The train also offers a no excess baggage fee so that you can enjoy your journey without losing anything behind. The seats are divided into four categories: Caledonian Double, Club Room, Classic Room and Comfort Seats. While passengers who like to sleep comfortably can take the Caledonian Double, since it offers a double bed with Glencraft mattresses, young people and students can opt for the Club Room, as it offers twin bunk beds with everything else that is in the Caledonian Double. The Classic Room has the same features as Club Room, except for the En suite toilet, shower, and complimentary breakfast. As for the last one, Comfort Seats, passengers can expect single seats with footrest, a complimentary sleep kit, charging points and lockable storage compartments. All the seats have free Wi-Fi access and individual light systems, so you can personalise your late-night travels without disturbing other passengers. Passengers can buy their tickets online, as well as from their nearby ticket stations. The ticket prices range from EUR 65 (Rs 5353 approx) to EUR 114 (Rs 9388 approx) for the local journeys while per-seat charges for international travel can go up to EUR 474 (Rs 39035 approx. )or more depending upon the route, and the seat type.

Itinerary: England and Scotland

Trenhotel is a long-distance European night train service by Spanish rail network operator Renfe Group. It operates on international routes, covering cities across Spain and Portugal.Offering world-class amenities and seating arrangements with separate rooms, compartments, toilets and private showers, the train goes through six different routes on the Trenhotel network. It covers cities in Spain’s northern and central cities before crossing Portugal and stopping at Porto and Lisbon.It has super comfortable reclining seats with four sleeping carriages and double Grand Class suites. The Trenhotel comes with 136 seats that offer a personalised control area for reclining the backrest and footrest as well as an adjustable headrest.Other features the seats include are a reading light, magazine rack, individual audio system, a baby changer, a personalised luggage rack with an anti-theft system and a pushbutton to call staff on-boardThe large buffet car area on the train offers la carte dinners and breakfasts and can accommodate 10 tables that provide seating for 30 passengers. Each seating space is separated by a tempered glass screen, keeping in mind the privacy concerns of guests.The train also offers an entertainment system with a 15-inch screen that allows passengers to listen to music and watch up to eight films, free of cost. The train operates at a speed of 220 km/h and offers five national and two international routes, covering multiple cities at night.

Itinerary: Spain and Portugal

Every Francophile dreams of travelling to France via trains and local buses. And Intercités de Nuit makes this experience better. The train allows you to discover Paris, Toulouse, Latour de Carol, and all the way to the Briancon in the Alps, near the Italian border.Intercités de Nuit is a local name for overnight trains operated by France’s national railway company, SNCF. You can take three major trains to travel around France like a local – TGV, TER and Intercities. Intercités de Nuit offers three types of seats, reclining, a six-bed couchette and a four-bed sleeper couchette. The default seats make the sleeper compartments a comfortable experience through the first-class four-berth couchettes, second-class six-berth couchettes and reclining seats. However, you can book the whole couchette compartment (four tickets in first class couchettes or six tickets in second class) for exclusively private use with upgraded benefits.The average price for a reclining seat costs around EUR 9 (Rs 741 approx.), while a six-bed couchette and four-bed sleeper couchette are priced at EUR 19 (Rs 1,564 approx.) to EUR 25 (Rs 2,058 approx.) and EUR 19 to EUR 25, respectively. However, seat prices can change according to the time, season and occupancy on the train. As for its amenities, all the Intercités de Nuit trains come with standard air conditioning, luggage racks, power sockets and vending machines. Moreover, passengers can enquire about their trains via the tourist information centre; wherein one can change or upgrade their seats accordingly.