10 of the best sleeper trains in Europe

Night train services are having a renaissance, thanks to renewed investment from operators, amid the need to fly less, here are the best sleeper trains in Europe. Stockholm to Narvik The country that’s home to Greta Thunberg and that coined the term flygskam (flight shame) has plans to introduce new sleeper routes this year. New connections from Malmö will be welcomed but for many Swedes nothing can beat the 20-hour odyssey from their capital’s Central Station across the wilderness of the Arctic Circle and on to the Norwegian town of Narvik. Berths from €83 Milan to Palermo This route offers the unusual: a chance to be on a train that boards a ferry – to cross the Strait of Messina. It’s also a special experience to travel from Italy’s industrial, artistic northern cities to the tip of the beautiful rural south. Italian sleepers are not known for hotel-like touches so prepare for a rustic experience on this route. Berths from €60 Paris to Rome The French Thello night train goes from the City of Light across the Alps to Milan (for onward connections on Trenitalia for Rome) and then various stops to Venice. It offers an affordable alternative for journeys you may otherwise think to take by plane. Start a journey with a drink at the Gare de Lyon’s famous Le Train Bleu, share a picnic and stories with fellow passengers before turning in for a comfortable sleep – and then get ready to jump off in Milan as dawn breaks. There is a connection to be made here but arrival at Termini is still by 10am. Berths from €30 Nice to Moscow If unsure about all those days spent doing the Trans-Siberian, get just a taste on Europe’s longest sleeper train. Leaving Nice on a Sunday morning, travel via Berlin and an extensive stop at Brest in Belarus (for visa checks and to change to Russian gauge) to arrive in Moscow in time for lunch on Tuesday. Follow the Union Flag and then International Routes, berths from £250 Brussels to Vienna The most recent route to be added to the Nightjet service, this sleeper offers good links from the UK via the Eurostar to Vienna, travelling twice weekly, depart Brussels with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine, then enjoy a comfortable bed and arrive at 7.27am. Berths from €60 Madrid to Lisbon Known as Trenhotel Lusitania, the “train hotel” is an efficient and eco-friendly way to travel between these two capitals. It departs at 9.45pm and arrives at Lisbon’s Gare do Oriente at 7.30am.The cafe-bar is a convivial place to meet fellow travellers and can serve up a hot dish and a glass of vinho verde, which may help with the bumpy night’s sleep ahead. Berths from €34 Zurich to Hamburg Austrian Railways (ÖBB) has managed to deliver smooth, fast and comfortable Nightjet journeys since it launched its sleeper service in late 2016. The Nightjet network spreads across Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Italy, but this is one of the only routes offering double-decker rolling stock. Berths from €60 Helsinki to Rovaniemi This sleeper is often referred to as the Santa Claus Express. Children under 10 travel free, cars can be taken on the train and the train is a double-decker. Run by the Finnish operator VR, the journey begins in the art-deco magnificence of Helsinki Central Station and over 12 hours whisks its way towards Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. The route runs all year and advance booking is essential. Berths from €48 Budapest to Bucharest Budapest’s Keleti station, where this sleeper originates, leaves the utilitarian terminus crowd behind with its grand facade, high ceilings and sense of space and light.The sleeper arrangements are pretty standard and note there may be no restaurant car until you reach Romania. Berths from £45 London Paddington to Penzance The UK currently has two regular sleeper services from London: the Night Riviera to Cornwall and the Caledonian Sleeper to Scotland. Great Western Railway (GWR) operates the Night Riviera, which has recently been refurbished to feature charging points, hotel-quality duvets and hanging space, plus airline-style seats in the seated carriages.Throughout the night it’s possible to disembark at 14 stops, from Taunton to Penzance, and from where sea connections go to the Isles of Scilly. Berths from £50