Dreamland Express: Unveiling Europe's Top 10 Sleeper Trains for 2024

Night trains are the most environmentally friendly way to travel across Europe. They allow you to save time (you can sleep while traveling!) and money on lodging. They are not just a form of transportation; they are like a hostel or hotel on the tracks. You can pick from various sleeping arrangements depending on your budget, and arrive refreshed at your destination in the morning, ready to start your day. Overnight trains in Europe provide more benefits than just saving money on a night's stay. They offer an exciting experience, recreating the romantic atmosphere of the past as they carry travellers, families and professionals throughout the continent under the cover of night.

10 Finest Overnight Sleeper Trains to Ride in Europe in 2024

These are the European night trains that you will be excited to travel on in 2024.

Nice to Moscow

If you are having doubts about spending so many days traveling the Trans-Siberian railway, you can get a small taste of it by taking the longest sleeper trains in Europe. Departing from Nice on a Sunday morning, the train journey goes through Berlin and has a long stop in Brest, Belarus for passport control and switching to wider Russian tracks. You will arrive in Moscow in time for lunch on Tuesday. Anticipate being able to take a hot shower (bring your own towels) and savor Polish and Russian food along the way.

Milan to Palermo

This itinerary provides something unique: the opportunity to ride a train that boards a ferry to cross the Strait of Messina. It is also a special adventure to journey from the artistic, industrial cities in northern Italy down to the beautiful countryside of the southern tip. Europe overnight trains are not known for hotel-like amenities, so be ready for a rustic ride on this route. The ferry excitement begins when you arrive mid-morning at Villa San Giovanni in Calabria. About 20 minutes later, on the other side at Messina, take in the sights along the coast of Sicily as you roll into Palermo in the late afternoon.

Brussels to Vienna

The newest route added to the Nightjet service is this Europe night train, which provides good connections from the United Kingdom via Eurostar to Vienna. By the end of 2020, Vienna became one amid the best-linked European cities for rail transportation. Operating twice per week, leave Brussels with a free glass of sparkling wine, then enjoy a cozy bed and arrive at 7:27am.

Zurich to Hamburg

Austrian Railways (ÖBB) has provided pleasant, rapid, and cozy Nightjet trips since launching its sleeper service in late 2016. The Nightjet routes extend across Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, but this is one of the only lines with double-decker cars. Since riding on the upper level of a European train is so enjoyable, being able to sleep up there fulfills childhood fantasies. Such luxury overnight trains in Europe have a table, seats, and its own shower.

Budapest to Bucharest

The train departs from Budapest's Keleti station, which has an impressive grand facade, high ceilings, and an open, bright atmosphere that contrasts with the practical design of the rest of the terminal. As the train leaves Keleti in the early evening, it travels overnight to arrive at Bucharest's Gara de Nord around lunchtime the next day. You can spend the morning after arrival admiring views of the Carpathian Mountains from your sleeper compartment before reaching the destination.

Madrid to Lisbon

The train hotel called Trenhotel Lusitania is an environmentally friendly and efficient way to travel between Madrid and Lisbon. It leaves at 9:45pm and gets to Lisbon's Gare do Oriente station at 7:30am. This European sleeper has no dining car, but the cafe-bar is a friendly place to meet other travelers and can provide a hot meal and some vinho verde wine, which may help with the rough night's sleep coming up.

Paris to Rome

The French night train Thello travels from Paris, known as the City of Light, through the Alps mountains to Milan, Italy, where passengers can transfer to Trenitalia trains bound for Rome. The Thello then makes stops at various cities before reaching its final destination of Venice. Riding the Thello provides a budget-friendly option for trips that you might otherwise consider flying for.

Stockholm to Narvik

The nation where Greta Thunberg is from and that came up with the term flygskam (flight shame) intends to launch new overnight train routes this year. New links from Malmö will be appreciated, but for many Swedes, nothing can surpass the 20-hour journey from their capital's main train station through the barren Arctic Circle to the Norwegian municipality of Narvik.

Helsinki to Rovaniemi

This overnight train is commonly called the Santa Claus Express and is ideal for family vacations. Kids under 10 can ride for free, automobiles can be transported on the train (eliminating rental fees at your destination), and the two-story train generally thrills children. Operated by the Finnish company VR, the trip starts at the art deco grandeur of Helsinki Central Station. Over 12 hours, it speeds north to Rovaniemi in Lapland, Finland. The route operates year-round, so to travel Europe by train on this route advance reservations are a must.

London Paddington to Penzance

The UK presently has two regular sleeper train services departing from London: the Night Riviera heading to Cornwall and the Caledonian Sleeper going to Scotland. For both services, passengers get on at a hectic city station and wake up traveling through scenic nature. Great Western Railway (GWR) runs the Night Riviera, which was recently renovated to include charging stations, high-quality duvets and blankets like a hotel, and closet space, plus airplane-style seats in the seated cars.

Wrapping Up 

Overnight train travel is making a comeback and we are all for it. There are not many ways to travel that are as romantic, cozy, and easy as taking a train and catching some shut-eye. You just get on a train, fall asleep, and wake up having traversed vast distances in a new place - hopefully after getting enough rest to go out and explore. In short, night trains offer many benefits that make them a great alternative to flying for your next journey. For best results explore Europe through Eurail pass.