Night trains in Europe are going through a real revival. The ÖBB Nightjet network leads the way, European Sleeper launched Paris to Berlin in 2026 and opened Brussels to Milan. On budget, expect a couchette berth from €59 to €119 and a private cabin above that. These trains cross several countries while you sleep, so one eSIM for the whole continent keeps you reachable without swapping cards at every border.
Ten years ago, people were calling time on the night train in Europe. Lines were closing one after another. Today it is the opposite: new links open every year, driven by the appetite for slow travel and for replacing the plane on medium-distance trips.
The appeal is twofold. You save a hotel night and a whole day, since the journey happens while you sleep. And you wake up in the centre of a new city, often in another country. Here is how to make the most of it with no nasty surprises.
Why the night train is back in force
The engine of this comeback is Austria’s ÖBB and its Nightjet network, which bought back and relaunched lines other companies had abandoned. Private operators followed, such as the Dutch-Belgian European Sleeper.
The concrete result for 2026 is several brand-new links. European Sleeper’s Paris to Berlin has run since 26 March 2026, three times a week via Brussels, with an extension towards Hamburg since the summer. Brussels to Milan opened on 9 September 2026, running through Germany and Switzerland via Aachen, Cologne, Zurich and Lugano before Milan. To the east, the Nightjet Carpatia has linked Przemyśl to Munich via Kraków, Vienna and Salzburg since December 2025.
The routes to know in 2026
The network is now dense enough to build real itineraries. Here are the operators and a few benchmark links.
| Operator | Example routes | Countries crossed |
|---|---|---|
| Nightjet (ÖBB) | Vienna to Hamburg, Vienna to Rome, Zurich to Vienna | Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland |
| European Sleeper | Brussels to Berlin, Paris to Berlin, Brussels to Milan | Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy |
| Snälltåget | Stockholm to Berlin (seasonal) | Sweden, Denmark, Germany |
| Intercity Notte (Italy) | Milan to Sicily, Rome to the Alps | Italy |
My advice: for a first night train, pick a well-run Nightjet line such as Vienna to Rome or Zurich to Vienna. The service is reliable and the rolling stock recent. European Sleeper is more adventurous and perfect for linking north to south in one night.
Seat, couchette or cabin: what to pick
This is the choice that decides your night. Three comfort levels exist, and the price gap is real.
The seat
The cheapest, from about €29 on some lines. Honestly, sleeping upright for a whole night is painful. Save it for a short leg or a tight budget, not for arriving fresh the next morning.
The couchette berth
A single bed in a shared compartment of four to six people, with bedding provided. It is the best value for actually sleeping, between €59 and €119 depending on the line. Take the top berth: more private, and nobody sits on your bed in the evening.
The private cabin
The privacy of a room, sometimes with a washbasin, a shower and breakfast served. Expect €139 to €299 per person. A genuine treat for a couple, or when you have an important meeting on arrival.
Prices and how to book
Night train fares are dynamic: they climb as the date nears and the train fills. A Brussels to Berlin can start at €49 in a seat, €79 in a couchette and €159 in a cabin, then rise sharply in the final days.
The golden rule: book early. Tickets usually open three to six months ahead depending on the operator. Book directly on the company site (Nightjet, European Sleeper) to see every cabin option, or through an aggregator if you are combining several trains. One caveat with an Interrail pass: the night journey is covered, but the berth is paid as a supplement, exactly like a main-line reservation (see our 2026 Interrail guide).
- Choose the top berth for more peace and quiet.
- Keep your passport and ticket within reach: some trains are checked on board at night.
- Bring earplugs and an eye mask: a shared compartment is never fully silent.
- Download films, podcasts and tickets before you board: on-board wifi is scarce.
Making the most of your night on board
A night train is not a hotel. The compartment is narrow, the jolts are real, and in a couchette you share the space with strangers. None of that is a problem once you know what to expect.
Pack a small kit: water, a snack, something to brush your teeth with. Many trains offer coffee and a pastry at wake-up, though rarely a proper dinner. And catch the moment when the train skirts a lake or crosses a valley at dusk: that is often when the magic happens, just before you switch off the lamp.
Staying reachable without wrecking your plan
Here is the point nobody anticipates. During the night, your train changes country, and so it changes mobile network. A Brussels to Milan takes you through Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Italy in a few hours.
On-board wifi, where it exists, grinds to a halt the moment the train enters a mountain tunnel. To read, listen to music or tell your family your arrival time, you depend on mobile data.
A eSIM for Europe settles this with a single card valid across the whole continent. No fiddling at 3am when you cross a border.
And watch the classic trap: EU roaming does not cover Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the Balkans or Turkey. The Brussels to Milan crosses Switzerland in the dead of night. With a travel eSIM you stay connected without waking up to a steep bill.
Orange is the service used by more than 300 million customers: 200+ destinations covered, round-the-clock human support 24/7 and 100 percent refunded if you never use your eSIM.
Ready to sleep from one country to the next, always connected?
