Has anyone done a European Sleeper Train?

[Citrusandginger]

Inspired by a newspaper article, I have just been googling and have found a sleeper train from Paris to Vienna where a family compartment would be in a similar price bracket to flying.

Has anyone got any experience - are the cabins comfortable? and do you actually get much sleep? What do I need to know and should I even be thinking about this?

https://www.nightjet.com/en/reiseziele/oesterreich/wien

I did Lisbon - Paris-Brussels.
Once.
Never again.
It's an experience but not one I'd repeat.
Have also taken sleepers within countries which are less exhausting. I'd still prefer not to.

Oh Dear! That's not the reply my romantic self was hoping for. Dare I ask what was wrong?

I am curious too!

I've done one night on a sleeper train to Southern Italy. I enjoyed the adventure and would definitely do it again. We were young and skint at the time so shared a 6 sleeper cabin with 4 strangers, so there was a bit of awkwardness (none of us spoke each other's language) and I didn't sleep well as I was conscious of being near other people, with their breathing and their farts! However, if you can afford a private cabin, it would be great, I'd definitely do it again.

I've taken many, including plenty of night jet ones. They are quite comfortable with a proper private compartment but these sell out fast. I've seen plenty of families travelling in normal seated compartments (in night jet the seats go flat to make a bed in 6 seat compartments). Some families are very well prepared with pillows and sleeping bags.

There is just something kind of romantic about long distance train travel. Obviously, it's probably not the best nights sleep of your life.

Yes! Cologne to Vienna; Ljubliana to Zurich. I wish I could do more.

I love them, they are an absolute adventure. Cologne to Vienna we got complimentary champagne and the most attentive, charming steward.

You get more sleep than you would on an overnight flight, and less than you would in a hotel. But on holiday you tend to have extra energy anyway.

I've done sleeper trains right across Russia and all across SE Asia; does that count?

I wouldn't share a compartment if I were taking kids with me, but it's fun to do if you're travelling as adults. Generally I think it's a good time. I slept fine. As PP said, probably not as good as a hotel but much better than a plane.

The best ones are when your boring train western European train carriage joins up with others from more distant and exciting places and you can wander through to get food and drinks from there. The Russian carriages used to have excellent breakfasts all at Russian prices but they don't run through to Europe these days obviously.

P.S. I found the Russian cabins perfectly comfortable and I'm pretty sure most European sleepers are newer and nicer - more like the very nice sleepers we took from KL to Singapore.

Thank you - that's really good to know.

PS. OP you might want to check out The Man In Seat 61 for comprehensive information on, like, every possible train journey in the world with pics, booking info, etc. He has information on this specific journey: https://www.seat61.com/international-trains/trains-from-Paris.htm#Paris-Vienna

That's a brilliant link Thank you. So interesting - I'm going to spend my weekend researching this now.

Haha...the only time we did a European sleeper train was as youngsters when we went interrailing. They had six seater compartments that fold down into a big bed and we were delighted to clamber into an empty one with our sleeping bags.

Just nodded off and the door opened. Middle aged Italian fella telling us in broken English to basically "budge up" and he clambered in next to us. Such a weird experience 😂

I'm sure you'll be fine in your own cabin.

I've done Zurich to Vienna. I slept well once I took the coat hangers out of the wardrobe area as they kept banging. There are now modern couchette coaches where you get an enclosed berth each.

I did Syracusa (Sicily) to Naples/Rome with DD when she was 9. The train gets shunted onto a ferry to cross to mainland Italy at around 23.00. Very exciting going on deck & seeing the twinkly lights of the mainland. We didn't take anything special. I loved the whole experience. Got a reasonable amount of sleep.
Seat61 is an amazing resource.

I love sleeping on a train. Do it!

I did several a few years ago. I love the excitement of it. Depending on the timing you can linger in the restaurant car, get back to your cabin, get some sleep and arrive at your location with the day ahead of you, without the hassle of airports and hotels.

I hope to be doing it again in the next few years.

We did the night train from Stockholm to Berlin last summer as a family of 5. We booked a whole cabin (designed for 6) for ourselves. It was quite cramped, but they provided very clean bedding (you had to put the duvet covers on yourself, which is quite an experience in the small cabin of a moving train!).

As a pp said, you get more sleep than an overnight flight in economy class, but less than you would in a hotel.

Overall we really enjoyed it and would do it again.

Did it multiple times as a kid in the 80's. Absolutely loved it!
Taught me to love the "travel" as much as the destination.

I took the goodnight train from Brussels to Berlin with kids. I booked the whole cabin. It was a pretty old carriage and toilets and corridors were somewhat grubby but the cabin cleans and comfortable .We'd a great sleep but that was with 3 of us in a six berth compartment. Worth noting no WiFi or food carriage.

I used to do the London - Inverness sleeper regularly back in the 90s, & I've also taken the (sadly discontinued) Paris - Madrid sleeper a few times.
I love sleeper trains & sleep really well in them, I find the motion relaxing. But in general I love international train travel, I feel that it makes the journey feel properly part of a holiday.
One of my favourite holiday memories is taking my then ten yr old DD on the sleeper to Spain :) :)

Yes,to Milan in Italy.Brilliant going whole family (5 of us) in same carriage just us.Coming home we were separated,so husband and two sons in one carriage with 3 strangers and myself and my daughter in another carriage with 4 strangers,I didn’t sleep a wink!Felt most uncomfortable,although other travellers were pleasant.

I did the London to Penzance sleeper 😉 It was fab! More sleep than you'd get on a plane and as others have said, there is a real romance to it. I'd love to do Paris to Milan by train.

It's something I'd love to do, really agree that it sounds a lovely way to travel, although obviously based on some of the PPs experiences, it's not necessarily always that relaxing! 🤣

We did the overnight from Paris to Florence. Fabulous. Didn't get a wink of sleep, but that was excitement rather then discomfort.

Do it!