I stretched out, snug in the darkness, waking as the train’s wheels slowed to a steady, heartbeat-like rhythm. I could tell we were nearing our destination, so I slid down the berth and lifted the blind. Outside, a string of red brake lights ran alongside the tracks like a ruby necklace.
It had rained overnight, leaving the road slick and the sky a deep midnight blue, with a faint D-shaped moon fading in one corner. Dawn was just minutes away, and I could make out clusters of houses on the hills, their lights flickering on like fireflies nestled in the folds of the land.
I stepped into the corridor as the train curved around a lake. The first light of day touched the water, turning its surface to shimmering pink metal. Around me, passengers were zipping up bags, brushing their teeth, and locking their berths, pausing now and then to look out the windows as two minarets rose into view like sharpened pencils. Istanbul’s skyline was coming into focus.
Five days earlier, I’d left London’s St Pancras station, hoping to follow the original Orient Express route through Paris, Vienna, and Bucharest, with the final stretch passing through Sofia. After traveling 2,450 miles by rail, I felt a deep satisfaction as the doors swung open and the sound of the second call to prayer met me on the platform. But I also felt something else: a rekindled love for night trains.
It all started in 2010, when I spent four months riding the trains of Indian Railways. At first, the rail network was just a way to get from place to place. But I soon realized each train had its own spirit and personality. While I loved the daytime journeys—hot chai in one hand, a fresh samosa in the other, surrounded by constant commotion—it was the nights I truly cherished. After dark, I found peace in the cool breeze of an open doorway, chatting with hawkers and ticket inspectors, jotting down notes from the day. While others slept, life outside the carriage carried on, and I stayed awake to witness it: a pack of stray dogs being fed in an alley, bored drivers playing cards on car bonnets, a young woman winking at me from the back of her boyfriend’s moped as they sped toward the beach. Each moment felt like a gift, and though I didn’t realize it then, I was already immersed in the art of slow travel.
I met passengers who rode night trains purely for the thrill: groups of colleagues, young families, honeymooners.
Three years ago, I made that trip from London to Istanbul, which included three sleeper services: a worn-out old Nightjet from Paris to Vienna, the surprisingly sleek Dacia from Vienna to Bucharest, and the badly delayed Sofia-Istanbul Express. Three extraordinary journeys, each with different compartments, companions, and scenery. Still, the madness of sharing space with strangers, drinking whisky at 10 a.m., and trying to sleep through trance music was enough to spark an adventure that would take me from Palermo to Peru as I documented the revival of night trains.
Just a decade earlier, such journeys were fading in Europe, as budget airlines and high-speed rail led to the decline of sleeper services. But who could have predicted a global shutdown? After lockdown, rail travel began to regain travelers’ attention. With climate change undeniable, people became more conscious of their carbon footprints and looked to explore closer to home. Private companies like the Belgian–Dutch cooperative European Sleeper emerged with plans to launch new sleepers across Europe, and existing operators—including Sweden’s Snälltåget and Austria’s Nightjet—aimed to extend their routes, encouraged by campaign groups like Back-on-Track and Oui au train de Nuit!.
With a bucket list of trains in hand—some not yet even running—I set off to discover whether sleeper trains still held their magic.I soon discovered the appeal of night trains—and who was using them—during a winter journey along Sweden’s northern spine. On the Norrland night train to Narvik, I found myself surrounded by a group of Stockholm schoolteachers heading to Kiruna in Swedish Lapland for a skiing weekend. In the bright, noisy dining car, they offered me creamed cod’s roe on crispbread and shared tips on where to see the northern lights. They explained that they often take the sleeper for weekend getaways, preferring the overnight ride to the stress of airport queues and liquid restrictions—waving their wine bottles to emphasize the point.
Later, during Norway’s midnight sun season, I met Ludwig, a coastguard chief mate who commutes all the way to Tromsø at the country’s northern tip to avoid contributing to climate change. He’d traveled the route more than 20 times and told stories of encounters with elderly women and cheerful drunks who shared homemade spirits and even offered him cured deer hearts in exchange for company. In Finland, aboard the Santa Claus Express, I enjoyed smoky reindeer stew with my children, giving in to the festive atmosphere as snow fell outside and the train glided quietly toward Finnish Lapland, where the sun never rose and the howls of huskies echoed through the trees.
I also met passengers traveling purely for the thrill: on the Brussels-to-Berlin Good Night Train, sharing wine and beer; young families stretched out comfortably on the Rome-to-Palermo Intercity Notte; and honeymooners relishing the adventure of the Paris-to-Nice Intercités de Nuit.
Of course, despite the romance, I soon got used to being jostled in my sleep, woken by screeching brakes in the early hours. The carriages were often too hot or too cold, the blankets thin, the pillows flat, and fellow passengers sometimes too loud. I’d wake with headaches and dread border checks, where I’d have to haul my bags or clutch my passport to speed things up. But all was forgiven in those magical moments when I’d lift the blind, curious to see where we were—whether the sun was streaking the sky or the moon still hung above. Wrapped in a blanket with coffee in hand, I’d watch farmers tend their flocks and children wave from bedroom windows, their friendly gestures always brightening my day.
Even delays didn’t seem to bother anyone. My fellow travelers would shrug, stroll around, and enjoy the extra time to read, chat, or doze. Because these night trains gave us time—time to reconnect with friends in the darkness, with only our reflections in the window as we drifted into heartfelt conversations, or opened up to family as if we were in a therapist’s office for the night. I had time for myself, too, time to slow down and just be.As I set off, I watched the world rush past my window, my thoughts settling into a meditative calm. Since I started traveling, new routes have opened, old ones have returned, and I feel hopeful that night trains will endure. I don’t know what the future holds for them, but whenever I board a night train and settle by the window as we depart under the moonlight, it feels like coming home.
Monisha Rajesh’s new book, Moonlight Express: Around the World by Night Train (Bloomsbury, £22), will be published on 28 August. To support the Guardian, order your copy for £19.80 at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of helpful FAQs about the comeback of night trains in Europe
General Beginner Questions
Q What exactly is a night train
A Its a longdistance train service that runs overnight allowing you to travel while you sleep They typically have seats as well as private or shared sleeping compartments
Q Why are night trains making a comeback
A People are looking for more sustainable and climatefriendly alternatives to flying for mediumdistance travel Theres also a growing desire for a more romantic and relaxed travel experience
Q Is this just a trend or is it here to stay
A It seems to be a lasting shift Major European rail companies and new private operators are investing heavily in new modern night train carriages and routes signaling a longterm commitment
Benefits Advantages
Q What are the main benefits of taking a night train
A The top benefits are saving on a nights accommodation reducing your carbon footprint compared to flying arriving in city centers and the unique nostalgic experience of train travel
Q Are night trains more ecofriendly than flying
A Yes significantly A journey on a night train can generate up to 90 less CO2 emissions than the equivalent flight
Q Do I really save time by taking a night train
A In a way yes You lose less daytime to travel because youre sleeping through the journey You wake up in a new city ready to explore instead of wasting a day in transit
Practicalities Booking
Q How far in advance should I book a night train
A As far in advance as possible especially for popular routes and during peak travel seasons Tickets for sleeping berths in particular can sell out weeks or even months ahead
Q Whats the difference between a couchette and a sleeper
A A couchette is a simple bunk bed in a shared compartment often with just a pillow and blanket A sleeper is a private or semiprivate compartment with proper beds madeup linens and sometimes a private washbasin or shower
Q Are night trains safe
A Generally yes They are staffed with conductors and compartments can be
