May 10, 2019
Sleeper trains are one of the most romantic ways of travelling around Europe, but for all their charm they face an uncertain future; in recent years many celebrated routes have been axed from timetables across the Continent. Some venerable services endure, however.
1. Moscow to Nice
Russian Railways revived this route a few years ago, which was established when Tsarist aristocrats followed Queen Victoria to the French Riviera. Departing from Moscow's Belorussky Station on Thursday evening, it ploughs westwards through Europe's distant corners to Minsk. After a brief stretch of the legs (the train pauses for coffee stops and short country strolls), the green vastness of Belarus and Poland unfolds. The eight-country amble takes in Austrian mountains, chichi resorts on the Italian Riviera and a panorama of Monaco before pulling into Nice on Saturday evening. Carriages are modern and smart; the food less so. The fare? From around £300 per person in a second class sleeping compartment (eng.rzd.ru).
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| Photo credit: ALAMY |
2. London to Penzance
Night Riviera Cornwall is always further than you think! Flawed as it is – the down train doesn’t stop at Totnes, but the up does, and the 4.14am arrival on weekdays in Exeter is grim – this service to the South West is kept going thanks to stalwart users and a shortage of flights linking London to Devon and beyond. Agatha Christie – resident of Greenway, on a branch line off the main GWR – would have been underwhelmed by the couchettes, but they’re clean and smart after a slick fashion. From £45 to share a cabin, £70 for one for yourself, one-way, plus your ticket (gwr.com).
3. Madrid to Lisbon
Spanish rail operator RENFE's Trenhotel does exactly what it says on the tin. Grand Class sleepers have showers, en-suite facilities, fine linen and club lounge access as part of the package. Even the cheaper cabins boast sinks, swipe card locks and 6ft 3inch beds. Inexpensive Tourist Class four-bed couchettes are perfect for families travelling together. Better still, Madrid and Lisbon (pictured) are two of Europe's most cultured capitals – and among the cheapest. Fares from around £85 based on two sharing a private cabin in Grand Class (www.renfe.com).
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| Photo credit: AP/FOTOLIA |
4. Warsaw to Kiev
Warszawa Centralna station was built to impress Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev on his visit in 1975, presumably by using as much concrete as possible. On the Kiev Express sleeping wagon, a flavour of the East is furthered with Cyrillic script, surly carriage attendants, bedside beer bottle openers and a midnight bogey (wheel) change in a big shed at the former Soviet frontier. There's an onboard passport check too (friendly Polish guards, curious Ukrainian ones). Come morning, the scene is bucolic: hundreds of miles of birch forest dotted with the odd smallholding and onion-domed church. The fare? from around £85 based on two sharing a private cabin (www.polrail.com).
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| Photo credit: ALAMY |
5. Istanbul to Lake Van
High-speed bullet trains now blast from Istanbul to Ankara's art deco Central Station in three hours and 40 minutes. From here, the Vangölü Ekspresi bumbles for 24 hours (Tuesdays and Sundays) through palm plantations and vineyards, through dusty plains and snowy steppe, to Turkey's enchanting island-dotted Lake Van (pictured) in Eastern Anatolia. Given that this route is Europe's best value long-distance rail journey, standards are high. Expect big picture windows, feather pillows and freshly prepared Turkish meze onboard. Fares from around £30 based on two sharing a private cabin. Book through www.tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr or try a tailor-made operator such as Audley.
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| Photo credit: AP/FOTOLIA |
6. Oslo to Trondheim
By day, this journey is a six-hour spectacular, crossing mountain ridges, tunnels, grass-roofed railways stations (pictured), bridges and Norway's lonely lake district. Passengers may even glimpse a few giant Moskus, a fluffy bison, en-route too. And unlike most everything else in pricey Norway, the trip is extremely good value, with tickets starting at £20. Money saved can be splashed out onboard on Norwegian tapas: elk sausage, reindeer paté and lefse potato flatbread. By night, a luxury sleeper is hauled along the same route, pulling into Trondheim, the charming ex-Viking capital of Norway, at 7am. It's also possibly to check in, find your sleeping couch and install yourself in the dining car 30 minutes before departure. The fare is from around £60 based on two sharing a private cabin (www.vy.no).
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| Photo credit: AP/FOTOLIA |
7. London to Fort William
After years of decline, the Caledonian Sleeper, running between London and Scotland, has gone one further, was recently given a £150 million revamp. It’s been a long time coming — five years in total, and six months later than planned — but there’s no denying the scale of the transformation. Out with the beat-up cabins and the microwaved food; in with comfy seats, meals cooked in an actual oven, stranger-free sleeping arrangements and, perhaps most inspired of all, double beds. Who says romance is dead? One-way prices for Comfort Seats start from £45; Classic Rooms from £140. See www.sleeper.scot.
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| Photo source: ALAMY |
8. Paris to Venice
Passengers bedding down on The Thello have the enviable opportunity to drift off in Paris and wake up in Venice (pictured), two of Europe’s most sophisticated cities. Taking a little over 14 hours, the service places a heavy emphasis on cuisine – expect to eat and drink well in the dining cart – but for all its refinements, tickets are surprisingly affordable. The fare? From around £110 for a shared occupancy cabin (www.thello.fr).
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| Photo credit: AP/FOTOLIA |
9. Paris to Moscow
This is the classiest way to cross the continent. Each Thursday evening, the Russian Railways train rattles out of Paris Gare de l’Est, arriving in Moscow in time for Saturday breakfast. Ultra-modern First Class sleepers offer dual bunks, lockable doors, wash basins and waiter service – there are even private showers in the pricier VIP section. Better still, Europe’s second-longest train route (Moscow-Nice is a shade lengthier) offers a taste of the five nations it passes through. Expect German beers, a Polish buffet carriage, then a Russian dining car from the old Soviet Border at Belarus. Russian Railways (007 495 505 6325; russianrailways.com) offers one-way tickets in a First Class sleeper for around £400.
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| Photo credit: ALAMY |
10. Malmo to Berlin
The sole direct train from Sweden to Germany includes a night cruise across the Baltic Sea. At 5pm the Berlin Night Express putters through Malmo’s leafy suburbs en route to the Swedish port of Trelleborg. Here carriages are eaten by a special train-ferry, before trundling out four hours later in the ritzy German period resort of Sassnitz. The final leg is a straight shot through the former East Germany to Berlin for a 7am breakfast.
The Berlin Night Express operates in spring and summer. Sleeper berths cost £43 (0046 40 669 62 00; snalltaget.se).
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| Photo credit: ALAMY |
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