travel overnight on a sleeper train

I finally got my sleeper ride; the train was the City Night Line train from Frankfurt, Germany to Milan, Italy. Train leaves at 11 pm, and reaches Milan around 8 am. The train is standard old-ish european compartment sleepers – a 3 seat compartment (3 seats facing a wall) changes into three beds stacked above each other.

What kept this from being as much fun as I hoped? It’s a short trip, the Italian customs guys wake you at 6:30 am to search the train. There’s no space for luggage larger than a standard rollaboard except in the middle of your small compartment. I found the motion of the train made it surprisingly hard to sleep.

Good points? It was still nice to have a bit of privacy and quiet when riding the train. I’d forgotten how much of travel involves not having a place of your own – no real home, no work place, just trying to grab privacy at the hotel, or hanging out in a quiet cafe, or finding the emptier end of the steps in front of the cathedral, or letting your iPod wall you off from the packed car on the train. After a day of wandering around the big city and a four hour train ride, just having a compartment was a nice change. We also enjoyed waking up and opening the curtains a bit so we could see Lake Como roll by.

I did this in Russia and Ukraine. The bathrooms were disgusting and it was actually scary due to the seedy characters onboard and the lack of security.

I have always thought that would b cool !

It’s not exactly what I would call a good nights sleep, but I suppose almost everything is worth doing once.

Best. Spring. Break. Ever.

I was 16 years old, on a tour with some 150 other Canadian kids. We’d spent 3 days in cold, grey Moscow. By that time, the jet lag and a bit of the culture shock had worn off, and we were positively giddy with the romance of boarding the overnight train to what was then called Leningrad.

To add to our excitement, a gentle snow began to fall as our train pulled out of the station. The view from the windows was breathtakingly lovely, like something out of Dr. Zhivago.

Of course, because we were teenagers (or, in my mother’s parlance, “hormones with feet”), few of us got much actual rest on that so-called “sleeper” train. Many were far too busy guzzling vodka and falling in and out of one another’s arms and/or curtained-off berths.

Me, I didn’t drink, and I was deeply involved with a fellow who wasn’t on the trip, so I remained relatively virtuous. Nevertheless, that magical evening remains one of my fondest high-school memories.

Now I dream of travelling across Canada aboard VIA Rail’s Canadian (“Silver & Blue Class,” of course), and enjoying what’s been called “a cruise on rails.”

I did this in 1981 when I first came to Canada aged 23. Not having much money, I couldn’t afford an actual berth, so I had a chair seat that reclined. From Toronto to Edmonton, 2 nights on the train IIRC. Great experience, but nowadays I’d want an real bed!

Did this more recently in 1999 when I was travelling in Europe with my cousin and daughter when we went from Venice to Hamburg. Having had several rather tangled and confusing experiences with Italian trains, we were relieved to find our sleeper train was German, and very clean and efficiently run. We had a 3-berth compartment (3 beds stacked one on top of the other) and I slept like a baby the whole time, the rocking of the train was very soothing.

sleeper train from france to spain. couldn’t sleep much because of the intense rattling and noise. but it was fun.

I’ve done this five times now, three times in Russia and twice in Finland. It’s always an adventure!

I would suggest that if you’re travelling alone and are female you book a single compartment, as you could end up stuck in a compartment with a load of strange men and feel quite uncomfortable.

This was completed together with the orient express entry on my list. Well worth it!
The first night was a bit strange and took a bit of getting used to the noise and movement as you sleep but the second night was much better and quite soothing!

India had my favourite overnight sleeper trains!