In Europe, the sleeper train makes a comeback

[bill937ca]

Three nights a week, the European Sleeper train eases out of Berlin’s central station at around 11 p.m.

 

Over the next 10.5 hours, the train rumbles west from the German capital, stopping in seven cities, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam and the final destination, Brussels. With any luck, its passengers – who booked seats, padded bunks or proper beds for the night – get the type of rest that befits the company name.

 

European Sleeper is betting that travellers want overnight rail service that links major cities of the continent, harkening back to the golden age of rail transportation. The Berlin-to-Brussels route, which started in late May, is just the first step: The Dutch company plans to extend the route south of Berlin, to Prague, in March.

 

They’re not alone in this push. State-owned Austrian Federal Railways, or ÖBB, is bulking up what is already the longest overnight rail network in Europe. The upstart Midnight Trains of France, which bills itself as a “hotel on rails,” is hoping to launch in 2025, part of a recent wave of investments in a neglected market.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64950747

 

https://www.cnbc.com/video/2023/07/25/europes-sleeper-train-network-is-expanding-can-it-go-the-distance.html

[Yavianice]

Fake news. DB of course abolished all night trains in 2016 and many sleeper cars were scrapped/sold to be converted into regular passenger cars THIS YEAR because nobody takes night trains anymore.

 

(sarcasm). 

[bill937ca]

Doesn't look like FAKE NEWS to me.

 

https://www.europeansleeper.eu/en

 

https://www.europeansleeper.eu/en/the-train

Edited September 7, 2023 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

 

[bill937ca]

 

[cteno4]

7 hours ago, Yavianice said:

(sarcasm). 

I missed this on first glance myself!

 

jeff

[Martijn Meerts]

There's actually quite a few sleeper trains from the Netherlands going to various popular cities. The only problem with them, is that the only the large compartments with 6 beds are really cheap, once you go for some more private space, the prices go up really quick too. It makes sense of course, but I've done a sleeper train in a cabin with 4 random people, and the experience wasn't great 🙂

 

[bikkuri bahn]

Quote

 ...I've done a sleeper train in a cabin with 4 random people, and the experience wasn't great 

Yes, I rode the remnant of the Orient Express Paris-Vienna pre-2007, it was in a six person couchette. It was, hmm, OK (I was still young enough and hey, the train was on its last legs, and I wanted to get the mileage), but nowadays older and less tolerant I would splurge on a private compartment if travelling alone.  I could see that young women might hesitate to use such accommodations.  Much, much nicer was a later journey on a nachtzug Munchen-Rome, this was in a comfy first class sleeper, of course much more expensive.

[Welshbloke]

The smart move would be to market it as a hotel. Have a business meeting in another country tomorrow? Use the sleeper, save on having to book a hotel room there as you'll be delivered to the central station in the morning with time to get to the office. Come back on the fast daytime service that afternoon.

[Tony Galiani]

If you look at it as a hotel option, it really does make sense.  I will be in Austria in November and was thinking about possibly returning home via Paris.  The costs did not seem all that unreasonable.  Trip would have been about 13 hours city center to city center.  So no cost for airport transfers, the double room cost was inclusive so no fees for breakfast, luggage, seats, etc. so considering transportation and sleeping accommodations I thought it was reasonable.  Plus no need to get to the airport early or any of the other airplane travel concerns.  The biggest negative to me was that we would miss a lot of the scenery on the route.

I can see this as a viable choice and may consider trying it again on a future trip.  I have done this in Europe in the past and found it a nice experience and think it would be the same now.

Ciao,

Tony

Edited September 29, 2023 by Tony Galiani
grammar error

[chadbag]

On 9/15/2023 at 3:16 AM, Martijn Meerts said:

There's actually quite a few sleeper trains from the Netherlands going to various popular cities. The only problem with them, is that the only the large compartments with 6 beds are really cheap, once you go for some more private space, the prices go up really quick too. It makes sense of course, but I've done a sleeper train in a cabin with 4 random people, and the experience wasn't great 🙂

 

 

32 years ago I took a "Couchette" car from Stockholm to Hamburg (couchette -- sleeper with 6 people with the "beds" being fold down bunks) with random people.  It was great fun in my case.  Lots of interesting conversation until we decided to go to bed then we were all unconscious anyway.

 

I'm sure that it is often awkward and that each individual experience varies greatly (depending on the people).  This post just brought back the memories.

[chadbag]

15 hours ago, Welshbloke said:

The smart move would be to market it as a hotel. Have a business meeting in another country tomorrow? Use the sleeper, save on having to book a hotel room there as you'll be delivered to the central station in the morning with time to get to the office. Come back on the fast daytime service that afternoon.

 

This is happening (or planned) in California and being "planned" for the intermountain west.  I was ready an article just a few days ago about service being set up in California aimed at that market -- avoid hotel and travel overnight to meetings etc.  And the same idea is being put forth for SLC to Vegas to LA future service as well.  Save the hotel, get to Vegas refreshed in the morning, etc.

 

https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2023/9/11/23864396/train-utah-to-las-vegas-cost