At 04:00 a taxi to the airport. Endless queues at the security checkpoint. And a stuffy, stuffy plane ride at the end.
It’s easy to think there’s no more romance in travel, but across Europe there’s a rethinking, a new vision of how we travel: a series of overnight train routes that connect cities as far away as Paris and Vienna, Hamburg and Connecting Stockholm connected.
There are many benefits to getting on a train instead of waiting in line for a flight. Aside from the obvious environmental benefits, the fact that there is an enduring attraction for die-hard romantics is to board a train in a city, drink a glass of cheer as night slowly falls, and be in the heart of a to wake up in another place.
UK-based operator Byway has become a one-stop shop for these slow-travel enthusiasts, offering tailor-made journeys across the continent, including sleep services, hotels and connections, eliminating logistical headaches altogether. Travelers even get a dedicated WhatsApp contact for any questions.
In 2016, ÖBB took over old German rolling stock. And since then, Nightjet services have been the perfect way to get around Europe for anyone who tends to romanticize their travel.
Prime destination: Joe Minihane embarks on a leisurely route from London to Paris via Brussels, Frankfurt and Vienna with British tour operator Byway (pictured).
One of the most idyllic journeys connects Vienna Central Station with Paris’s Gare de l’Est, a 14-hour journey that leaves the Austrian capital at night and arrives in the 10th arrondissement in time for an espresso and croissant in the middle of the morning.
If you’re planning a pan-European getaway with your feet on the ground, the Byway to Vienna route will take you to Brussels on the Eurostar first.
In the Belgian capital, you’ll have time for a rocket-powered coffee at the delicious Kaffabar, just a ten-minute walk from Südbahnhof, before boarding Deutsche Bahn’s ICE high-speed train to Frankfurt for three hours of dreamy contemplation as the Netherlands glides past .
It’s for one night at the hip 25 Hours Hotel, just a stone’s throw from the Central Station (the bar also serves some of the best Israeli mezze this side of Jerusalem). The next morning, the route from Frankfurt to Vienna leads through the brooding pine forests of the GDR and makes the mind wander to Gothic fairy tales.
It might take a lot longer than flying, but that’s the point. Traveling this way is the apotheosis of the journey, more important than the destination – and far more enjoyable than staring at the clouds from 12,000 feet.
And when night falls, a good book and the chance to stretch your legs and grab a glass of wine from the dining car is far better than the airy craving for a gin and tonic in a plastic cup.
When you arrive in Vienna, you’ll feel as if you’ve come this far without sailing the skies.
Vienna is a city for flaneurs – lovers of aimless walking – an art seemingly lost in the age of the smartphone. After a fantastic dinner at the Filipino restaurant Lolo & Lola and a night during the day’s train journey at the opulent Hotel Josefshof am Rathaus, it’s time to head downtown, the old town.
Joe recommends a visit to Mumok, the home of modern art in Vienna
Above it is the Amalienbad, Vienna’s beautiful Art Deco indoor swimming pool
Joe says you should walk through the Hofberg Swiss Gate in Vienna
Packed with some of the best-preserved architecture in Europe, this area is ripe for a morning of exploration. Walk through the Swiss Gate of the Hofburg, past the towers of the St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and take time to look up and marvel. Throw scrambled eggs in the delicious Kleines Café and you have everything you need to start the day right.
The good news is that Vienna’s walkable city center and excellent metro and tram system means there’s plenty more to do before your 7.40pm departure to Paris.
Choose from world-class art galleries such as the Albertina and the Mumok, home to the city’s cutting edge modern art, and still have time for a swim at the Amalienbad. This spectacular glass-roofed example of Art Deco architecture is a 15-minute subway ride from the city center, Stephansplatz. Dating back to the early 1920s, when Vienna’s municipal government built fantastically idealistic, the swimming pool and saunas are the ideal way to end the day and prepare for your continental journey.
All Nightjet tickets arranged by Byway include access to the ÖBB lounge at Vienna Central Station. Perched high above the corridor, it overlooks the massive departure board, while the distant targets add to the excitement. There are trains to Rome, Berlin and Prague, but it is the train to Paris that calls.
In the Austrian capital, Joe boards a Nightjet sleeper train bound for Paris
Pictured is one of the sleeper cabins on a Nightjet train
Joe explores the colorful streets of Montmartre in Paris (pictured) before returning to London on the Eurostar
A guard will take your ticket and show you to your berth, your own place for the duration of the cruise. Here you will find three spacious seating areas and a sink, as well as three bunk beds that can be folded up by the staff when you decide it’s time to sleep.
When the train rumbles out of the Austrian capital and you stretch your legs, it’s impossible not to feel like you’ve stepped out of time and are getting from A to B in a sluggish fashion.
The wide, cozy beds and the motion of the express train will help you drift off to sleep. And when you wake up and draw the curtains back to the vineyards of France, you still have about an hour to drink coffee and devour fresh bread and cheese before entering the Gare de l’Est. You will then have plenty of time to stroll through the bohemian district of Montmartre before catching the Eurostar back to London.
It might be a slower way to get around, but when you see Europe like this, fully booked and stress-free, it feels like the perfect way to step back in time – with all the conveniences of the future.
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Those looking to explore more of Central Europe can take the ÖBB night service from Graz, Austria to Berlin via Vienna.
In just under 15 hours, it meanders through the Czech Republic and Poland before finally meandering west to Germany.
These are the same carriages you’ll find on the Vienna-Paris Nightjet train, with options ranging from a simple couchette carriage to a private bed with en suite shower.
Upon boarding you will be offered a glass of sparkling wine and a continental breakfast before heading to Berlin Central Station, one of the most beautiful train stations in Europe. Sleeper cabins cost from £120 per person (nightjet.com).
Night trains aren’t just about avoiding flights. Belmond’s luxury Orient Express between Paris and Venice is a five-star hotel on wheels, with three restaurants and an invitation for passengers to impress themselves.
With a four-course dinner, continental breakfast and lunch served on the way south, it’s about as palatial as a train journey gets. The Art Deco cabins have large beds and concierge services. Prices from £3,530 for a twin cabin (belmond.com).
An epic flight-free journey between London and Sicily can be tailored to suit whether you’re interested in art and culture, love food or traveling with children.
It takes a number of trains from London to Rome via Paris and Turin.
Then board the spectacular sleeping car service to Palermo – it will be loaded onto a ferry to cross the Straits of Messina.
Take a slow journey around the island using local connections before heading north to Syracuse in Sicily and then to Milan. The 14-day trip costs from £1,813 per person (byway.travel).
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Europe’s coolest new night service operates between Hamburg and Stockholm, heading north via Odense and Copenhagen before crossing to Malmö. Run by SJ, Sweden’s national train operator, it’s a great way to get to the heart of Scandinavia without flying. The connections are timed to match Deutsche Bahn’s high-speed ice trains, allowing you to make connections to and from Berlin, Frankfurt and Cologne.
The latter is well connected to Brussels for Eurostar connections to and from the UK.
Second class sleeping compartments start from £132pp (sj.se).
Czech Railways offers a night service from Prague to Zurich – west to Frankfurt and then south to Switzerland. It lasts 14 hours and is a joint operation in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Railways ÖBB and Deutsche Bahn.
There is the promise of new rolling stock and more comfortable beds this year.
A private single bed costs from £120 per person (cd.cz).
Night shifts aren’t just about exploring continental Europe. The Caledonian Sleeper service from London to Scotland has been completely revamped, with improved cabs and a refreshed dining car.
You can choose to go to Glasgow, Inverness or – for some of the best views – Fort William.
On this route you’ll wake up to majestic Loch Lomond and have the chance to see both the wild expanse of Rannoch Moor and the dazzling Munros of the Highlands.
Caledonian Sleeper starts at £345 for a double cabin for one person and rises to £410 for two (sleeper.scot).
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James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
