Ross McQueen

Whether you’re a climate-conscious traveller or just a diehard rail enthusiast, sleeper trains are the ideal way to get from A to B – with a few ZZZs in between. Picture the scene: you nod off in one country, sleep the night away, and wake up halfway across the continent, rested and ready to go. Essentially, it’s evert slow-traveller’s dream.  With new sleeper routes opening up across Europe each year, there’s never been a better time to see Europe the old-fashioned way – all while minding your carbon footprint. So from Brussels to Bergen and everywhere in between, check out our top sleeper routes and find the destination you just can’t say no to. All aboard the European night train renaissance! ➡️ READ MORE: The best city breaks in Europe for 2026🔔 BOOK NOW: The best hotels to book in Europe Ross McQueen is a writer and rail enthusiast based in Belgium. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. Discover more of the best things to do in Europe. 

For rail fans, 2025 felt like hitting the jackpot. A whole bundle of new sleeper routes opened up, the Orient Express was tipped to make a comeback, and the EU unveiled plans to expand high-speed rail and halve travel times between a host of European cities – you can read about my own experience on the all-new extension of the European Sleeper here. Europe looks right on track for a golden age of rail.  And the best part? Next year promises to be even better. More new overnight routes are launching, and some countries in Europe are being linked by direct sleeper trains for the first time ever. So whether you’re heading to Basel, Berlin or Birmingham, there’s never been a better time to travel by sleeper. Ditch the short-haul flight, plump up the pillows on your couchette, and check out the routes that we at Time Out can’t wait to ride in 2026. All aboard! 🚂 Discover the best winter train journeys in Europe Ross McQueen is a writer and rail enthusiast based in Brussels. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. Discover more of the best things to do in Europe. 

I’ve criss-crossed Europe on sleeper trains many times, most recently in private compartments. But while I love the romance of solo travel, the cost of booking a whole compartment for myself often seems too steep. So when Austrian rail operator ÖBB rolled out mini cabins (individual sleeping pods) on their Nightjet sleeper trains, I was keen to take one for a spin. One Friday at the end of August, I boarded the Nightjet from Amsterdam to Innsbruck to give the mini cabin a try. Photograph: Ross McQueen for Time OutNightjet pulls into Amsterdam Amsterdam is a busy station, and when the Nightjet pulls up at the platform there’s just enough time to pile on board before we’re setting off again, bang on schedule at 6pm. I hadn’t known what to expect, but when I locate my cabin I am pleasantly surprised. The mini cabins are arranged in blocks of four: two above and two below, with a set of lockers in the middle that are opened by keycard. One locker is perfectly sized for hand luggage, and there’s a smaller one for shoes. Larger luggage can be stored at the end of the carriage. Photograph: Ross McQueen for Time OutThe Nighjet sleeper pod I’ve booked the upper cabin, and to reach it I have to climb up a set of rungs and footholds that stick out between the lockers. You have to be quite nimble to get into the top cabin, and once you’ve slid yourself into it, you can only really lie down or crouch. There’s nowhere else in the carriage to sit, but the cabin is cosy enough, so I migh

I’ve taken many overnight trips on Europe’s railways – always in shared compartments. And while I love the idea of sleeper trains, when you’re pressed in between snoring strangers, it can be impossible to sleep at all. So when I booked an overnight trip from Brussels to Prague – a new-ish extension of European Sleeper’s cross-continental route – I decided enough was enough. I gritted my teeth and booked a private couchette, and spoiler alert: it was better. Photograph: Ross McQueen for Time Out At the end of June, on the warmest day of the year so far, I arrive at Brussels Midi station to find out if my private berth on the European Sleeper is all it’s cracked up to be. My expectations are high. Past journeys have found me in six-seater compartments on the NightJet from Amsterdam to Innsbruck, or full-size carriages on the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Glasgow. And on first glance, tonight’s room looks a lot like the seater compartments I’ve come to know too well: six seats facing each other, about a metre apart. Photograph: European Sleeper The difference here is that the backs of the seats push further into the wall, and a set of crisp sheets and plump pillows are stashed overhead, waiting to be draped across the seats. All the same, it looks a bit rough-and-ready – the Orient Express, this is not. But the sheer novelty of having the room to myself already makes me optimistic. I settle in, open the window, and prepare for the train to depart. The Orient Express, th