Night Trains in Europe: A Practical Guide to Overnight Travel from Zurich

Night trains in Europe: what it’s actually like to travel overnight

There’s a moment, right after you find your seat (or your tiny bed), when a night train suddenly feels very real.

Your bag is somewhere above your head, your shoes are half off, people are still moving around in the corridor, and the train slowly starts to leave the station. No big announcement, no dramatic music, just that quiet, steady movement.

And that’s usually when it hits me: I’m going to fall asleep here and wake up in a different country.

It’s not glamorous in the way movies make it look. But it’s one of the most efficient, strangely comforting ways to travel across Europe.

The reality of sleeping on a train

Let’s get this out of the way: you will probably not have the best sleep of your life.

There’s always something, a door closing, someone getting off at 3am, the rhythm of the train that is either incredibly soothing or slightly annoying depending on your mood.

And yet, I keep booking night trains.

Because once you accept that it’s not about perfect sleep, everything else starts to make sense. You save a night in a hotel, you don’t waste a full day moving from A to B, and you arrive directly in the centre of a city instead of somewhere outside it.

I usually go for couchettes and sleeping cabins. They’re simple, shared cabins with bunk beds or seats, nothing fancy, but they do the job. There’s something oddly nice about that temporary shared space, everyone quietly coexisting, each in their own little travel bubble.

And then there’s the morning.

You wake up slowly, not quite sure where you are, open the curtain, and suddenly the landscape has changed. That moment alone is worth a slightly broken night.

Nightjet, EuroNight & the different types of trains

If you start looking into night trains in Europe, you’ll quickly come across two names: Nightjet and EuroNight.

Nightjet is operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and is currently the main player when it comes to modern night train travel in Europe. Most routes from Zurich, especially towards Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands, fall under this network.

EuroNight, on the other hand, is a broader category used for international night trains operated by different national railway companies. The experience can vary more depending on the route, but the concept is the same: overnight travel across borders.

Seats, couchettes, sleepers: what should you book?

This is probably the most important decision when it comes to night trains, and it really changes your experience. You can book a regular seat. It’s the cheapest option, and for shorter routes it might be fine, but I personally wouldn’t recommend it for a full night. Sleeping sitting up is… exactly what it sounds like.

Couchettes are the most common option. These are shared cabins with seats, usually 4 to 6 people. You get a simple bed, a blanket, and just enough space to feel comfortable. It’s not luxurious, but it works, and it’s part of the experience.

Sleeping cars are the more comfortable option - and normally the one I go for. Fewer people per cabin, proper beds, more privacy, sometimes even a small washbasin or private bathroom depending on the category. If you want to arrive well-rested or you’re travelling for a special trip, this is worth considering.

There’s no right or wrong choice, it really depends on your budget, your expectations, and how well you usually sleep.

Leaving from Zurich: one of the best starting points in Europe

Living in Switzerland has many perks when it comes to travel, but night trains are definitely one of them. Zurich is incredibly well connected, especially thanks to the expansion of overnight routes in recent years. You can leave after dinner and wake up in a completely different part of Europe without ever setting foot in an airport.

Amsterdam is one of the easiest and most satisfying routes. You board in the evening and arrive early, just as the city is waking up. There’s something quite special about stepping out of the station and having a full day ahead of you, without the exhaustion of a flight.

Germany is another strong option. Cities like Berlin or Hamburg suddenly feel much closer when you realise you can just sleep your way there. It changes your perception of distance completely.

Austria, though, deserves a special mention. Routes to Vienna or Innsbruck are not only frequent but also part of a much bigger vision. Austrian Railways (ÖBB) have been investing heavily in night trains, expanding connections across Europe and modernising the experience. You can feel that there is an actual strategy behind it.

Prague is another beautiful arrival. If you time it right and wake up just before reaching the city, the transition from countryside to historic architecture feels almost cinematic — but in a quiet, real-life way.

And then there are routes that feel more personal. Heading towards Croatia, for example, takes longer and sometimes requires a bit more time and patience, but it feels like a proper journey rather than just transport. The kind where you really notice the distance you’re covering.

A moment I still think about (somewhere in Slovenia)

The route to Zagreb is a special one for me, mostly because I’ve never done it any other way than by night train.

The first time, I left Switzerland in the rain. Grey skies, heavy clouds, that very familiar “nothing special” kind of weather. I remember going to sleep without thinking much of it.

Then, at some point early in the morning, I woke up. Not fully, just that half-awake moment where you instinctively look around, disoriented.

I lifted the blind, and everything had changed.

We were somewhere in the Slovenian mountains, and it was snowing.

Not dramatically, not a storm, just a quiet, soft layer of snow covering everything. Forests, rooftops, hills. The kind of landscape that feels almost unreal when you weren’t expecting it. Leaving one country in the rain and waking up in another one in the snow, that’s the kind of transition you only really appreciate on rail. No airport, no sharp cut between places. Just a slow, almost invisible shift. And I think that’s why I keep coming back to this way of travelling.

Why night trains are quietly making a comeback

For a while, night trains almost disappeared. Cheap flights took over, and overnight travel felt like something from another era. But recently, they’ve been coming back - and not just for nostalgic reasons.

There’s a growing awareness around how we travel. Flights are fast, yes, but they come with environmental costs, logistical stress, and often a surprising amount of wasted time when you factor in airports and waiting.

Night trains sit in a very interesting middle ground. They’re slower, but not inefficient. You use time differently. Instead of spending hours in transit during the day, you shift that movement into the night.

And when it works well, it really works.

You fall asleep somewhere familiar and wake up somewhere new, without that fragmented feeling that flights often leave you with.

If you’re planning more than one trip

If night trains are part of a bigger itinerary, it’s worth looking into Interrail or Eurail passes. They don’t magically make everything free, you still need reservations for night trains, but they give you flexibility and can make multi-stop trips much easier to organise.

👉 I wrote a separate article about my Interrail experience, how it works in practice, and what I would do differently. It’s worth reading if you’re thinking about combining several destinations.

A small but important political angle

This is where night trains stop being just a travel topic. Because their existence - and their quality - depends heavily on political decisions.

Austria is often mentioned as the positive example. They saw the potential early on and invested in it: new trains, better connections, a clear long-term vision. That’s why today so many routes across Europe are operated by them.

Switzerland, on the other hand, is in a slightly frustrating position. It has the infrastructure, the central location, and a population that would actually use these services, and yet progress feels slow. Or, as we’d say in Italian, Switzerland ha un po’ il braccino corto.

And it matters, because the way we move across Europe in the future will depend on choices being made now.

As travellers, we’re part of that system more than we think. Staying informed, supporting sustainable mobility, even just choosing trains over flights when possible, it all contributes.

If you want to go one step further, there are also associations and initiatives working towards a better connected, more sustainable European rail network. Supporting them, even in small ways, is a way to be part of that change.

Where to book night trains (and not get lost doing it)

Booking night trains in Europe can feel confusing at first, simply because there isn’t just one single platform for everything.

For most routes the best place to start is the official ÖBB website:👉 https://www.oebb.at

It’s surprisingly reliable, and it often shows clearer options for night trains and long-distance trains than other platforms.

For Nightjet specifically, you can also check:👉 https://www.nightjet.com

This is useful to understand routes, cabin types, and what to expect onboard.

So… would I recommend it?

Yes, but not as a luxury experience.

I’d recommend night trains if you’re okay with a bit of imperfection. If you like the idea of travel being part of the journey, not just a way to get somewhere. If you enjoy that slightly disoriented feeling of waking up in a new place and taking a moment to realise where you are. They’re practical, they’re more sustainable, and they make Europe feel smaller in the best possible way.

Final thoughts

Night trains are not about perfection.

They’re about movement, transition, and a different rhythm of travelling. You trade a perfect night’s sleep for time, simplicity, and a small sense of adventure. And honestly, I think that’s a pretty good deal.

Ciao, e al prossimo viaggio!