Night trains in Europe routes. Night trains

At first glance, the rattle of a passenger car being uncoupled or driven to a siding somewhere at a station in central Europe at midnight is not all that romantic. But if you imagine that this is a night train, following from to, and that you are lying on a narrow shelf right under the ceiling, and everything immediately changes and becomes much more exciting.

In contrast to day trains, whose principle is to get passengers from point A to point B as quickly as possible, the slowness of night trains aims to get passengers to their destination rested and ready for a new day. A trip on such a train is an adventure in itself, because it is impossible to predict who will be your fellow traveler. And there is always a chance that you will never be able to fall asleep, either because of the fantastic landscapes outside the window, or because of a cheerful company.

An invaluable advantage of night trains is the ability to save on hotel costs. Rail carriers offer different types of compartments: for two/four passengers, compartments for six berths and seating. Choose the option that suits your budget and buy your ticket in advance (at least a few days in advance) especially during the high season. You can save a lot if you buy a ticket 30 - 120 days before the intended trip.

Choose one of the best European night trains and good luck!

Night train St. Petersburg - Moscow

For 77 years, every evening around midnight, the iconic train "Red Arrow" departs from the Moscow railway station to the sounds of R. Glier's "Hymn to the Great City" from to. The dream of many Soviet people to ride on the Strela has become available today. This train was quite deservedly the pride of Russian railways. This train was ridden by the political elite, high officials and simple people and everyone was offered equally comfortable travel conditions. The same journey can be made in the afternoon on high-speed train in four and a half hours, but remember, you will not have a comfortable bed, a glass of vodka at night, a famous anthem and a sense of belonging to history.

Night train London - Fort William

There are only two trains with sleeping cars. One, the "Night Riviera" departs from Paddington Station and travels southwest to the port city of Penzance in Cornwall.
But more interesting is the Caledonian sleeper train. This legendary train departs every night (except Saturday) from Euston station in London and travels to different directions to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, Aberdeen, Fort William. Approaching Fort William offers stunning views of the Scottish Highlands and the high mountain Scotland Ben Nevis.

Night train Paris - Venice

At night, trains leave the capital and diverge in different directions across the continent. This is perhaps the only way to leave, especially on a hot summer evening, when, waiting for a train at the crowded stations of Bercy or Gare de Lyon, you really want to get into a cool car, go to bed in a cozy compartment, and wake up somewhere on the coast in the morning. The most popular destination on night trains is Paris - Venice. If you suffer from insomnia and cannot fall asleep, outside the train window you will see an enchanting spectacle of the moonlit Alps and Italian lakes. Leaving the bustle of Paris in the evening, in the morning you will plunge into a unique flavor. By traveling this way, you will have the advantage of two hours without the tourists arriving on the daytime trains.

Night train Trondheim - Bodo

In general, amazing beauty should be admired in the light of day. But there are two reasons for taking the ten-hour night train journey from Trondheim to Bodo. Firstly, if you make this trip in the summer, you will lose absolutely nothing - the sun in the summer here almost does not hide behind the horizon, and you will see in detail the most beautiful Norwegian landscapes. Secondly, Norwegian trains are perfect place to have some fun in the company of temporary fellow travelers, and a shelf in a sleeping car is a great way to save money in this expensive country.

Night train Amsterdam - Copenhagen

CityNightLine services can be called a benchmark among European transport companies offering overnight transfers. The trains of this company serve passengers in and provide passenger connections with other countries. These modern trains offer jump seats and compartments with 2, 4, 6 beds. Most best deal provided by the German railways, on the route from to through Hamburg. For only 29 euros (seat) or 49 euros (sleeper) you will have several hours to look at from the car window.

Night train Budapest - Split

Keleti Station in the capital city of Budapest is a great place to start your journey, while Split, seaport in , an excellent place to visit. The station is located very close to the port, from where you can get to the islands of Brac, Hvar and other smaller islands. On the way from Budapest to Split, you will pass by the Hungarian Lake Balaton, make a short stop in the capital of Croatia, Zagreb. Keep in mind, this route operates only in the summer.

Night train Prague – Krakow

This is a classic European destination linking two of the most important cities in Central Europe. nine o'clock night crossing will be quite enough to wake up after drinking in

In Europe, night trains are not as popular as in the former USSR. But there are night trains in Europe, of course.

Advantages of night trains obvious:

• you save time on travel– in the evening they got on the train in Amsterdam, and in the morning they woke up already in Milan
• you save on accommodation in hotel
• night trains in Europe are reasonably clean and safe

Cons of night trains should also be taken into account:

• the train may leave late in the evening or arrive early in the morning, so be prepared for the fact that you may have to spend several cold morning or evening hours at the station. Remember that in
• if you don't sleep well on trains, you won't get enough sleep
• you don't know who your fellow travelers will be. A night in a compartment with two crying children - and the next day the Arc de Triomphe will seem to you not so triumphal
• but the main thing is that you are driving at night and deprived of the opportunity to see the beauty of Europe outside the window. If you are passing through the Alps, you will lose a lot if you do not even see the mountains from the train window.

One of the most famous railway companies – night train systems in Central Europe – CityNightLine(abbreviated CNL).

CityNightLine is a Swiss company cooperating with Deutsche Bahn (DB - German Railways) and Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB - Austrian Railways). CityNightLine operates flights between cities in Germany, Holland, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, as well as Belgium, France, Italy and the Czech Republic.

Company website http://www.citynightline.de/nachtzugreise/view/en/index.shtml

CityNightLine routes:

Zürich HB – Berlin Ostbahnhof
Wien Westbahnhof-Amsterdam Centraal
Hamburg-Altona-Zurich HB
Zürich HB – Amsterdam Centraal – Zürich HB
Amsterdam Centraal – Munich Hbf
Basel-Prague
Dresden Hbf–Zurich HB
Hamburg–Brussels/Paris
Basel SBB–København H
Praha hlavní nádraží – Amsterdam Centraal
Amsterdam–Milan
Berlin–Bolzano
Berlin-Brussels/Paris
Dortmund-Bolzano / Selzthal / Wörgl
Dortmund-Villach
Hamburg–Bludenz
Hamburg–Bolzano / Selzthal / Wörgl
Hamburg-Villach
Munich–Berlin
Munich–Hamburg
Munich–Copenhagen
Munich-Paris
Munich–Rome
Munich–Venice

Route map:

CityNightLine night trains have both seating and sleeping places:

• in SV (Deluxe Sleeper) - compartment for 1-3 passengers
• in compartments (couchettes) for 2, 4 or 6 passengers

In autumn 2009, CityNightLine night trains will offer discounted rates.
A one-way ticket in a couchette car will cost only 39 euros, in a sleeping car - 59 euros. The ticket must be purchased at least 3 days before the trip to. As is often the case with cheap tickets, tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded.

Going on a trip to Europe, the first thing we face is the choice of transport for the trip. The plane is good for its speed, the car provides independence, hitchhiking gives a feeling of adventurism, but what should you give preference to if you want to save money? Perhaps the best option would be Railway.

It is extremely convenient to move around, judge for yourself:

• The Old World has a developed network of railways, so you can get to the most remote corner of the EU;
• There are a variety of trains that run here, and you can choose the one that is ideal for your purpose of travel: cheap or expensive, day or night, fast or not;
• Opportunity to save with single ticket InterRail, which gives the right to use all trains in Europe.

But first things first.

Railways of Europe

Each country has a national railway, the most developed are:

• German «Deutsche Bahn» (http://www.bahn.de);
• French "SNCF" ( http://www.sncf.com);
• British "British Rail" ( http://www.britishrail.com);
• Czech "?esk? dr?hy" ( https://www.cd.cz);
• Italian "Ferrovie dello Stato" ( http://www.fsitaliane.it).

They and many others are members of the international Railteam organization, which allows them to interact successfully.

Trains: which one to choose?

In order to successfully travel, it is necessary to take into account the features of various compositions. In the Old World, they are usually divided into day and night.

Day trains

In such trains, you will not find places that we call “reserved seats”, cars with comfortable easy chairs are more like aircraft cabins. Therefore, lying down, as in our trains, will not work.

There are cars of the second and first classes, to find out which one you are in, take a look at the front door or the wall near it. A large number printed on the surface will mean the class. Second class carriages have four seats in each row, while first class carriages have three. But all of them, without exception, are divided into sections for non-smokers and smokers. That is why smoking, habitual for our country, in vestibules, corridors, toilets is strictly prohibited. Traveling during the day, you will come across the fact that the train is not accompanied by a guide, but by a conductor. His duties include checking and selling tickets, giving a signal for departure, controlling the disembarkation and landing of people, closing doors. But the opening of the doors is carried out directly by passengers.

There are several types of daytime trains:

1. Suburban - "trains" in our understanding, but very comfortable: with large soft chairs and air conditioning. They are considered a connecting element between urban transport and rail. Often, “trains” go down underground, forming a single system with the subway;
2. Regional - are distinguished by their short travel time (about 2-3 hours) and extremely frequent stops. There is, however, a pleasant exception - regional express trains that stop only in the largest settlements;
3. Ambulances travel long distances and make fewer stops. The cars are usually divided into compartments, which can accommodate 6-8 seats, the composition is equipped with a buffet or a restaurant. May differ in terms of comfort and speed;
4. High-speed - streamlined, similar to rockets, they are able to reach speeds of more than 300 km / h, and therefore are suitable for long-distance travel. Equipped with sockets, audio systems and TVs.

Night trains

Compositions plying at night are quite a rarity in Europe. Usually these are just a couple of trains that depart after 19:00 and arrive by 10:00 - 11:00. Each car has a conductor who is responsible for ordering and checking tickets. When traveling, you will be faced with the fact that there are two types of night trains: sleeping and ambulances. The first of them are more comfortable and make stops only in the evening (for boarding passengers) and in the morning (for disembarking). At night, nothing interferes with healthy sleep, which cannot be said about rest in ambulances that stop at all stations included in the route.

There are three types of carriages on night trains:

1. Sleeping. They are divided into single, double or triple compartments, equipped with soft shelves with backs, TVs, lamps and even a washbasin;
2. Couch. These are analogues of our compartment cars, with only one difference - instead of the usual four seats, there are often six here;
3. Sedentary. They are rare and are ordinary open wagons with soft seats.

Tickets

Driving without a ticket is a rather dangerous adventure: the fines in the EU are very large, so you need to take care of paying for the fare in advance.

If you are not going to travel much, a regular one-time ticket will do, but if your plans include visiting many cities and countries, use a travel pass. In Europe, there is an extremely convenient system called InterRail Pass. This is a type of travel card that allows you to travel independently and simply: on any train and at any time of the day. There are several varieties of InterRail Pass.

The night in Europe is given away mainly freight transport. Passenger trains not so much. As a rule, only one night train will go to most destinations, sometimes two. On some lines there may be no night trains at all. Several night trains in one direction are a rarity, typical only for Italy.

Most night trains in Europe leave after 7 pm and complete the route by 10 or 11 am. Only occasionally does a train start or end its journey during the day. And quite a rarity is a train route that lasts a day. This happens only on the underdeveloped and slow roads of the Balkan countries. Usually, they try to make the schedule so that the train leaves at ten or eleven in the evening and arrives at seven or eight in the morning.

Night trains are divided into two subspecies - fast and sleeping.

Sleeper trains they are usually distinguished by a higher level of comfort, as well as by the fact that they are on the road only from evening to morning, and never go during the day. The sleeping train makes two series of stops - evening and morning. In the evening, only landing is made, in the morning only disembarkation of passengers. Other tickets are simply not for sale. At night, from about midnight to five or six in the morning, you can’t get on or get off the sleeping train. This is done so as not to disturb sleeping passengers. All stops that the train makes at this time are technical. There are always sleeping cars with a compartment for 1-3 people in the sleeping train, but there may not be couch or seat cars. However, most trains still have all types of night cars.

Reservation of a seat on sleeping trains is mandatory. The price system here is its own, and does not depend on the usual fares on this route. Prices also do not depend on distance, or change slightly. As a rule, tickets are more expensive than in fast trains. However, sometimes it is cheaper. In first class sleeping cars, breakfast is included in the ticket price. Sleeper trains include:

• NachtZug(NZ, Germany). They walk between German cities, and from Germany to neighbouring countries. A special system of tariffs, which can be either higher or lower than regular ones. Large youth discounts from 25 to 50 percent.
• CityNightLine(CNL, Switzerland-Germany). They go from Zurich to Berlin, Dresden, Dortmund and Hamburg, as well as from Dortmund to Vienna. One of the most modern trains in Europe. Youth discount 30 percent. On this train, breakfast is served to all passengers, regardless of the type of carriage.
• Artesia de Nuit(France). Walks from Paris to Milan, Rome, Florence and Venice. There are no seating areas.
• Trenhotel (Talgo Trans Pyrenees) (Spain). They go from Barcelona to Paris, Milan and Zurich, as well as from Madrid to Paris and Lisbon. A special system allows them to switch from the wide Spanish gauge to the narrow European one in the direction of travel, without changing wheeled bogies. Seating is available only in the Lisbon, Zurich and Milan trains.
• Caledonian Sleeper(United Kingdom). They go from London to the cities of Scotland. There are no couchettes. Reservation seating not necessary.
• Pociag Hotelowe(Poland). There are three routes within Poland. There are no seating cars.

Rail pass holders pay a surcharge on sleeping trains - it can be both insignificant and quite substantial.

Fast night trains stop all night, and you can ride them from any station and to any station. There are usually all types of night cars on the fast night train, although there are no couch cars in some countries. Regular fares apply on fast trains and regular tickets can be used. Reservation of a seat is only mandatory in Scandinavia, Spain and Portugal.

In many countries, night fast trains are named the same as daytime fast trains - Schnellzug (D) in German-speaking countries, Rychlik in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Rapido in Portugal, Express in some other countries. But there is also special names for fast night trains - Espresso(E) in Italy, Estrella(*) in Spain.

EuroNight. Trains of the EuroNight (EN) system stand apart. This is for the most part international trains, connecting the cities of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Italy and some other countries.

There is a lot of confusion with EN trains. The fact is that the railway administration of each country puts its own meaning into the concept of "EuroNight train". It can be an ordinary fast train, or it can be a sleeper. Accordingly, there may or may not be a mandatory reservation in it. Regular tickets may be used, or special ones. Moreover, when crossing state borders the train can change its name. In one country it is called EuroNight, and in another it is just a fast train. In addition, many sleeper trains (eg Artesia, NachtZug, Talgo, Trenhotel) are often referred to as EuroNight in timetables published in other countries.

There should be no problem if you are traveling on EN within Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. In these countries, EuroNight is equivalent to fast trains, seat reservations are not required, regular tickets are used without surcharge. In other countries, you should check the travel conditions before boarding the train, as there is usually a small surcharge. The same applies to Italian domestic trains. InterCity Notte(ICN).

If you are on the night train seated car, be careful when boarding or changing to another car en route. Approximately half of the night trains in Europe consist of several different cities. In the middle of the night, such a train either simply splits into parts, or exchanges wagons with other trains.

For example, the EuroNight train departs from Vienna every evening, consisting of two parts - Amsterdam and Brussels. At the same time, a fast train (D) departs from Munich, which also has Brussels and Amsterdam carriages. At night, these two trains converge in Nuremberg, reassemble, after which all Brussels cars continue on their way to Belgium, and all Amsterdam cars continue to Holland. Interestingly, in each of the two new trains, the cars that arrived from Vienna continue to be called EuroNight, and those that arrived from Munich continue to be called D.

Another example. In the same Nuremberg, a fast train from Prague arrives at night and is divided into three parts. One of them goes to Munich, the other to Frankfurt, and the third to Stuttgart. Moreover, Nuremberg wagons are additionally attached to each of these parts. In general, carefully read the signs on the cars and do not get into the Munich car instead of the Frankfurt one.