After decades of cuts and cancellations, Europe’s long-distance sleepers have roared back onto the timetable. Climate-conscious travellers, sky-high airfares and fresh investment from operators such as ÖBB Nightjet and start-ups like European Sleeper have created a perfect storm for the comeback of “hotel-on-wheels” travel. From February carnival jaunts to Venice to Michelin-starred luxury across Italy, 2025’s roster is the strongest since the 1980s – and sexier than ever.
Below you’ll find the eight routes we think are unmissable next year, plus booking intel, cabins to snag and insider tips to make your overnight rail adventure effortlessly chic.
1. Paris → Berlin (ÖBB Nightjet)
| Fast facts Details Launch Dec 2023; full 2025 schedule Monday, Wednesday & Friday (daily expected after engineering works) Depart 19:12 Paris-Est Arrive 08:26 Berlin Hbf From €29.90 seat / €49.90 couchette / €89.90 sleeper |
Why ride? Trade airport queues for flutes of crémant in the refurbished dining car and wake up in Berlin in time for brunch. ÖBB’s modern carriages offer private compartments with en-suite showers – ideal for couples chasing comfort on a budget. Tip: book six months out for €29.90 Sparschiene fares.
2. Brussels → Venice (European Sleeper – Winter Special)
Inaugural run: 5 February 2025 – two round-trips weekly through March, timed for ski season and Venice Carnival.
This headline-grabbing service darts via Utrecht, Munich, Innsbruck and Verona, crossing the Brenner Pass before descending to La Serenissima. Total travel time: ~21 h, meaning Londoners can leave St Pancras after lunch and still be sipping spritz on the Grand Canal by sunset the next day.
Cabin pick: opt for the “Sleeper Plus” compartment – beds made up for you, breakfast included, and picture-window views of snow-dusted Dolomites at dawn.
3. Munich / Salzburg / Vienna → Bologna / Florence / Rome (Next-Gen Nightjet)
ÖBB’s new-generation Nightjet sets – Wi-Fi, mood lighting, lie-flat beds – debut on these Italo-German corridors on 10 September 2024 and settle into regular 2025 circulation.
Why it matters: They finally connect Central Europe’s rail hub trio with the heart of Emilia Romagna and Tuscany overnight, eliminating awkward 05:00 connections. Book early morning gelato? Don’t mind if we do.
4. Amsterdam → Vienna & Innsbruck / Munich (Nightjet)
Starting May 2025, extended Nightjet diagrams mean the Dutch capital gains direct sleepers to Austria and Bavaria, shaving hours off daytime routes.
Tip for planners: search “Nightjet NJ 490” for Vienna and “NJ 402” for Munich–Innsbruck schedules.
5. Brussels / Amsterdam → Prague (European Sleeper)
European Sleeper’s maiden Brussels-Berlin train stretched east in March 2024; by 2025 it’s a thrice-weekly staple with evening departures and morning arrival under Prague Castle.
What we love: through-couchettes from the Low Countries to Bohemia for under €80, plus beer delivered to your bunk. Book women-only compartments for extra privacy.
6. Hamburg / Berlin → Stockholm (SJ EuroNight)
The climate-hero EuroNight EN 346/345 now runs year-round, giving Nordic dreamers a 22:00 boarding in Hamburg and arrival into Stockholm Central just after brunch. Status April 2025 confirms continued operation (not daily – check calendars).
Pro move: choose a two-berth sleeper for shared savings or splash on a private shower suite.
7. La Dolce Vita Orient Express (Eight Italian itineraries)
Luxury rail goes couture on 4 April 2025, when the La Dolce Vita Orient Express glides out of Rome’s Ostiense station. Think 18 suites dressed by Dimorestudio, Michelin-star menus by Heinz Beck and routes spanning 14 regions – Venice lagoons, Sicilian citrus groves, Tuscan vineyards.
From €3,500 pp it’s a splurge, but if any train can make slow travel sexy, it’s this retro-futurist masterpiece.
8. Paris → Milan → Venice (Midnight Trains)
Dubbed a “hotel on rails”, French start-up Midnight Trains is targeting late 2024/early 2025 for its first fully private-cabins service linking Paris with northern Italy – and Edinburgh-Paris soon after. Expect double beds, sound-proofed rooms and a cocktail-bar lounge.
Watch-list: sign up for beta fares; early birds get discounted suites before airline-match pricing kicks in.
Booking & Money-Saving Cheat Sheet
- Six-month rule: European sleepers open 180 days out – set alerts for release dates.
- Interrail & Eurail: pay only the reservation fee (as low as €20) on most routes – perfect for gap-yearers.
- Women-only berths: offered by ÖBB Nightjet and European Sleeper; bookable online.
- Bike spaces: European Sleeper to Prague accepts bikes 4 June–31 August 2025 – reserve early.
- Cabin math: couples often save by booking an entire couchette (4-berth) instead of two sleeper bunks.
Packing for Night-Train Chic
- Silk sleep mask & earplugs
- Light scarf (train AC can bite)
- Power bank – not every 1980s carriage has sockets
- Flip-flops for midnight corridor strolls
- Local snacks + a half-bottle; lounge cars sometimes close early
Final Call
Whether you crave carbon-light city-hopping or champagne-fuelled glamour, Europe’s 2025 night-train map has you covered. From alpine panoramas outside your window to the satisfying thunk of a conductor locking your private suite, sleeper travel isn’t just back – it’s downright seductive.
So, stow the suitcase, dim the cabin lights and let the rails rock you to sleep. Your next great European love affair begins the moment you board.
Planning your trip? Bookmark this guide and keep following Vaycay Couple for fare-drop alerts, route launches and cabin reviews all through 2025.
Happy snoozing – and happier arrivals.
🚂 Craving even more glamorous carriage time? Don’t miss our companion guide: Luxury Train Journeys in Europe.
