Night trains. Why are they so necessary? Night trains in Europe

Many tourists and businessmen prefer to travel exactly night trains- you go to bed, say, in Spain, and you wake up - it’s already Germany outside the window. And the whole day ahead is free...

For the first time, “sleeping cars” were used in Europe Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits(CIWL). The company was born in Belgium back in 1872 and immediately began equipping its rolling stock with sleeping cars and dining cars. The founder and owner of CIWL, Georges Nagelmakers, came across this idea during his trip to the United States in 1867-68, where he was impressed by the Pullman night trains. CIWL developed several routes and operated a number of trains, including Nord Express, Train Bleu, Golden Arrow And Transsiberien. But the most famous train of the Belgian company is undoubtedly "Eastern Express" (Orient Express), which since 1883 began to operate on the route Paris - Istanbul.

There are currently several night trains operating in Europe. As a rule, night trains consist of sleeping cars with single and double compartments and cars with regular compartments with berths, but there are also cars with seats.

In the UK, sleeper trains run daily from London to Scotland ( Caledonian Sleeper) and from London to the west of the country to Cornwall ( Night Riviera). The carriages were developed by the company British Rail and consist of single and double compartments.

Germany has a network of night trains City Night Line, owned by a German railway operator Deutsche Bahn. Trains operate not only within the country, but also to most countries in Western and Central Europe, including Austria, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. Trains depart at approximately 20:00 and arrive at their destination by 9:00.

In Italy the company Ferrovie dello Stato equips its trains with sleeping cars. Trains run throughout Italy, including Sicily.

Another example of modern express trains with comfortable sleeping cars is the train Train Bleu, which leaves Austerlitz in the evening and arrives in Nice at 8 o'clock in the morning. This train is most popular among older people. Train Bleu trains are owned by a French operator Corail Luna.

Modern tourists know how to save money, and therefore they travel around Europe more and more often on night trains.

Such trips are extremely profitable: you don’t need to pay for a roof over your head to a hostel or hotel, because you can sleep in a relatively clean and safe place, and while you are sleeping, the train will take you to your desired destination.

There are two types of night trains in Europe - fast and sleeper

Ambulances travel all night, you can get in from any station and get off at any stop at any time. This train includes all types of carriages. Fast trains use regular fares.

Most European night trains leave after seven in the evening and finish the route by 11.00 in the morning.

In rare cases, a train begins or ends its route during the day.

A daily train trip is a real rarity. This is the prerogative of the Balkan countries, since the railway transport system is poorly developed.

The standard schedule is this: the train leaves at 23.00 pm and arrives at 7:00 or 8.00.

Sleeper trains are more comfortable; they depart in the evening and stay on the road until the morning, and never travel during the day. Such a train makes two rounds of stops - evening and morning.

Passengers are boarded in the evening, and only disembarkation awaits them in the morning. There are no other tickets. At night, from approximately 0.00 to 5.00 or 6.00, it is forbidden to leave the sleeper train, because in Europe they worry about sleepers. If a sleeper train suddenly stops at night, these are just technical stops.

You must reserve a seat on this train immediately. It has its own price system, independent of distance, and the fares are slightly different.

Ticket prices here are slightly higher than on fast trains. A first class ticket includes breakfast.

Changes to night train schedules in Europe

Night trains in Europe

German railway employees spoke about another reduction in night train services.

It should affect a number of transit international trains passing through Germany.

From 14 December 2014, the new timetable will be valid for train routes via Berlin and Hamburg to Paris, as well as routes from Copenhagen to Basel, Amsterdam and Prague. Plus, the Warsaw-Amsterdam train route will be shortened to Cologne.

Concerned tourists are collecting signatures for a petition to preserve the previous regime.

Railway workers spoke about the real reason - the unprofitability of night routes, because night trains have been in decline for the last 10 years due to the rapid growth of low-cost airlines.

To summarize, we note that dozens of night trains have been removed in Europe. The largest reductions affected Spain - it retained one sleeper train to Lisbon, and in December it will be possible to travel from France only to Italy at night. This means that now tourists will have to either check into hotels or shell out for other transport.

If the petition does not influence the decision of the authorities, there are always consoling sides for tourists - at night the architecture and sights are not visible, departure takes place late in the evening, and arrival is early in the morning, so you can’t always count on a good night’s sleep.

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In Europe, where distances between cities are not so long, night trains provide an excellent alternative to other means of transportation. During the night on the train you will not only reach your destination, but will also have time to sleep and gain strength, and also save on a night in a hotel. In this article I want to talk about night trains in Europe and the types of seats that can be booked on such trains.

There are three categories of seats on night trains: regular or seated seats, lie-flat seats, and sleepers with bed linen provided. To compare the places offered and their prices, consider a night train traveling on the route Munich - Vienna. The trip lasts 6 hours, during which you can have a good rest.

Seat place(German: Sitzplatz) are provided in a 6-seater compartment or in a general carriage. This is the most budget travel option, the cost of such a place is 69 Euros. The seats in the 6-seater coupe look like this, the nice thing is that the seat can be pushed forward and you can stretch out to your full height.

Seats in a common carriage.

Lying places(German: Liegeplatz) can be purchased in a 4- or 6-seater coupe. For each purchased seat you will be given a sheet, blanket, and pillow. It is convenient to order a separate compartment with lie-flat seats when you are traveling with your own group and do not want strangers in the compartment. The compartment is naturally locked at night. The cost of 1 seat in a 4-seater compartment is 89 Euros, in a 6-seater compartment - 79 Euros.

Sleeping places(German: Schlafplatz) is the most comfortable option for traveling, but also the most expensive. The sleeping compartments are designed for 2-4 people and are equipped with a separate toilet. The price also includes breakfast and bed linen. Coupes come in Economy and Deluxe classes. A trip in a 2-seat Economy class compartment will cost 109 Euros per person, in a 1-seat compartment - 159 Euros per person. The Deluxe class coupe is not available on this route, but one has to think that its price is significantly higher than for the Economy class.

In a compartment there must be a temperature regulator above the door; as a rule, there is a socket near the window.

All night trains in Europe are equipped with a dining car.

Most tickets for night trains can only be bought at the ticket office; if you're lucky, you can also buy tickets online. If you are traveling in Germany, or leaving Germany abroad, you can buy it on the German Railways website.

I had the opportunity to travel on night trains on the routes Stuttgart - Vienna, Prague - Spisska Nova Ves (Slovakia), Prague - Budapest. Twice I rode in seats that you can recline at night and sleep peacefully. Once (to Slovakia) I was traveling on a recumbent seat in a compartment for 4 people.

The most popular and longest night train routes in Europe include the following: Berlin - Zurich (travel time - 11 hours), Paris - Venice (travel time - 13 hours), Berlin - Belgrade (travel time - 26 hours). Along their route, trains make stops in major cities along the way.

The night in Europe is devoted mainly to freight transport. There are not many passenger trains. As a rule, there will be only one night train on most routes, 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 depart after seven in the evening and complete the route by ten to eleven in the morning. Only occasionally does a train begin or end its journey during the day. And it’s quite rare for a train route to be a day long. This only happens on underdeveloped and slow roads in the Balkan countries. Usually they try to arrange 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 subtypes - fast and sleeper.

Sleeper trains They are usually distinguished by a higher level of comfort, and also by the fact that they are on the road only from evening to morning, and never travel during the day. The sleeper train makes two series of stops - evening and morning. In the evening there is only boarding, in the morning only disembarkation of passengers. Other tickets are simply not sold. At night, from about midnight to five or six in the morning, you cannot get on or off the sleeper 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 compartments for 1-3 people on a 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 sleeper trains is mandatory. The pricing system here is its own, and does not depend on the usual tariffs on this route. Prices also do not depend on distance, or change slightly. As a rule, tickets are more expensive than on 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 run both between German cities and from Germany to neighboring 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 run 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). Travels from Paris to Milan, Rome, Florence and Venice. There are no seats.
• Trenhotel (Talgo Trans Pyrenees) (Spain). They run from Barcelona to Paris, Milan and Zurich, as well as from Madrid to Paris and Lisbon. A special system allows them to switch from a wide Spanish gauge to a narrow European one in the direction of travel, without changing wheel bogies. Seating is available only in the Lisbon, Zurich and Milan trains.
• Caledonian Sleeper(Great Britain). They go from London to cities in Scotland. There are no couch seats. Seating reservations are not required.
• Pociag Hotelowe(Poland). They go along three routes within Poland. There are no seated carriages.

Holders of railway passes pay a surcharge on sleeper trains - it can be either insignificant or very significant.

Fast night trains They stop all night, and you can travel in them from any station and to any station. Usually a fast overnight train has all types of overnight cars, although in some countries there are no couch cars. On fast trains, regular fares apply and regular tickets can be used. Seating reservations are only required in Scandinavia, Spain and Portugal.

In many countries, night fast trains are called the same as day 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 are also special names for fast night trains - Espresso(E) in Italy, Estrella(*) in Spain.

EuroNight. The trains of the EuroNight (EN) system stand apart. These are mostly international trains connecting cities in 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 train. Accordingly, there may or may not be mandatory reservations. Regular tickets can be used, or special tickets can be used. Moreover, when crossing state borders, a train can change its name. In one country it is called EuroNight, and in another it is simply 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 at no extra charge. In other countries, you should check travel conditions before boarding the train as there is usually a small surcharge. The same applies to Italian domestic trains InterCityNotte(ICN).

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

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

Another example. That 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 carriages are additionally attached to each of these parts. In general, carefully read the signs on the carriages and do not end up in a Munich carriage instead of a Frankfurt one.

Night trains

There are relatively few night trains in Europe. In most directions there are no more than one or two, and on some lines there may not be any at all. As a rule, the schedule is designed so that night trains depart after 19.00 and arrive at the final station by 10.00–11.00. Longer routes, lasting a day or more, exist only in Eastern European countries.

On night trains, in addition to seated carriages, there are couchette carriages (similar to our compartment carriages). The compartments in them are usually not 4-, but 6-seater - with three shelves on each wall, and a folding ladder on the side. There are no mattresses there, but the shelves themselves are soft, and the pillows are taken from the bottom shelf, where during the day they are attached to the wall. Sleeping cars have 1-2-seater compartments. You have to pay extra for travel in couchette and sleeping cars. In daybeds - usually 20–30 €, and in bedrooms the surcharge can reach up to 100, and in single compartments - up to 200 €.

Night trains can be either ordinary fast trains or purely sleeper trains. The sleeper train stops in the evenings only for boarding passengers, and in the mornings for disembarkation, but during the period from approximately 0.00-5.00 one cannot get on or off the sleeper train. Sleeper trains have only lie-flat seats and therefore reservations are required. As a rule, travel on a sleeper train costs more than on a fast train. You have to pay both the cost of moving from one place to another and overnight accommodation. Therefore, for example, the cheapest place is in a seated carriage (some night trains do not have them), in a 6- or 4-berth couch carriage, travel is more expensive by about the cost of an overnight stay in a cheap hotel, in a 3-2-1-berth sleeping compartment – for the cost of a room in a 2-3-4 star hotel.

Night trains NachtZug (NZ) run between German cities and call at countries neighboring Germany (Berlin – Paris fare from 110 to 265 €); CityNightLine (CNL) trains connect Zurich with Berlin, Dresden, Dortmund and Hamburg (from 75 to 255 €), and also run from Dortmund to Vienna; French Artesia de Nuit trains run from Paris to Milan, Rome, Florence and Venice; Spanish trains Train Hotel Elipsos (Talgo Night, www.elipsos.com) have their own names: “Francisco Goya” connects Madrid with Paris (13.5 hours), “Juan Miro” – Barcelona with Paris (12 hours), “Salvador Dali” goes from Barcelona to Milan (12.5 hours); the Caledonian Sleeper train connects London with cities in Scotland (from 80 to 175 €). In Poland, night trains are called Pociag Hotelowe (from 25 to 80 €).

Fast night trains are no different from day trains. They stop at all stations, and travel is possible using regular tickets without any special surcharge. Reserving a seat on such trains is only required in Scandinavia, Spain and Portugal.

In many countries, night fast trains have the same names as daytime trains. But there are also exceptions. For example, in Italy they are called Espresso (E), and in Spain – Estrella. EuroNight (EN) trains within Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands are equivalent to fast trains: seat reservations are not required, regular tickets are used at no extra charge. In other countries, they are considered sleeper tickets and require a small surcharge to the price of a regular ticket. In 2005, a new category of trains appeared in Poland – Tame Linie Kolejowe (TLK, “low-cost railway lines”). These are day and night trains with mandatory seat reservations, but at the same time with relatively low fares. They operate on routes previously served by InterRegion (IRN) and Nocny Express (NEx) trains. The fare is the same as for regular fast trains, i.e. about 45–55 zlotys ($1 = 3.2 zlotys) for most long-distance journeys in second class and about 70–80 zlotys in first class. Moreover, if you purchase in advance, you can purchase an even cheaper Tani Ticket at a special price of 27 zlotys (the number of these tickets on each train is limited). On TLK night trains there is a surcharge for a daybed - 20 zlotys per seat, but bed linen must be purchased for an additional fee. Unlike other purely sleeper overnight trains, they do not offer free meals.