I've taken overnight train rides ranging from $40 to $9,000 a ticket. Here's how I'd rank them from worst to best.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
- I've spent 120 hours on overnight trains in the US and Europe testing out different accommodations.
- The best sleeper train accommodations provide privacy, amenities, space, and luxury.
- Here's how I'd rank my six overnight train experiences from worst to best.
I've spent 120 hours traveling on overnight trains to sample a variety of accommodations available in the US and Europe.
After six nights of sleeping in seats, bunks, and private cabins in five different countries, I've found that the best accommodations offer privacy, amenities, space, and perhaps a taste of luxury.
Here's a ranking of every sleeper train accommodation I've tried based on my comfort and overall experience during the journey.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
My worst experience on an overnight train was in Europe.
In October 2022, I took a 12-hour ride from Berlin to Vienna with the Austrian Federal Railway's OBB Nightjet line.
Since I was traveling on a budget, I booked the cheapest accommodation on the train. For about $40, I got a reclining seat in an enclosed space for up to six travelers.
The seats were arranged in sets of three facing each other. Even at 5-foot-3, I felt cramped and didn't have enough legroom to recline the seat all the way with another person in front of me.
The accommodation didn't include sheets or a pillow, as it's not recommended for overnight travel, a representative of the train line previously told Business Insider.
The journey had several overnight stops. Passengers came and went, often leaning over me to retrieve their luggage from overhead storage.
I didn't sleep on this ride, so saving money rather than booking a more comfortable accommodation wasn't worth it.
"We recommend the sleeper or couchette car for night travel. There is enough space to stretch out. Seated carriages are recommended for shorter journeys," OBB Nightjet wrote in a statement to BI.
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During the same European train trip, I took another Nightjet train from Vienna to Venice, Italy, in 11 hours.
For about $84, I booked a bunk in a shared cabin for up to six travelers. The 74-square-foot space felt cramped, so I was thankful when only three other passengers were inside during my leg of the journey.
Thanks to a proper bunk, provided sheets and pillows, and less movement throughout the night, I had a slightly easier time sleeping in the shared cabin than in the seating carriage.
However, sharing a tight space with no privacy was still uncomfortable. I woke up several times throughout the night and ultimately arrived in Venice feeling exhausted, although I appreciated the light, complimentary breakfast.
"We are constantly working on improvements to our product and also take into account the requirements of our customers," the Nightjet representative told BI.
By 2025, Nightjet will have an upgraded fleet with larger shared sleeping cabins and an added seating area, according to a press release from the train line.
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Having a private cabin is key to a decent overnight train ride, in my experience.
I tried one for the first time in October 2021. For $500, I spent 30 hours in an Amtrak roomette traveling from New York City to Miami.
The 20-square-foot room with a sliding door had two seats facing each other inside with a pullout table between them. At night, the seats folded out to make a bed, and another bunk could be pulled down from the ceiling. The room also had a mirror above a pullout sink and wash basin.
These clever space-saving hacks made the room feel efficiently designed, but there wasn't much space to move around and stretch my legs.
However, I was grateful to brush my teeth inside my cabin, and having my own space made the trip far more comfortable for lounging during the day and resting at night.
In addition to the room, my ticket included meals throughout the 30-hour ride, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
While traveling through Europe in November 2023, I took an 11-hour ride from Venice to Vienna on another Nightjet train. After two poor experiences in the train line's shared rooms, I booked the top-tier accommodation — a private cabin.
For $200, I slept in a 30-square-foot space with two top bunks and one on the bottom. Unlike the roomette, there was space to move around in the cabin.
Across from the lower bunk, two doors hid a vanity and wash basin. With a larger, brighter mirror and storage shelves for my toiletries, I thought it was a far better space to wash up than the roomette.
When it was time for bed, I found that the Nightjet mattress was slightly more comfortable than the roomette's. And I had a fluffy comforter that helped me fall asleep fast.
In the morning, I received a complimentary breakfast as well.
Joey Hadden/Insider
In October 2021, I spent 30 hours in an Amtrak bedroom accommodation on a train from Miami to NYC.
At 40 square feet, the bedroom is the biggest train cabin I've booked. And I used the additional space to dance around and get my blood flowing throughout the trip.
Inside, there was plenty of lounging space — a couch transformed into a bed, another bunk pulled down from the ceiling, and a chair pulled out from the back wall. Beneath the wide window, there was a foldout table, too.
This room also had a feature I've never experienced on another overnight train — a full bathroom, including a shower, a toilet, and a wash basin on a wide vanity with three mirrors and ample storage for toiletries.
Having my own private bathroom made this one of my best overnight train experiences so far. And like my ride in the roomette, this ticket included meals.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
It certainly wasn't the largest and didn't have a bathroom. Still, the historic cabin on the luxurious overnight Venice Simplon-Orient-Express was my most memorable booking to date.
The Belmond train is a fleet of 100-year-old carriages from the iconic Orient Express services of the 1920s and 1930s. I rode it in November 2023 from Paris to Venice in 30 hours.
For $9,000, I slept in the train's lowest tier of accommodation — an enclosed space that felt roughly the same size as the Nightjet private cabin. Like the Amtrak rides, it had a vanity, wash basin, and foldout table.
But what made this cabin stand out was its design. According to a Belmond fact sheet shared with BI, the sleeping car's interiors have been preserved and restored to their original, luxurious glory. Vintage furniture, detailed marquetry, and the most comfortable train bed I've ever experienced transported me back in time as I slept through the night.
Throughout the journey, I received complimentary breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And these menus were designed by a Michelin-starred chef. I had some of the most luxurious dishes I've ever tasted, from scrambled eggs and caviar to scallops and lobster tails.
Unlike any of my other overnight train experiences, this ride felt like it ended too soon. Rather than feeling relieved to exit the tight space and explore my destination, I longed for another lavish evening aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.
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Reviewed by mimisabreena
on
Thursday, March 14, 2024
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