The best affordable sleeper train journeys to take in 2026

Overnight carriages across Europe don’t have to cost the earth

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Passengers can book tickets across five room types on the Caledonian Sleeper (Caledonian Sleeper)

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With comfortable cabins, bar carts and scenic views, sleeper trains have long enticed travellers looking to get some shut-eye on long journeys.

New luxury night carriages have launched this year – costing more than a business-class flight – but those looking for a more accessible ticket can still find options on the continent.

European Sleeper confirmed it is reviving the Paris to Berlin night train connection in March this year, with prices beginning from €69.99 (£60) for a one-way ticket in a shared compartment.

Nox, a Berlin-based startup, also aims to offer an affordable alternative to short-haul flights, operating overnight trains in Europe from 2027, with single rooms starting from just €79 (£67).

Not all of the options are quite as affordable, but do offer both transport and a night’s sleep at a price-point below that of a hotel.

While we wait to see if the trains take to the tracks, here is a selection of some more wallet-friendly routes across the continent that are already leaving the station.

The best budget sleeper trains

1. ÖBB Nightjet – European routes

Nightjet connects over 25 European destinations (Getty Images)

Nightjet, operated by Austrian Railways (ÖBB), connects over 25 cities such as Vienna, Amsterdam and Hamburg on its multi-national train services. Passengers are offered the choice of sleeper cabins, couchettes and seating carriages on its journeys. Several sleeping car categories offer their own shower and toilet, a fully made bed and an a la carte breakfast.

Key routes operate between Vienna and Amsterdam, Graz and Berlin and Zurich and Hamburg with minimum fares starting at €19.90 (£17.30) for a couchette in six-berth, €29.90 (£26) for a couchette in four-berth, €69.90 (£61) for a bed in a double sleeper or €114.90 (£100) for a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.

2. Night Riviera – Paddington to Penzance

Sleeper berths start from £49 in a single cabin (GWR)

Night Riviera, one of two sleeper trains in the UK, connects overnight passengers travelling from London Paddington to Penzance, Cornwall. The service offers both “airline-style” seats and single and shared cabins. Night Riviera generally departs from London Paddington at 23.45pm six nights a week, arriving in Penzance at 7.50am.

Super off-peak return tickets for the Night Riviera sleeper from London Paddington to Penzance generally cost around £150. Sleeper berths, an additional supplement from £49 in a single cabin, are fitted with plug sockets, sinks, wardrobes and bottom bunks that convert to sofas. All cabin guests can enjoy the use of lounges and showers at Paddington, Penzance, and Truro and a complimentary breakfast in their cabin. There’s also an onboard lounge bar for soft and stiff drinks or a light bite.

3. SJ Night Train – Stockholm to Narvik

Take the SJ Night Train to travel from Sweden to Norway (Getty Images)

The SJ Night Train (Nattåg 94) is an 18-hour journey departing Stockholm Central in Sweden through arctic landscapes to Narvik, Norway. Aside from regular seats, three different classes of shared or private compartments are available to travellers – an ensuite cabin for two including breakfast, a compartment for three with communal showers and toilets in the corridor and a couchette cabin that sleeps up to six people.

The night train departs daily, usually leaving Stockholm at around 6pm, arriving in Narvik just before 12:40 pm the next day. Beds in a shared sleeping compartment start from around 2,865 Swedish Krona (£233) each way.

4. Caledonian Sleeper – London to Fort William

The Caledonian Sleeper runs every night apart from Saturday (Caledonian Sleeper)

The iconic Caledonian Sleeper connects London to the Scottish Highlands, with a stop at Birmingham International station as of January 2026. The sleeper train currently runs every night apart from Saturday, with guests being transported from London Euston to some of Scotland’s largest cities, including Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness, and more rural locations, such as Fort William.

Passengers can book tickets across five room types with access to reclining chairs, bunk and single beds in private rooms or double en-suite rooms. The most basic seating options range in price from £54 to £100. However, a bed on a journey to Fort William in a classic single or twin room can cost between £210 and £405. The train also features a “Club Car” where passengers staying in rooms can order dishes made with Scottish produce or enjoy a late-night drink.

5. VR Finnish Railways – Helsinki to Rovaniemi

VR Finnish Railways offers a scenic sleeper train to Santa’s “official” hometown (Getty Images)

Looking to lay down in Lapland? VR Finnish Railways offers a direct, scenic sleeper train service from Helsinki to Rovaniemi – Santa’s “official” hometown – via cities such as Tampere and Oulu. The double-decker “Santa Claus Express” night train features basic bunkbed cabins for two people, with shared or private shower and toilet facilities. With journeys up to 12 hours long, prices to stay in private cabins start from €49 (£43) and cabins with showers from €74 (£64.30).

6. InterCity Notte – Italian routes

Trains are transported by ferry across the Strait of Messina to Sicily (Getty Images)

Trenitalia’s InterCity Notte is another affordable option with sleeper trains connecting the north to the south of Italy. With routes departing Milan and Rome for Palermo, Sicily – the train is transported by ferry across the Strait of Messina – and connections from Turin to Naples, these night trains offer modern coaches with seat, sleeper and couchette categories.

Single, double or triple occupancy sleeper cabins come with air conditioning, a washbasin, power sockets and a continental breakfast. Fares start from €122 (£106) for private sleeper cabins.

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