He tested all the night trains in Europe: from worst to best

Written by Sophie Renassia

Published on August 13, 2025, modified on April 3, 2026

For four years, Thibault Constant, creator of the YouTube channel Simply Railway and former railway worker, set himself a crazy challenge: test all Europe's night trains. Not all lines, but all companies, in every possible type of comfort - from a single seat to the most luxurious sleeper.

"I wanted to be able to say: I've been on every night train in Europe. So I picked up a map, mapped out a route... and set off."

This rail marathon, which began in 2019 and was completed last autumn, took him around a total of six months' travel over several years. An adventure he has documented on video for his YouTube channel which brings together tens of thousands of enthusiasts. In the 58th episode of our podcast "Can I buy you a rail?" (the podcast that will get you hooked on trains), he tells us all about this crazy challenge and gives us his list of the best and worst students in Europe.

A rail marathon between passion and challenge

A long-standing passion

It's fair to say that Thibault Constant fell into the train habit as a child. As a child, he regularly took the train to visit his family in the South of France. A railwayman at heart, he first worked as an engineer at SNCF Voyageurs, then at Alstom, before devoting himself fully to his YouTube channel to make a living from his passion.

After the publication of a first book, "Night trains, 30 unforgettable journeys in Europe". published by Gallimard, he has now gone even further: at 28, he and Janek Smalla have just launched their own night train company, Nox, featured in this article !

Testing all of Europe's night trains: a multi-year challenge

The project began in August 2019, with a grand tour of Europe thanks to the FIP card (railway worker discounts). It was completed in autumn 2024, after a final sprint of a month and a half to complete the missing companies and redo his favorites. In total, Thibault spent around 6 months on the rails, documented in detail on his YouTube channel.

Lessons from an overnight train tour of Europe

The best countries for night travel, according to Thibault

• Italy - A dense network, well-thought-out timetables, affordable prices and great availability. Intercity Notte serves almost all major cities, right up to Sicily. "For €80 to €100, you get a nice sleeper... and there's always room."

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• Finland - Modern equipment, cabins with showers, impeccable service. The trains (VR Night Trains) are spacious and well-maintained, with a sense of comfort that makes all the difference.
• Austria - Thanks to Nightjets from ÖBB who saved the night train in Central Europe. The Austrians focus on comfort and innovation, with affordable mini-cabs for example!

The bad pupils according to Thibault

• Spain No night trains since 2020, despite enormous potential. "They had magnificent lines (until 2013 you could do Paris-Madrid by night train), and they've stopped everything, at the worst possible time. It's quite an absurd decision. Even if we can understand Renfe: it was costing them a lot of money and they didn't get any help from the state."
• Portugal no active service today.

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• Germany In 2017, Deutsche Bahn discontinued night trains, replacing them with night ICEs that are less conducive to sleep. "There's no longer a national airline that takes care of this, but fortunately, thanks to the Austrian company ÖBB with its Nightjets, we can find quite a few routes in Germany!"

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And what about France?

France came very close to joining the ranks of the poor performers. Between 2017 and 2021, only two lines remained: Paris-Briançon and Paris-Toulouse (via La Tour-de-Carol). "It was a bloodbath... and it was barely saved after the Covid."

Since then, several lines have reopened, supported by state subsidies. Renovations have extended the life of existing trains ("we botoxed old trains".), even if their age still causes delays.

Prices remain attractive: "Tonight I'm doing Paris-Saint-Raphaël in a couchette, €44 return in a second-class couchette... It's very competitive ! "

However, Thibaut advises against sitting for a full journey: "It's always a wasted night... better to pay €10 more for a berth."

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Night trains in France: Where do we stand?

Favourites and the future of night trains

His favorite trains

Thibault finds it hard to choose just one, but two lines stand out for him:

• Le Night Riviera (United Kingdom) - This train connects London to Penzance in Cornwall, at the very south-western tip of the country. "It's an old night train, recently renovated, where we never share the cabin with strangers. We're always solo."

In England, this configuration is the norm, guaranteeing rare comfort and privacy.

• The Caledonian Sleeper (Scotland) - A railway institution that links London to the Highlands. "You wake up to incredible scenery... it's unique." Here too, intimacy is a priority, and service is meticulous, for an experience that perfectly combines travel and pleasure.

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The Caledonian Sleeper: travel to Scotland by night train from London

• Special mention for Snälltåget Swedish: a private train linking Stockholm and Berlin (via Malmö, Copenhagen, Hamburg), sometimes as far as the Baltic coast, with very good value for money.

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Snalltaget: the Berlin - Copenhagen - Stockholm night train

His advice to travellers

• Avoid seating on night trips.
• Test the mini-cabins ÖBB for more privacy at a reasonable price.
• Choose countries with modern or renovated equipment.
• Don't hesitate to talk to your cabin neighbors: "You always meet new people! I often have fascinating conversations on night trains. On international trains, you have more time and space (corridors, dining car) to talk."

A revival to consolidate

Thibault repeats: without Central Europe and the vision of the Austrians (with the ÖBB company) the night train might not have survived.

"Without them, there would be no Nightjet in Paris or Brussels today. They're the only ones who believed in it and didn't give up, they bet on the night train at a time when nobody believed in it anymore - and that was before Covid - and they were visionaries!"

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To perpetuate this revival, it relies on :

• Modern sleeping cars and affordable, like the Nightjet mini-cabins at €69 for individual space.
• More low-cost offers to attract new travelers
• Ambitious public policies with financial support to sustain and develop the network.

Whatever the case, Thibault Constant's tour of Europe proves that night trains still have a bright future ahead of them... as long as you focus on comfort, regularity and attractive prices. Italy, Finland and Austria are leading the way, while France is trying to get back into the race. What if the future of low-carbon travel lay in the pleasure of being lulled to sleep all night... only to wake up, already there?

Written by Sophie Renassia

Issue du monde de la communication et des médias, Sophie est Responsable éditoriale chez HOURRAIL ! depuis août 2024. Elle est notamment derrière le contenu éditorial du site ainsi que La Locomissive (de l'inspiration voyage bas carbone et des bons plans, un jeudi sur deux, gratuitement dans ta boîte mail !).

Convaincue que les changements d’habitude passent par la transformation de nos imaginaires, elle s’attache à montrer qu’il est possible de voyager autrement, de manière plus consciente, plus lente et plus joyeuse. Son objectif : rendre le slow travel accessible à toutes et tous, à travers des astuces, des décryptages et surtout, de nouveaux récits.

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