Nostalgia on rails: Travel through Europe by night train!

Nostalgia on rails: Travel through Europe by night train!

On May 25, 2025, an enthusiastic traveler plans to take the night train south for the third time. The upcoming journey brings back memories of his first experience on a night train two years ago, which was filled with nostalgic impressions and fascinating thoughts about famous films from the 70s. He was particularly impressed by the train's interior, including the red fabric seats and colorful ceiling painting.

The author, who had little interest in Goethe's works during his school years, especially the tragedies "The Sorrows of Young Werther" and "Faust", quotes his famous saying: "One does not travel in order to arrive, but in order to travel." This seems to reflect his philosophy, which is strongly linked to the experience of travel.

A positive night train experience

On his first night train journey, the author initially had the six-passenger compartment to himself until a family with a baby got on. Despite initial concerns, the toddler was extremely calm during the journey. However, he had difficulty sleeping because the emergency switch was located at the head of his bunk bed. He finally reached his destination station early in the morning and describes the entire experience as positive.

Next week he will get on the night train again to repeat the travel experience and says with a wink that he would tell Goethe at the end of his trip: “Traveling is beautiful, arriving is more beautiful.”

Night trains in Europe

A look at night trains in Europe shows that in countries like France, a large number of intercity routes also offer night trains. These trains enable a cost-saving travel option as no accommodation is required and therefore no travel time is lost. Almost all connections are via Paris, and an example route could go from Briançon, an Alpine town near the Italian border, to Paris overnight and then on to Toulouse or the Pyrenees.

The Intercitiés Nuit offer various booking options, including seats, berth compartments, women's compartments and private compartments, with prices for berth compartment tickets starting at just 29 euros. This variety of offerings appeals to many travelers who want to experience the adventure and convenience of night trains.

In summary, the fascination of traveling by night train lies not only in the nostalgic atmosphere, but also in the practical way to travel overnight while saving money. The night train is now one of the preferred travel options in Europe for many, which the author also confirms in his own travel experiences.