Unpopular opinion. Night trains are never going to make a dent in air travel.
I’ve traveled right across Europe by train a bunch of times, so I’ve taken a good few night trains. In Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, a couple in the Balkans, even the Dogu Express right across Turkey. I’ve also taken day trains everywhere, of course.
Every single experience on a night train was something of an ordeal. That’s because a night train is basically a hostel on wheels. Staying the night in a tiny cabin in extreme proximity to strangers, without privacy, without access to a decent bathroom, this is just never going to be competitive with a short flight, no matter how cheap it is. For students, young people and more adventurous types, sure, it’s a great idea.
The only genuine solution to the plane problem is high-speed rail that is fully competitive on price.
There is another answer: improve comfort in night trains.
Being able to eat in a restaurant in a country A, sleep in a comfy night train and eat a breakfast in a country B would be way more comfortable than a flight imho.
The problem is that for most people over about 21, the biggest component of “comfort” is privacy. This is why people book hotels rather than hostels, even when the hostels are stylish and luxurious. Of course, night trains can be hotels-on-wheels too. The better ones have first-class cabins with private bathrooms. But this makes no sense from an environmental point of view. At this point you might as well take the short flight.
The best couchette-style service in Europe right now is the recently introduced Nightjet mini-cabins. Capsules, basically. This is a major step forward IMO but I still don’t see this tempting most normie travelers. And so expensive, too.
Once they start rolling out more mini cabins I hope it will become more affordable. I think this can be the future to expand sleeper trains to a wider audience
Unpopular opinion. Night trains are never going to make a dent in air travel.
I’ve traveled right across Europe by train a bunch of times, so I’ve taken a good few night trains. In Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, a couple in the Balkans, even the Dogu Express right across Turkey. I’ve also taken day trains everywhere, of course.
Every single experience on a night train was something of an ordeal. That’s because a night train is basically a hostel on wheels. Staying the night in a tiny cabin in extreme proximity to strangers, without privacy, without access to a decent bathroom, this is just never going to be competitive with a short flight, no matter how cheap it is. For students, young people and more adventurous types, sure, it’s a great idea.
The only genuine solution to the plane problem is high-speed rail that is fully competitive on price.
There is another answer: improve comfort in night trains.
Being able to eat in a restaurant in a country A, sleep in a comfy night train and eat a breakfast in a country B would be way more comfortable than a flight imho.
The problem is that for most people over about 21, the biggest component of “comfort” is privacy. This is why people book hotels rather than hostels, even when the hostels are stylish and luxurious. Of course, night trains can be hotels-on-wheels too. The better ones have first-class cabins with private bathrooms. But this makes no sense from an environmental point of view. At this point you might as well take the short flight.
The best couchette-style service in Europe right now is the recently introduced Nightjet mini-cabins. Capsules, basically. This is a major step forward IMO but I still don’t see this tempting most normie travelers. And so expensive, too.
Once they start rolling out more mini cabins I hope it will become more affordable. I think this can be the future to expand sleeper trains to a wider audience
Yep I hope so too.