You can also find out more about YThe sleeper train to Vienna is not a morning commuter. The sleeper to Vienna is not a train you should rush for. Nightjet train to the Austrian capital is the most illustrious departure of the day from Amsterdam. There is an art to conducting the perfect departure and the perfect arrival, the bookends of a thrilling overnight journey.
Amsterdam, Berlin Vienna, and Zurich are all major sleeper hubs in central and western Europe. Budapest, Brussels Milan, Munich Paris and Prague are all secondary nodes. The majority of night trains in the region start or finish in one of these ten cities. Before boarding, enjoy an aperitif or a relaxed meal before your departure. And upon arrival, don’t just dash on – linger over a coffee and let the morning, and the city, develop around you.
Amsterdam Centraal
The following are some of the ways to improve your own ability to learn. ÖBB Nightjets You can also find out more about the following: Basel, Innsbruck, Munich, Vienna and Zurich; European Sleeper You can also find out more about the following: Berlin, Dresden, and Prague
The best of the best Grand Café Restaurant 1e Klas The former first-class boarding area (entrance via 2B platform). The restaurant opens at 9.30am and is the ideal place to have breakfast after a Nightjet flight (or an early morning Eurostar from London) but also for supper before departure. It offers reasonably priced Dutch staples within a retro-styled space. The Guardian has even called it “finest station eateries in Europe“.
The alternative option to dinner and drinks before departure is Bistro Berlage The former undercroft is now the new Beurs Seven minutes from the station is the stock exchange.
This can be a frustrating station, with fierce ticket barriers guarding platform access (luggage lockers in the east wing from €10 per day). It gets another black mark for the lack of showers for passengers arriving on overnight trains, but a big plus for being at the very heart of the city it serves – its enchanted canal network is right outside the station.
You can easily reach the major sights by heading south. To avoid the crowds and enjoy a quieter experience, leave the station from the north and take the F4 Ferry for a 15-minute free ride to the south. NSDM WharfOld shipyards are now creative and cultural centers with many alternative cafes.
Berlin Hauptbahnhof
FThe following are some examples of how to use ÖBB Nightjets You can also find out more about the following: Basel, Graz, Paris, Vienna and Zurich; SJ/RDC or Snälltåget You can also find out more about the following: Stockholm; MÁV Euronight to Bratislava and Prague, Budapest European Sleeper to Amsterdam and BrusselsAnd, later this summer, PKPIC Night sleepers Chelm The following are some examples of how to get started: Przemyśl Eastern Poland
A multi-level essay in glass with a striking vaulted roof, the station is on five levels, with level 0 in the middle and trains departing/arriving on levels -2 and +2 – all utterly confusing for a first-timer. The station isn’t the most relaxing spot to linger, but for the exalted few, Deutsche Bahn’s premium (first-class) lounge is an oasis of calm.
Enjoy a spectacular breakfast in an amazing setting. book a table at Käfer On the roof terrace at the Reichstag, which is open every day from 9am (900m from the station). For a posh pre-departure dinner, Paris-Moskau Alt-Moabit 141 is a traditional Berlin Restaurant in a half-timbered house just 400 metres from the hotel.
With time on your hands, catch the vibe of the German capital by wandering along the banks of the River Spree, passing the Reichstag en route to the Brandenburg Gate.
Leave luggage at the DB Gepäck lockers (levels -1 and +1, from €2 for two hours or €4 a day). You can shower for a fee in the “rail and fresh” Facility on Level 0.
Vienna Hauptbahnhof
For ÖBB Nightjets to Amsterdam, Berlin, Bregenz, Brussels, Cologne, Dresden, Hamburg, Hanover, Milan, Paris, Venice and Zurich (also until late September, additionally with ÖBB Nightjets to Florence, Rome, and Verona);Euronight Kraków, Stuttgart and Warsaw; and Other operators Bucharest, Braşov, Kyiv and Lviv, Summer-season overnight trains are available. Rijeka & Split
Vienna’s Hauptbahnhof was fully opened in Vienna 10 years ago. It is Europe’s most efficient transport hub and has a wider range of destinations.
If you want a relaxing breakfast, avoid the fast-food restaurants in the station. head for Café Goldegg, with its art nouveau style and elegant wood paneling (corner of Goldeggasse & Argentinierstrasse). If you ask nicely, they will even cook up a complete English for you.
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Mark Smith recently gave me some great advice about what to eat for dinner. the legendary Man in Seat 61Try out the amazing Ringsmuth Johannitergasse 1 is a traditional Viennese eatery with plenty of schnitzel, as well as options for fish and vegetarians.
Vienna Hauptbahnhof lies south of the centre. Stephansplatz can be reached by the U1 metro three stops to the north. St Stephens Cathedral. Or take the U1 south two stops and get off at Reumannplatz for a body cleanse in art deco style. wonderful Amelienbad indoor pool – a triumph of progressive socialist design. A visit will help make up for the lack of showers at the railway station for those arriving on night trains (but there are luggage lockers aplenty, from €2).
Zurich Hauptbahnhof
For ÖBB Nightjets to Amsterdam, Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Graz and HamburgEuronight Budapest, Dresden, Ljubljana, Prague and Zagreb
Zurich’s main station is a place for grand arrivals – check out the colourful flying angel pivoting over the concourse. Then freshen up with a shower (mezzanine level, €12). And now it’s time for breakfast …
What is my favorite spot? Roots Lintheschergasse – just 2 minutes away from platforms. Avocado toast and power porridge are perfect after a night of rail travel, as well as all sorts juices and drinks. Pre-departure dinner: Try Maru, A little Japanese oasis on the second floor of the shopping centre under the station. It serves matcha and Japanese comfort food.
I love Zurich because of its small-town feeling. Having arrived on a night train and lingered over breakfast, I usually wander down pedestrianised Bahnhofstrasse and make for St Peterhofstatt, a haven of calm in the historic heart of the city.
London
Paddington Station for the GWR Night Riviera The following are some examples of how to use Cornwall offers 11 great destinations for your next vacation; Euston Station for Caledonian Sleeper Trains 40-plus Stations in Scotland
London is not to be forgotten. London is not forgotten.
The arrival lounges at Paddington and Euston are both posh, with free showers. However, those staying in en suite accommodation can only use the facilities at Euston.
Passengers departing Euston should board early and head straight to the Club Car (seats are limited) for dinner for a taste of Scotland and a wee dram as they head north. Take a bottle of chilled champagne with you to the GWR lounge on Platform 1 if you are departing Paddington for Cornwall.
Nicky Gardner Co-author of Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide. The 18th edition of the. available from the Guardian Bookshop for £20.99 (additional postage charges may apply)
