You can also contact us by clicking here.We cheered, ham baguettes and all. As the new Nightjet arrived at Vienna Hauptbahnhof. As the carriages hummed by, I felt a rush like celebrity train spotter Francis BourgeoisI would have been happier without the GoPro. For over three years, I’ve documented the renaissance in sleeper trains and wondered if they would ever tire me. But the thrill seems only to intensify each time I embark on another nocturnal adventure, this time with my two daughters – aged eight and five – who were already arguing over the top berth. The first four carriages carried travellers to La Spezia in Italy, while the remaining seven continued on to Roma Tiburtina where we would disembark at 10am. After arriving in Rome, we had 24 hour to try classic carbonara and dark chocolate gelato. We could also bike around Villa Borghese.
Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB( has played a leading role in the revival of Europe’s night trains. Towards the end of 2016, ÖBB launched its Nightjet network on 14 routes, using old rolling stock it bought from Deutsche Bahn. To the delight of train geeks like myself, the company launched a new fleet in 2023 and now runs 20 routes throughout Europe. Now we were on this high-spec service that smelled like freshly unpacked furniture. The carpets felt soft and the lighting was adjustable to neon blue or punk rose.
We were booked in a couchette carriage. These are mini-cabins that are designed for solo travelers who want privacy. After placing their shoes and bags in the lockers, they can crawl into a single berth and close the door around themselves. They won’t have to see another person until morning. Last year, I slept in a mini-cabin from Vienna to Hamburg with a tall friend. He compared the experience to that of sleeping in a bread bin. I didn’t find it as cramped as I’d expected, but the pillow was as flat as an old stamp. So, I was interested to see the differences between the four-person compartments for groups and families.
I normally share a seat with strangers. But this time I booked a whole section for us. This was to protect other passengers from my children who were now swinging like Cirque Du Soleil performers, and their sweaty socks scattered under the seats. The raised sides of the upper berths made it safe for my daughters to sleep without rolling out. I tucked in their sheets as they settled in to finish their baguettes. The Nightjet has no dining car, so we bought our food at the station. As the train was sailing out of Vienna in silence and smoothly curving to the south-west, I began tucking their sheets.
We had arrived in Vienna two days earlier by train via Paris from London. Superbude Wien PraterIt was an odd hotel, with MacBooks and gen Zs lying on worn leather sofas. It was an ideal location for exploring the city. With cabins that sleep four people and overlook the Prater, we were able to finish our evening with a thrilling rollercoaster ride, spicy Bitzinger Wurst, and some terrifying rides. Vienna was described to me by a friend as a beautiful and grand “retirement town”. However, the green spaces, museums and playgrounds made it incredibly easy for bringing kids.
After hopping on the Nightjet to Paris, I’d headed straight to my favorite restaurant. Edelgreisslerei Opocensky – an unassuming nook serving homely dishes such as stuffed gnocchi, and goulash with dumplings – before whiling away an afternoon at the Children’s Museum at Schönbrunn Palace.
Dressing up like young Habsburgs, the girls had swanned around in wigs and musty gowns, laying tables for banquets and begging not to leave – a far cry from our usual museum experiences. Before we boarded the train, we had one more run around the interactive Technical MuseumMy five-year-old fell asleep when my train plunged through the Semmering mountain passes.
As we swept the Alps it was still daylight. My eight-year old kneeled at the window to ask where the locals shopped. There were so few signs of life. The landscape was dotted with horses, cows, and small hamlets that appeared around bends as if they were thrown into the mountains. We watched the streams sparkle like metal strips in the twilight and saw a stag standing at the edge a forest. The train then made a lengthy stop at Leoben.
Like the mini cabins, the compartment was still too cold, the pillow still too flat, but the berths were wider and the huge window a blessing compared with the single berths’ portholes – this one allowed for wistful gazing.
As I slept with a rolled-up sweater under my head, the clouds were rumpled and there was a golden flare at the horizon. Most night trains terminate soon after passengers have woken up, but this one was perfect, allowing us to enjoy a leisurely breakfast of hot chocolate and jam rolls while watching the Tuscan dawn breaking into song, and Umbrian lakes and cornfields running parallel before we finally drew into Rome – on time.
If I’m travelling alone, I love having the whole day to myself. But with kids, it can be difficult to wait until 3pm for accommodation to become available, so I opt to stay at a Hoxton Hotel if there is one. The hotel’s Flexy Time policy lets guests choose when they want to check in or out. We checked in at 11am, took a shower, then headed to the Trevi Fountain to throw coins. We also ate thick whorls eggy carbonara from nearby trattoria Maccheroni and gelato from Don Nino. We waited until 6pm before renting an electric pedal-car from Bici Pincio, at the Villa Borghese, to avoid the heat and crowds. We drove around the lush, landscaped grounds and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the evening. The girls were eager to embark on their next journey in Florence. Their only complaint was that they could not ride the night train.
Moonlight Express : Around the World by Night Train is the book by Monisharajesh.Bloomsbury, £22), published on 28 August and available on pre-order at guardianbookshop.com
Omio Travel in a private four-person compartment on a couchette from Vienna to Rome.from £357). Accommodation is provided by Superbude Wien Prater in Vienna (doubles from €89 Room-only; The Hoxton Rome (doubles from €189 room-only)
