Any insights into the night train from Prague to Basel/Zurich(CNL 458)? Clean, safe, convenient, restful? High demand, need to book well in advance? How about the return(CNL 459)? Any thoughts on night trains from Munich and Vienna to Basel/Zurich (e.g., EN 466). Berlin to Basel (CNL 1258)? Vienna to Venice? In general, any opinions on good or awful night trains in Central Europe? Any and all help appreciated. CHS
Posted by
Northern California
118 posts
Hi CHS,
You'll find that a night train's level of quality depends more on which kind of accommodation you choose than on which route the train runs. In all cases, night trains are incredibly convenient if you don't mind missing the scenery you're passing on the way. You combine the cost of the train ticket with the cost of a night in a hotel, and you wake up with a whole day in front of you in a new city.
If you spring for a private (two-bunk) compartment, the service, security, and accommodations are all first-class. You have a conductor who shows you to your berth, pulls the beds down from the wall for you, and brings breakfast (or a breakfast coupon) in the morning. You usually get little extras like bottled water and fruit, too. Those compartments usually have a sink but no WC -- each car shares a WC. You can lock the door to your berth and feel completely secure with all your luggage in there with you. I would book as early as possible for these berths, especially if you're traveling on a weekend or holiday.
We traveled in a two-person compartment on the Vienna-Venice night train last May and absolutely loved the experience. The conductor was helpful, the beds were reasonably comfortable, and we awoke to the green rolling fields of northern Italy. Just perfect.
The 4- or 6-bunk sleeping compartments are, of course, less private and less relaxing, but I've never felt unsafe in them. It's a comfort issue, not a safety problem. If you have a lot of luggage, you'll probably have to leave it on racks outside the compartment. Bring earplugs and and be prepared for warm temperatures. These beds should also be booked in advance (a few weeks ahead?), in my opinion.
I've also traveled in regular seats on a night train, and my only piece of advice for that is: DON'T. :-)
Have a good trip!
Posted by
Ottawa, Ontario,, Canada
521 posts
Hi CHS,
I am going to second Emma's comment that it depends more on the type of compartment you get on the night train rather than the route itself. I went on four different night trains last summer through different countries, and I can tell you that the six-person couchettes are very similar on each one of them.
As for whether you need to book in advance... if it is going to be during the summer months, you absolutely should book in advance.
In terms of the overall quality, the only thing that ever varied was how well the climate control worked in the compartment. That, and even though the night train attendant will promise to give you a wake-up call... make sure you set a small watch alarm. The German attendants were always right on time, but the first night train I took was into Prague and the wakeup call came five minutes before we arrived in the station.
I am a big fan of night trains so long as they will save you time so that you can enjoy more travelling during the day. If you are not in a hurry to save time, then I actually would not recommend the night trains as you will get a much better night of sleep in a stationary bed - even in a hostel dorm. As well, there can be a lot of great scenery that you may miss by travelling at night.
Posted by
Newton, MA, USA
289 posts
I took the Prague to Basel last May. It was clean, safe and we were rested (but it's personal preference - some people just don't sleep well on night trains). That night train only has around 3 deluxe cabins (not sure what kind of accommodations you were seeking) so if you want those you need to book in advance. We had a private bathroom with shower which was wonderful - even had toiletries and linens. The porter brought us drinks when we arrived and also brought us breakfast (with a choice of time) in the morning.
I was able to book the sleeping accommodations 6 months in advance (I believe all City Night Line trains are the same). We booked the same route in deluxe cabins for this May as well.
Here is a good link for City Night Line train information: http://www.eurorailways.com/kb/brochures/sleeper/city_night_line.pdf