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Booking a tour of Europe? You travel at night. You explore different cities during the day. This isn’t science fiction. Nightjet covers the distance while you sleep. You wake up in a new city every morning. You don’t miss out on any hotel nights.
For example, you travel from Amsterdam to Vienna, then on to Rome. Or you choose a route via Basel and Zurich. Your trip consists of several city breaks. Every night you travel comfortably to the next destination. In this article you’ll read how to cleverly plan such a tour, which routes work best and what to look out for when booking and making connections.
Why Nightjet is ideal for touring
From the Netherlands, night trains run directly to Vienna, Innsbruck, Basel and Zurich. There are also Nightjet routes to Munich and Rome. These depart from other European cities. The journey time to Vienna and Innsbruck is around 14 to 16 hours. Basel and Zurich can be reached in 9 to 12 hours. This makes night trains particularly efficient for touring.
You leave Amsterdam in the evening. You sleep on the train. The big advantage is that you save a hotel night and can head straight into the city from the station. After a few days you continue your journey. You do this by taking a connecting night train. A daytime train is also possible. Nightjet is transport between cities. It also helps you to structure your itinerary smartly. Conscious travellers want fewer changes. They want more time at their destination. If you’d like to know more about the options and different comfort levels, take a look at night trains (Nightjet and European night trains) for detailed information.
Suitable routes for a tour
You choose a route. How much time do you have? Decide this first. Which cities do you want to visit? Make a choice there too. Below you’ll find popular routes that work well with Nightjet connections:
- Amsterdam – Vienna – Innsbruck – return: suitable for a combination of culture and the Alps, with direct night trains to both cities
- Amsterdam – Basel – Zurich – return: practical for a Swiss city break or a combination of city and region
- Amsterdam – Munich – Vienna – return: handy if you want to combine Nightjet with a stopover in southern Germany and then Austria
- Amsterdam – Vienna – Rome: a longer tour with several urban stops, where you use night trains for the longest distances
These routes make use of Nightjet connections that run directly. Some routes are not directly accessible. There you change onto a connecting train. That is a daytime train or regional train that continues on to your destination. It’s wise to structure your journey carefully. Use the night train for the longest distance. Cover shorter stretches during the day by daytime train or regional train. This keeps travel days manageable and helps you avoid unnecessary waiting times.
How do you plan a tour with several night trains
You want to plan a tour with several night trains. This calls for good preparation. Start by deciding your route. Also choose the cities where you want to stay. Stay at least one full day per city. This ensures you make optimum use of the night connection without feeling rushed. Check which Nightjet connections run directly to your chosen cities. Also look at which cities you can reach with a connection. That means changing onto another train.
Tickets for Nightjet can be booked up to 180 days in advance. This is important for popular dates and routes, especially during holidays and weekends. Book your trip early to be sure of availability and often also a lower price. When booking, you can add connecting tickets for feeder and onward travel. This is useful if your tour with several cities doesn’t connect exactly to a night service.
Important steps when planning
- Decide your route and choose the cities where you want to stop
- Check the available Nightjet connections and journey times
- Book early, especially for popular routes and dates
- Choose the right sleeping option for each leg
- Check whether connecting trains still fit on the same day
- Plan at least one full day per destination to explore the city
For example, you can sleep in a seat, a couchette or a sleeper compartment. A couchette (also called a couchette car) is a shared compartment with bunk-style berths. This also gives you a buffer for delays. For travellers with luggage or a bicycle there are separate booking options. Also think about other special needs such as a wheelchair or pushchair. Separate conditions apply then. Always check this in advance when booking to avoid surprises.
Which sleeping option suits your tour
Nightjet offers different comfort levels. This affects your travel budget. It also determines how rested you arrive. For shorter legs such as Amsterdam–Basel a seat may be sufficient. For longer routes such as Amsterdam–Vienna or Vienna–Rome a sleeper compartment is more pleasant. In a sleeper compartment you can really lie flat and you have more privacy. This is especially important if you want to explore a city straight away the next morning.
If you’re travelling with several people, you can book your own compartment for 1 to 6 people. A private compartment is an enclosed space that you don’t share with strangers. This often includes breakfast and offers more peace and space. For families or friends touring together this is often cheaper per person. It also makes the journey more comfortable. Couchettes offer a middle ground. You lie flat. You do, however, share the space with other travellers.
‘ Reservations for Nightjet services are compulsory. ’
Can I use Interrail for Nightjet services
Yes, Interrail passes are valid on Nightjet services. An Interrail pass is a train ticket that allows you to travel unlimitedly around Europe for a certain period. This makes night trains especially attractive for travellers who want to visit several countries on one trip. With an Interrail pass you don’t pay for a separate train ticket. You do pay a compulsory reservation fee for night trains. This fee varies per type of compartment and route.
Reservations for Nightjet services are compulsory. This also applies when using an Interrail pass. Book these reservations as early as possible, because the number of seats available is limited. Do you want a tour where you combine several night trains? Then it’s smart to arrange all reservations in one go. Do this as soon as your route is fixed.
Practical tips for a better tour with night trains
A well-planned tour requires attention to practical details. Choose your cities so that each destination offers at least one full day. Then you make optimum use of the night connection. You have time to really explore instead of just passing through. For international tours, always check whether your connecting train still fits on the same day. Otherwise a delay can affect your entire route.
Nightjets cover long distances and are often coupled to other trains. This makes them more susceptible to delays. So allow enough time between connections. This is especially important if you also have a ticket that day for a museum or activity. There is no minimum check-in time. Do make sure you are on the platform at least 15 minutes before departure. Ticket inspection often only takes place on the train. This is more relaxed than with flights or international station procedures.
Extra points to bear in mind en route
- The current Nightjets from the Netherlands do not yet have wifi
- Do you want to continue travelling straight away the next morning? Then book a sleeper compartment
- Take a power bank with you, because sockets are not always available in all compartments
- For travellers with luggage a sleeper compartment is more convenient. Your belongings stay safely in your own compartment
- Check in advance whether your destination is a terminus or an intermediate stop. That way you know when you have to get off
Do you want to explore intensively? Even then a sleeper compartment is the best choice.
New Nightjet trains from 2025
From 28 May 2025 new Nightjet trains will run on key routes. This applies, among others, to the Amsterdam–Vienna and Amsterdam–Innsbruck services. These modern trains offer more comfort. They also have better facilities for long distances. For anyone planning a tour after this date, this means a more pleasant travel experience. The sleeper compartments have been improved. There is more space.
The introduction of these new trains makes Nightjet even more attractive for tours with several cities. Take this date into account when planning. That way you’ll be able to make use of the newest rolling stock. Nothing changes for existing bookings, but new bookings from May 2025 automatically benefit from the renewed fleet.
‘ Travellers who consciously opt for train holidays travel differently. ’
Use Nightjet as a building block for sustainable travel
Nightjet is transport between cities. It’s also a choice in how you structure your holiday. You book fewer separate hotel nights. You have more time at your destination. Travellers who consciously opt for train holidays travel differently. They don’t take flights or hire cars. They choose the train as a sustainable alternative.
A tour by night train combines city breaks with comfort. It’s also efficient. You travel more calmly. You see more of Europe along the way. You can stay flexible in your planning. You can opt for a short trip via Basel and Zurich. Or choose a long journey towards Rome. Plan ahead. Book early. Choose the right sleeping option for your route.
On the Traveler Tips website you’ll find much more information about train holidays and routes through Europe. You’ll also find practical booking tips. Discover more about how to plan your next trip smartly. Read about the options for tours with several cities and night trains.
Frequently asked questions
Nightjet offers three main options: seats, couchettes (berths in shared compartments) and sleeping cars, possibly as a private compartment with more comfort and peace. For the most comfortable multi-city tour, choose a sleeper compartment (preferably private) for the longest legs and use (fast) daytime trains for shorter stretches. Build your route as a chain of city breaks, for example Amsterdam – Vienna – Innsbruck or Amsterdam – Basel – Zurich, with at least one full day in each city. Book well in advance, plan connecting trains carefully and use the night train mainly for the longest distance between two cities so that you get the most out of both comfort and experience.
Plan your route as a chain of city breaks in which you use Nightjet for the longest distances (e.g. Amsterdam–Vienna or Amsterdam–Basel) and cover shorter legs during the day with (fast) daytime trains. Check the timetables in advance so that you arrive in the morning, have at least one full day per city and allow generous transfer times to day trains, especially for international connections. Book early (up to about 180 days in advance) to get the cheapest fares and choose the cheapest still comfortable option for each leg (seat, couchette or sleeper compartment). Consider a private compartment if you are travelling with several people; shared use is often cheaper per person and saves a hotel night.
The practical advantages are that you cover long distances at night and thus save hotel nights and valuable daytime hours, while arriving without check-in stress right in the centre of a new city; in addition, the journey is often calmer and more sustainable than flying or driving for hours yourself. You can also plan your tour efficiently as a chain of city breaks, with flexible connections to daytime trains. Essential preparations are: planning your route and cities in advance, booking tickets in good time (up to 180 days ahead) and consciously choosing between seat, couchette or sleeper compartment. It is also important to check your connecting trains, be on the platform in good time and check the conditions in advance regarding luggage, bicycle or pet.
When booking a multi-city Nightjet tour, it’s important to plan your route as separate legs, travel the longest distances at night and consciously choose the right comfort class (seat, couchette or sleeper compartment/private compartment) for each leg. Make sure you book well in advance (up to around 180 days) and schedule your connecting day trains so that a delay on the night train does not immediately throw your route into disarray. Flexibility depends strongly on the type of fare: cheap saver/promo tickets are usually limited or not changeable and often non-refundable. Flex fares and more expensive options generally offer better possibilities for rebooking or cancelling, but this differs per service and needs to be checked for each ticket condition.
Recommended options include a loop Amsterdam – Vienna – Innsbruck – Amsterdam, where you combine culture with Alpine landscapes, and Amsterdam – Basel – Zurich – Amsterdam for a varied Swiss city break. Amsterdam – Munich – Vienna – Amsterdam is also attractive if you want to combine southern Germany and Austria. For a longer and more special trip you can plan Amsterdam – Vienna – Rome, with several urban stopovers. Use Nightjet mainly for the longest night legs and fill shorter stretches with daytime trains for a varied journey.
