Essential Tips for Taking Night Trains Across Europe

Hey Jocelyn. Hey what? Hi. What you doing? Nothing. Just uh missing you. Oh, you're being silly. I had my glasses on I couldn't see you. You had your glasses on you could Oh, that's right. For sure. They're for reading. Yes. So, we're ready for going to bed. We'll see how it goes. Liam's almost out. Uh you know, the rocking of the train is actually really nice and um I think that's going to put me to sleep. I am not using pillow up here.

I am just got a blanket with my arm. That's going to be my pillow. I'll be fine. Hey there fellow travelers. Mark here with Wolters' World. Today we're taking the night train from Budapest to Romania. And today we want to talk about uh some of the don'ts you need to know about before you take the night train here in Europe. And I want to tell you this, don't expect to find a lot of night trains. Now, 20 years ago, 15 years ago and before, there were tons of night trains from Berlin to Paris, from Paris to Warsaw, from Budapest to Berlin. It was all over and it was a very popular way to get around because you got to go long distances and have free accommodation while free accommodation while you took the train.

So, it was a very popular way to get around. But now with the advent of all these low-cost airlines, the uh the old night train isn't quite as popular as it used to be. Now, I know a few years ago it had kind of a revolution, it got romanticized, people kind of came back into taking the night train. But you'll notice a lot of those night trains have now been stopped yet again. So, there just not as many options as there used to be. Okay? So, I don't want you to think that this is going to be something you're going to be able to do a lot of times, but there are still some things here. You want to go from Budapest to Prague or Budapest to Berlin or Berlin to Budapest, Budapest to Bucharest, you know, like we're doing.

There are still some out there. Like I've taken them from Spain, you know, and going to, you know, France. So, there are still some available, but it's not like it used to be. So, don't think it can be really a part of your trip cuz you need to make sure it is actually an option. And one thing I really want to say, if you do get one, don't romanticize it. Look, I know we've all heard of the Orient Express, right? And oh, the fancy trains. And yes, we're going to live like back in the fancy days we take the night train. No, it is just like a normal train. However, some of them have beds in them.

Just think more like your regional express kind of train, but you're going to sit there for 14 hours going between countries, all right? Or going between cities. So, do be aware of that cuz I know a lot of people put this idea that it's going to be this fancy wonderful trip. Oh, we're going to be so sophisticated and it's going to be great. And sometimes there are nice trains, but a lot of times you're just on a normal train having a normal trip. So, don't romanticize it because believe me, whether you're, you know, getting on the train in Bucharest when it's, you know, 95° and you're dripping with sweat when you get on there. You're in a or you're in a car with like six people in one cabin. I mean, it's not the fancy

romance kind of thing that people usually think about when they think of taking the night train in Europe. Not going to lie. Not feeling the romantic old world Europe vibes in this. Just feeling like a hot train ride in the dark. Now, when you're looking for your seat, don't forget to look for actually your wagon number because when you get in it's whatever door whatever wagon that door is on. So, 32 is here, 31 is there. See this little break? Sometimes they don't both have the number. So, make sure you get in the door that has your number and that's going to be where your seat is cuz that's where you have a lot of confusion sometimes in terms of where

your seat really is. And people are like, wait, I have that seat. No, I have that seat. Well, this is 23. Well, I was in 24. Well, 24 is up there. So, you might have those issues. So, make sure you get on the right wagon. I love my glowing hair, right? Whatever's left of it. I'm going to think of this really important. Uh if you're going to go take a night train, don't forget to get on the right wagon because sometimes on the night trains they all don't go to the same destination. Like it might break off halfway through and you want to go to Cologne, but that part went to Berlin. So, make sure you're getting on the right part. That's why that's really important. On night trains, always have

reservations and go stay in your seat. Now, the next thing I want to tell you is don't forget to pre-book your tickets and get seat reservations for the night train because a lot of them require reservations. And you might have a Eurail Pass or an Interrail Pass, that's not enough. You have to have the reservations. Especially if you want to take a cabin and have a bed, you're definitely going to pay extra for it and you're going to have to pre-book it and make sure you have a seat reservation. And going along with that, don't forget that your seat reservation might have a bed reservation that goes along with it. So, don't take somebody's seat. Like if you're in a cabin like this, you notice

here, we've got, you know, three seats here, you know, right? One person's here, one person's here, one person's here. Well, each of us also have an assigned bed. So, we have a bed up here, there's just going to be a bed right here, and then there's a bed down here. And whatever seat you have might have a bed that's assigned with it. So, don't steal someone else's bed or seat, all right? That's why it's important to have those reservations already set up. Now, another thing I want to tell you is if you're going to be doing this, don't pack a lot. There is not a ton of room on the night train, okay? It's not like there's extra stuff that they think, "Oh, they're going to be on a night

train, so it's going to be like Harry Potter where they put all the extra space, they can put all of your bags." It doesn't work that way. For us here, look, ours, boom. The ours suitcases have to go underneath here because up there, somebody is sleeping. Now, sometimes they might have extra space over the top. If you look up over there, you might have some space up there, but in general, I want to be honest with you, there's not always a ton of space. So, if you're going to have those big suitcases, they're not going to all going to fit here. So, where are you going to put it? Well, you might actually be using your suitcase as a pillow. So, just be aware of that. So, we got our bags in underneath the seats. We got our

backpacks here, too. That's one of the things, you're going to take these night trains, do not bring the big suitcases. This can't be the big mega suitcases, there just isn't room for them. Um luckily, we have a four-room with four bunks. There could be six bunks in there, but there's only four in this one, so you have a bit more room, but otherwise you're going to be using your suitcase as a pillow probably when you're going to be there, so do be aware of that. Limited space on these. And wow, it's summertime, it's hot when you first get on.

Another reason not to have heavy luggage when you're coming up here, it's like a ladder coming up here. So, be aware of that when you're trying to get on the train. Also, when you get off the train, you don't have a boo-boo. Cuz it's a long way down. So, obviously don't overpack when you're going to take the night train. Another thing I want to tell you is don't expect to be super comfortable. We're all still wet and a little hot from getting on the train because it didn't really start in a cool place. Now, it has definitely gotten nicer, it's cooled down a little bit as we've gone, but in terms of comfort, if you're over 6-ft tall, if you have a bed here, you're probably going to be a

little squished and maybe you're going to be one of those top bunk people. It's not really super high ceilings, so sometimes it might get a little claustrophobic when you're in those beds. So, just realize it might not be super comfy and that's why I want to tell you don't expect to arrive refreshed and energized for your day in the new city because most likely you're not going to sleep very well. I always feel if I get any sleep on the night train, it's a win, all right? Those people that get off the night train looking refreshed and happy, they're paid actors. They did not take the night train, all right? Now, I think another thing I want to tell you is don't think all the night trains are the same because there are different levels. Like

I've been on some of them in Germany which were really nice and I just had a normal seat and I could lay back and it was like a really comfortable plane seat with a little more space and it worked really well. I've been on other ones going to Spain and literally it was a seat like this where we have three, we were putting four people in there, so it was a little snug to say the least, right? So, comfort is sometimes optional. All right, when you are packing, probably you're going to have is your carry-on bag and then maybe a backpack with you. One thing I want to tell you is make sure you pack for easy access for you, which means that bag that's going to get stowed away, do not

put anything you need in it. Make sure in your easy access bag you have your passport if you're going to go across the border. You have your tickets, maybe your battery pack, your phone. You have it in the bag that's easy to access that you can grab easily. The suitcase that goes underneath or goes the top, if you have to take that out, it's literally the entire cabin has to deal with it and it makes for a very frustrating situation. So, have easy access to your important stuff in the smaller bag. Um another thing I would say is don't make it too easy to access for all of your stuff though because in the night train you do need to sometimes pay attention.

I know I took a night train to France and literally I was sitting in a normal kind of seating where it's like you know two and there was a guy just watching my bag and I could tell he was waiting for me to fall asleep and I ended up locking my bag onto the you know the baggage thing and once I did that the guy got up and left my cab like the cab that we were in the big wagon there because there are some nefarious folks in the night train sometimes. Not all the time. In general you're safe. However, it's a good idea to not make it easy so someone could just slide the door and grab something by the door just in case, okay? Now, another safety thing, if they have a lock on the door, don't forget to use the lock if it's

available to you. One, because it keeps you know safer, but also for privacy sake because sometimes people aren't sure which door they are at night. They go to the bathroom, they come back, move the wrong door. Oh, whoops. It just makes it safer and easier and more private for you. And don't worry, if the conductor needs to get in, they can unlock it. So, my suggestion for putting the beds together is don't wait too long. You might want to do it while you still got some daylight because this light isn't super awesome. Um it's hot as we've said 35 times in this video. So, I've taken the comforters and put them on the underneath side and then the duvet thing just set it on top and then we've got a

top sheet. I don't think anybody's going to use a sheet that hot. Um and it's warmer up here. So, if there are people who are cool with being hot, they might want to sleep up upstairs. Now, another thing I want to tell you is about eating and drinking when you're on the train. I will tell you this, don't expect to have a lot of food options and drink options. However, sometimes there are restaurant cars on there. And what's cool, when I've taken the night trains, when they've had restaurant cars, it's straight up actual plated food, not just kiosk stuff like a hot dog or something.

Like, it was real deal. Like, I could get goulash and I could get meatballs and kind of stuff. So, that's kind of a cool thing. But, you're never guaranteed or it might be that the restaurants close for certain times and there's only like a little cart going by or sometimes I've gone on, they've told us, "Hey, sorry, restaurant car isn't working this time." That's why it's important, grab some drinks. You're at the train station, grab some bottles of water, grab some snacks for your trip. Look, it's just an overnight train, so only a few snacks, a few drinks to get you through, but it's important to have just in case the restaurant car isn't opening. Now, when you travel around,

don't be surprised if they ask for your tickets multiple times cuz usually if you're doing a night train, you're usually passing through multiple countries and whenever you change countries, you usually have a change of the train staff. So, the conductor will change, the ticket checker will change, all these kind of things. So, the new staff comes in, they check your tickets again. So, make sure you keep those still available in that bag to show again later or on your phone so you have it for easy access cuz you don't have to go hunting for it again when the people in Romania come on and they're going to check the things there. That's also why maybe if you have your paper tickets, take a picture of them as well so you

have it on your phone in case the conductor takes your tickets and forgets to bring it back, which has happened before, but have those on there so that can be something to remember. Not a written rule, but one of those little tips I want to give you, whenever you're taking the train in Europe, don't forget to take a picture of the station when you get there because then when you look back through your pictures and videos, you know what city you're in. It's very helpful. Now, let's talk about the toilet don'ts. One, don't forget to go to the bathroom before you go to the train station. Like seriously, every kind of bathroom, one, two, three, whichever one you got to do, try to do

it before you get to the station, before you get on the train. If you can't, go at the station before you get on. Because once you get on the train, it's a 14-hour train, and life of 14 hours happens, and people are on the train, there's multiple people, and I'm going to tell you this, I've never been on a night train, or really any train ever, where the bathroom looked better when I got off than when I got on. So, do be aware of that. And another thing I want to tell you, um yeah, don't expect to have a chance to freshen up. It's not like there's a toilet, and then there's a refreshment room, and a shower room. Yes, maybe on the Orient Express or one of those fancy trains, but on a traditional night train, it's still just a bathroom that's

there. So, do be aware of it. That's why you probably want some of the water to maybe brush your teeth with or something like that. But in general, you're not going to come out refreshed and looking clean, like I said before, because you don't have the shower and other accoutrement that go along with being refreshed and clean when you get off the train. And kind of going along with that to help you be a little bit less gross when you get off, what you might want to do is don't forget to do your usual cleaning and getting ready. Maybe do that later in the day, or maybe do it before you head to the train station, cuz let's say you're, you know, going to explore the city all day and everything,

and you're going to have, you know, see the sights or whatever. You're going to be hot, you're going to be sweaty, you're going to be walking around, you're going to be kind of musky, let's say. So, head back to the hotel or your accommodation and shower up and get cleaned up before you go. If you can, if you can't, maybe do some stuff in the morning, go back before check out, cuz we had a noon check out at our hotel today, showered at 11:30, get all cleaned up, and then head out. So, then you're at least a little bit fresher than you would be if you would have taken a shower at 6:00 in the morning or 7:00 in the morning. I know it sounds so kind of silly, but it is one of those things so you don't feel all kind of gross and nasty when you're

here, cuz it's, you know, like 1:00 in the morning now and we're all feeling you know, a little gross. It would have been good to like take that shower instead at 6:00 before I went to film it out for the day. Took another one before I left for the uh train station. So, just something there. If you have the opportunity, might make you feel a little bit nicer or a little bit less gross. And to reinforce, you don't forget to go to the bathroom before you go. Our bathroom is actually broken and we're only 2 and 1/2 hours into a 14-hour train ride. So, um yeah, and the restaurant car is actually locked, like physically locked with a chain so you can't get in that either. So, no snacks right now and no bathroom. Well, there might There's a

second bathroom we can use that, but one is already broken. So, um I'm not making this stuff up. And you might be surprised. You might feel dirtier when you come out of the bathroom when you come in after you've been on the train for a few hours. So, just FYI. Also, don't forget to uh grab some extra toilet paper. Um let's see. I have a wet wipe here. I've got some extra toilet paper and our napkins to use just in case because when you first get on, yeah, there is, you know, toilet paper there and everything and they try to keep it clean. They try to stock it up, but you know, luck doesn't always shine upon us. So, it's a good idea to have some backup stuff for your backside just in case. And there still are stops

throughout the night where people getting on and off. So, it's not like it's a direct train. These night trains usually have a lot of stops uh just so you're aware of that. So, uh yeah. So, if you're a light sleeper, expect all those stops to wake you up a little bit, but you can see other people getting get the train about 2:00 in the morning. So, yeah, that's one of those things. Those night trains can be uh if you're going to grab them now in one of the main cities, you could be getting on the train at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. So, just FYI. And then something else I want to tell you, don't worry about missing your stop. Look, when you get on the train, you show them the tickets, they know where everybody's

getting off. So, if we're getting close to Barashal, like where we're getting off, they're going to come by and say, "Hey, Barashal stop in about 15 minutes." to let you know. Now, if you fall back asleep, that's your own fault, okay? But, usually they do a good job of letting you know when your stop's coming up so you can get off. However, I would recommend that you look and see when your train is supposed to arrive and put an alarm on your phone about 20 minutes before so you have a chance to wake up, you can get your stuff together, make things sure everything's okay, and then you can be ready to hop off when you get to your station, all right? So, I hope this helps you know a few of the do's

and don'ts of taking the night train here in Europe. I'll be honest with you, I've been taking them for like 30 years now and I've had a great time on them. I've had some exciting experiences, I've had some crazy experiences, and I've also had some very hot and sweaty experiences as well. So, what are some of your do's and don'ts? What are some of your stories about taking the night train in Europe? Let us know in the comments below. We wish you a fantastic travels whatever train you're taking, during the day, during the night, or whenever. Bye from here in I think we're still in Hungary. Bye.