I got the information that there are lots of night trains, connecting distant European cities. I am very much interested in your experiences and above all--about the fares.

It depends on the route. Where are you traveling?

Probably Budapest or Vienna ( or Munich ) will be my starting point.

Are you just trying to pick someplace to go? If so, then http://www.seat61.com/ should give some inspiration.

Fares depend on where you're travel from and to, what type of sleeping accommodation you choose, how far in advance you buy your ticket.

You will see from seat.61 that, contrary to your information, sleeper train service is fading to some extent. Late-night service without a berth may be available but sitting up all night is a demanding way to travel.

Many night trains have cheap advance-purchase fares IF you use the right website for the right journey.

Journeys starting in Vienna - www.oebb.at
Journeys starting in Munich - www.bahn.de/en
Journeys starting in Prague - www.cd.cz/eshop
Journeys starting in Budapest - www.mav-start.hu

I've taken zillions of overnight trains all over Europe and my experiences vary a lot - mostly good but if you are in a multi-person compartment as I always am because private compartments are so expensive then it is kind of a crap shoot - with some horror stories but way in the minority.

And there are few trains now that you can sleep sitting up in - in the old days yes such trains had regular cars that with a valid rail ticket or pass you could just plop down in and sleep at no charge. But now many are becoming hotel trains with at most 'Pullman reclining seats' that may or may not recline much and which cost several euros.

For lots of great info on European overnight trains not only check out Man in seat 61 commercial site - other superb sites for such info - www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

Night trains do save you the cost of a night in a hotel so the savings for many can be significant and also save on sightseeing time - but some folks just cannot sleep on overnight trains as there is always some noise - even in private cars.

I'll come back and as you requested give some of my many experiences on overnight trains.

Thanks a lot to Palenq and man-in-seat-61.
The links are very precious.
I have not used night trains a lot and it was a long time ago but i have good memories about them.Things must have changed since then--that is why I have posted this question.

<i>denizov on Dec 23, 13 at 5:57am
Thanks a lot to Palenq and man-in-seat-61.
The links are very precious.
I have not used night trains a lot and it was a long time ago but i have good memories about them.Things must have changed since then--that is why I have posted this question.</i>

Here's another site http://tinyurl.com/y57vft to help get you up to speed on night trains. Remember there are two fares for night trains. The first is the basic transportation, first or second class. The other is your bunk. The cost of this depends on class and number of bunks in the compartment.

the cheap fares Man in Seat 61 continually touts without describing them means a multi-person compartment and that is kind of a crap shoot - usually fine but the loud snorer, people leaving the compartment doors unlocked, etc.

Private compartments cost much much more.

Usually I find the co-inhabitants of multi-person compartments to be really nice folks - mainly Europeans and have some really memorable conversations.

But here is one reason I say those compartments are a crap shoot - on one Spanish hotel train a Frenchman with a bicycle came in and put the bike right in the center of the compartment - causing everyone problems getting around it, etc.

The conductor told him to move it but he would not - and the guy stunk to high heaven - everyone was holding their nose - finally the conductor took pity on us and found another place for this guy - not sure where but it was in another compartment - an empty one probably - anyone the guy was amenable to it and so were we!