A starry sky at night, with a train track going into the distance

Sleeper trains and ferries

Expertly routed

Support, not supervision

Disruption replanning, journey guide and in-trip chat

More sustainable, by design

Land and sea journeys with locally-owned stays

Top sleeper train breaks

Sleeper train to Sicily
Turin, Chambery, Rome, Milan, Syracuse, Naples, Catania, Paris
Ever seen a train board a boat? Under clear night skies, the Intercity Notte sleeper train glides across the Strait to Sicily so you can wake up to island life.
The West Highland Line
Oban, Fort William, Glasgow
Experience wild landscapes as you skirt lochs, snake through glens and cross the Glenfinnan Viaduct on both branches of the famous West Highland Line.
Sleeper train to Lapland
Amsterdam, Osnabrück, Hamburg, Helsinki, Rovaniemi, Aachen, Stockholm
Discover Lapland’s other-worldly landscapes and preserved traditions of foraging and hunting, that’s earned its title as the culinary capital of the north.
Explore Cornwall
St Ives, Falmouth, Penzance
Soak up the Cornish coast by day along the scenic St Ives Bay line, and by night as you traverse along the Night Riviera, lulled by the sound of the sea.
Italian cities by sleeper train
Turin, Rome, Basel, Zürich, Naples
Wake up to Naples. This trip will see you stop off in Turin, with an overnight journey on the InterCityNotte sleeper train through Italy, before heading back home via Rome and Zürich.
Along the Atlantic
Bordeaux, Santander, San Sebastián
Watch the sun rise as you dock into Santander on Spain’s north coast after a serene overnight sailing from Portsmouth.

white boats in an azure sea bay in Mallorca, with rocky and green cliffs in the background, during daytime

Palma, flight-free

The azure water of the Balearics is nearer than you think. After a leisurely journey through France to Catalonia, an overnight sailing will have you waking up to Mallorca.

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How long does it take?

Here’s the minimum time you’ll need for a relaxed round trip starting from London. We do other departure stations, too!

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Frequently asked questions about sleeper trains

What exactly is a sleeper train?

A sleeper train (or night train) is a train that combines travelling with a place to sleep. You’ll usually get on at night, after dinner and you will get off in the morning at your new destination.

There has been a renewed interest in sleeper trains as a sustainable and comfortable alternative to air travel for medium to long-distance journeys. Several countries, particularly in Europe, maintain and have even expanded their sleeper train networks to meet the demand for overnight travel with comfortable accommodation.

What room will Byway book for me?

We book standard private cabins on overnight journeys. Depending on availability, that may be a whole private couchette (which usually has four to six berths) or it will be a private 1-, 2-, or 3-berth cabin. On sleeper trains, we will book a cabin with shared toilet facilities, but if you’d like to upgrade to a cabin with a toilet and/or shower let us know in advance and we can check if this is available on your route and book it for the price of the upgrade.

Are sleeper trains/ferries included with Interrail or Eurail passes?

Most sleeper trains are covered by Interrail and Eurail passes, but require reservations at an additional cost. The price depends entirely on the train operator and for many sleeper trains that offer different cabin classes, the type of cabin you’re in will depend on the class of your Interrail or Eurail pass. For sleeper ferries, they are not usually included with your Interrail/Eurail pass, so these are booked separately.

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