- Sleeper trains
- Stops
Sleeper train stopsStop off along the way
Every station our sleeper trains call at, route by route, from the glamorous to Watford Junction.
Each has its times, what is near the station and whether it is worth breaking the journey.
Caledonian Sleeper
London Euston → Fort William · United Kingdom · Caledonian Sleeper ↗
- London EustonThe Highlander's London terminus, with free museums, Bloomsbury and King's Cross within easy reach before an evening departure.
- Watford JunctionMostly a commuter junction; the one big draw is the shuttle bus to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour (The Making of Harry Potter).
- CreweA historic railway town and major junction; worth a stop mainly for railway enthusiasts visiting the Heritage Centre.
- PrestonRoughly halfway between London and Glasgow, Preston is mainly an interchange, though its riverside Victorian parks are close by.
- Edinburgh WaverleyScotland's capital is right outside the door: the Old Town, the castle and Princes Street Gardens all surround the station.
- DalmuirA suburban interchange on Glasgow's western edge; there is little reason to stop unless you are heading into the Glasgow network.
- CrianlarichA tiny village and the 'gateway to the Highlands', set among Munros and on the West Highland Way: a base for hillwalkers.
- RannochA remote station on Rannoch Moor that's loved by walkers, with a tearoom and the classic Road to the Isles walk to Corrour.
- Fort WilliamThe Highlander's end point: the 'Outdoor Capital of the UK', below Ben Nevis and the start of the Jacobite steam train.
Night Riviera Sleeper
London Paddington → Penzance · United Kingdom · Great Western Railway ↗
- London PaddingtonThe Night Riviera's London terminus: Brunel's station, Paddington Bear, and canals and Hyde Park a few minutes away.
- ReadingMainly a busy interchange, but the abbey ruins and Forbury Gardens are only minutes from the platforms.
- TauntonSomerset's county town; a good jumping-off point for the West Somerset Railway, the Quantocks and Exmoor.
- Exeter St DavidsA cathedral city and Devon's rail hub, with branch lines fanning out to the coast and moors.
- Newton AbbotA market town best used as the junction for Torbay; there is a small museum on Great Western Railway history in town.
- Plymouth'Britain's Ocean City': the Hoe, the Barbican and the Mayflower Steps are a short walk or bus ride from the station.
- LiskeardAn old market town, but mainly the place to change for the scenic Looe Valley Line down to the coast.
- Bodmin ParkwayA rural station 3 miles from Bodmin, with a footpath to the National Trust's Lanhydrock and a heritage steam line.
- LostwithielA small, historic tin-trade town on the River Fowey, known for its medieval bridge, antique shops and Restormel Castle.
- ParA small harbour town and the junction for Newquay, with a beach nearby and buses to Fowey.
- St AustellA china clay town with the bus station next door, making it the rail gateway to the Eden Project and Heligan.
- TruroCornwall's compact cathedral city and busiest station, and the place to change for the Maritime Line to Falmouth.
- RedruthPart of the 'Capital of Cornish Mining', inside the World Heritage Site; the station is the way in for East Pool Mine.
- CamborneA mining town and the birthplace of Richard Trevithick; worth a stop for mining heritage enthusiasts.
- HayleThree miles of golden sand, an RSPB estuary and World Heritage harbour. Note that the Night Riviera only calls here westbound.
- St ErthThe junction for St Ives: change here for one of Britain's most scenic short branch lines.
- PenzanceEnd of the line, overlooking Mount's Bay: a base for St Michael's Mount, the Scilly ferry and the far west of Cornwall.
California Zephyr
Chicago → Emeryville (San Francisco Bay) · United States · Amtrak ↗
- Chicago Union StationMost Zephyr trips start or end here, and the city's architecture, lake views and museums justify building in time either side.
- OmahaA night or very early-morning stop, but worth it for railway history and the walkable Old Market district.
- Denver Union StationA restored 1914 station with a hotel inside, and the best place to board for the Zephyr's daylight run over the Rockies.
- Glenwood SpringsA walkable mountain town where hot springs, hotels and the caverns gondola are all reachable on foot from the train.
- Grand JunctionWineries, galleries and the Colorado National Monument, with downtown just three blocks from the station.
- Salt Lake CityTemple Square, the Great Salt Lake and nearby ski resorts, though the train calls in the small hours both ways.
- Reno'The Biggest Little City in the World': shows, casinos and the Truckee Riverwalk, with Lake Tahoe about an hour away by car.
- TruckeeA small Sierra Nevada town near Lake Tahoe, with Donner Party history and year-round outdoor activities.
- SacramentoCalifornia's capital, with the State Railroad Museum and Gold Rush-era Old Sacramento right by the station.
- EmeryvilleThe end of the line rather than a destination: most people carry straight on by Amtrak Thruway bus over the Bay Bridge to San Francisco.
The Canadian
Toronto → Vancouver · Canada · VIA Rail Canada ↗
- Toronto UnionThe Canadian's eastern terminus and Canada's largest transport hub, with the CN Tower a short walk away.
- Sudbury JunctionAn outlying station 10 km from Sudbury with no shuttle, so only stop if Sudbury's science centres are your goal.
- CapreolA refuelling stop where you can stretch your legs; railway fans might stay for the Northern Ontario Railroad Museum.
- HornepayneA small forestry town that has seen better days. It's a service stop where you can step off; westbound you arrive in the small hours.
- Sioux LookoutThe 'Hub of the North': a lakeland town that's the gateway to fly-in fishing lodges and wilderness cabins.
- Winnipeg UnionThe Canadian's halfway point, at a 1911 station right on the doorstep of The Forks, where the rivers meet.
- MelvilleA small prairie railway town and a brief ten-minute call; there is little reason to stop off here.
- SaskatoonA riverside prairie city with Ukrainian heritage, though the station sits about 8 km from downtown.
- EdmontonAlberta's capital and 'gateway to the north', though the station sits awkwardly far from the centre.
- JasperThe best place to break the Canadian: a Rockies town in Jasper National Park, with a long scheduled stop and onward trains.
- Kamloops NorthAn out-of-town stop 11 km from Kamloops, reached in the evening westbound and around midnight eastbound; mostly a pass-through.
- Vancouver Pacific CentralThe Canadian's western terminus, by Chinatown and right next to SkyTrain, between the Pacific and the Coast Mountains.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
Paris → Venice · France · Switzerland · Austria · Italy · Belmond ↗
- ParisThe VSOE leaves Paris mid-afternoon, so a morning by the Seine and the Jardin des Plantes makes an easy prelude to boarding.
- Verona Porta NuovaGet off for Verona's UNESCO-listed old town, the Roman Arena and its summer opera festival, plus easy access to Lake Garda.
- Venice Santa LuciaOne of Europe's great arrivals: you leave the station and step straight onto the Grand Canal, with Venice all around you.
The Ghan
Darwin → Adelaide · Australia · Journey Beyond ↗
- DarwinThe Ghan Expedition's start: a tropical harbour city and gateway to Kakadu and Litchfield, well worth arriving early for.
- KatherineA scheduled afternoon stop with included off-train excursions, mainly to Nitmiluk Gorge.
- Alice SpringsA full day in the Red Centre, ending with dinner under the stars at the historic Telegraph Station.
- Manguri (Coober Pedy)Manguri is a remote outback siding; you leave the train there for a day touring the underground opal town of Coober Pedy.
- AdelaideThe journey's end: a walkable food-and-festival city between the Adelaide Hills and the coast, with wine regions on its doorstep.
European Sleeper Brussels–Prague
Brussels → Prague · Belgium · Netherlands · Germany · Czechia · European Sleeper ↗
- Bruxelles-MidiBrussels' Eurostar hub, so it is the easy link between London and the sleeper; the Grand-Place is a short hop away.
- Antwerpen-CentraalAntwerp's 'railway cathedral' is often named one of the world's most beautiful stations, and the old town is a short walk away.
- RoosendaalMostly a border junction; useful for boarding from Zeeland or Brabant, though shoppers come for the Rosada outlet.
- Rotterdam CentraalA modern-architecture city where the walk from the striking 2014 station takes in the Markthal, Cube Houses and Erasmus Bridge.
- Den Haag HSThe Hague's second station, a short tram ride from the Mauritshuis and the parliamentary Binnenhof.
- Amsterdam CentraalYou step out onto the Damrak and into the old city, with free ferries across the IJ just behind the station.
- Amersfoort CentraalA compact medieval town with canals, walls and gates, about ten minutes on foot from the station.
- DeventerA handsome Hanseatic town on the IJssel, with a medieval quarter, a historic square and a climbable church tower.
- Berlin GesundbrunnenA north Berlin interchange rather than a destination, but handy for the Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße.
- Dresden HbfBaroque Dresden is a short walk from the station: the rebuilt Frauenkirche, the Zwinger and the Elbe terraces.
- Praha hl.n.The end of the line: an Art Nouveau station a few minutes' walk from Wenceslas Square and the heart of Prague.
European Sleeper Paris–Berlin
Paris → Berlin · France · Belgium · Germany · European Sleeper ↗
- Paris NordThe departure for the European Sleeper to Berlin, and the Eurostar terminal, so it is the natural interchange from London.
- Aulnoye-AymeriesA small rail junction town with little to keep a tourist; its value is as a boarding point linked to Lille and northern France.
- MonsA compact, walkable Hainaut capital with a UNESCO-listed Baroque belfry and a brand-new Calatrava station.
- Bruxelles-MidiBrussels' Eurostar hub, so it is the easy link between London and the sleeper; the Grand-Place is a short hop away.
- Liège-GuilleminsCalatrava's soaring station is a sight in its own right, and lively Liège rewards a day of museums, stairs and waffles.
- Hamburg-HarburgMainly the route's Hamburg calling point; central Hamburg is an S-Bahn hop away, and Harburg has a quiet old port worth a wander.
- Berlin GesundbrunnenA north Berlin interchange rather than a destination, but handy for the Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße.
European Sleeper Brussels–Milan
Brussels → Milan · Belgium · Germany · Switzerland · Italy · European Sleeper ↗
- Bruxelles-MidiBrussels' Eurostar hub, so it is the easy link between London and the sleeper; the Grand-Place is a short hop away.
- VerviersA former wool town known as Wallonia's 'Water Capital', with fountains, textile heritage and a grand 1920s station.
- Aachen HbfCharlemagne's city: a UNESCO-listed cathedral, hot springs and a compact old town that is easy to see on foot.
- Köln HbfStep out of the station and the Gothic cathedral is right in front of you; the Old Town and Rhine are a short stroll away.
- AarauA small cantonal capital on the Aare, known as the 'town of beautiful gables' for its painted eaves.
- Arth-GoldauMainly a rail hub, but it is the fastest way up the Rigi by historic cogwheel train, and has a fine wildlife park.
- GöschenenA tiny village at the north portal of the Gotthard tunnel; the reason to stop is the short climb to Andermatt and the Schöllenen Gorge.
- BellinzonaThree UNESCO-listed medieval castles and walls that once closed off the whole Ticino valley.
- LuganoSwitzerland's Mediterranean side: a lakefront city framed by two funicular-served mountains.
- Como S. GiovanniThe gateway to Lake Como: a walled old town, lakefront and boats to Bellagio, downhill from the station.
- Milano Porta GaribaldiArrive in modern Milan: the Porta Nuova skyscrapers and Bosco Verticale are on the doorstep, and Brera is walkable.
Nightjet Vienna–Venice
Vienna → Venice · Austria · Italy · ÖBB Nightjet ↗
- Wien HbfVienna's main station puts the Belvedere palaces within walking distance and the U1 to the historic centre minutes away.
- Wien MeidlingMainly a suburban interchange; board here if you are staying in south-west Vienna or near Schönbrunn.
- St. PöltenLower Austria's compact baroque capital, with the old town on the station's doorstep and Melk Abbey a short ride away.
- AmstettenA district town and rail hub with little to detain you; it is mainly a gateway to the Ybbstal and Mostviertel countryside.
- LinzUNESCO City of Media Arts on the Danube, pairing a baroque main square with Ars Electronica and the Lentos.
- WelsA small, flat old town with a long, handsome square; an easy half-day rather than a destination in itself.
- Attnang-PuchheimNothing to see in the town itself, but it is the junction for the Salzkammergut railway to Hallstatt.
- SalzburgMozart's baroque city, with a UNESCO pedestrian old town, fortress and Mirabell Gardens a walk from the station.
- VillachA lively Drau river town at the meeting of Austria, Italy and Slovenia, ringed by warm swimming lakes and mountains.
- TarvisioAn Alpine border resort in the Julian Alps; the station is outside town, so stop only for mountains, lakes or cycling.
- UdineFriuli's elegant capital, with a Venetian-style main square, a hilltop castle and Tiepolo frescoes.
- PordenoneThe 'painted city': frescoed palazzi and long arcades a few minutes' walk from the station, and Italian Capital of Culture 2027.
- ConeglianoGateway to the UNESCO Prosecco Hills, with a castle-topped historic centre of frescoed Renaissance palaces.
- TrevisoA walled canal town with a fish-market island, quieter than Venice and only half an hour away.
- Venezia MestreMainland Venice: not postcard Venice, but a cheaper base about 10 minutes by train from Santa Lucia.
- Venice Santa LuciaOne of Europe's great arrivals: you leave the station and step straight onto the Grand Canal, with Venice all around you.
Nightjet Vienna–Rome
Vienna → Rome · Austria · Italy · ÖBB Nightjet ↗
- Wien HbfVienna's main station puts the Belvedere palaces within walking distance and the U1 to the historic centre minutes away.
- Wien MeidlingMainly a suburban interchange; board here if you are staying in south-west Vienna or near Schönbrunn.
- Wiener NeustadtA modest, heavily rebuilt town with real history; most useful as a base for the Rax, Schneeberg and Semmering.
- GrazAustria's second city: a UNESCO-listed old town, the Schlossberg clock tower and bold modern architecture.
- KlagenfurtA Renaissance old town beside Lake Wörthersee, with warm-water swimming in summer.
- VillachA lively Drau river town at the meeting of Austria, Italy and Slovenia, ringed by warm swimming lakes and mountains.
- TarvisioAn Alpine border resort in the Julian Alps; the station is outside town, so stop only for mountains, lakes or cycling.
- BolognaPorticoed, red-brick and famous for food, with a compact centre about 15 minutes' walk from the station.
- Firenze Campo di MarteFlorence's secondary station, east of the centre: not a sight in itself, but a quick hop to the historic core.
- Roma TiburtinaRome's second station, east of the centre: functional, but Metro B reaches the Colosseum in about 10 minutes.
Intercity Notte Rome–Sicily
Rome → Palermo · Italy · Trenitalia ↗
- Roma TerminiThe departure point: a free hour or an evening before boarding is easily filled with Roman sights a short walk from the station.
- LatinaA 1930s new town with little to hold you, but the station is the rail gateway to the Garden of Ninfa and the Pontine coast.
- Formia-GaetaAlight for the ferry to the Pontine islands of Ponza and Ventotene, or a bus to Gaeta's medieval old town and beaches.
- Napoli CentraleThe hub for Pompeii, Herculaneum and Sorrento, and a city that rewards a stay of its own.
- SalernoThe easiest rail-and-ferry route to the Amalfi Coast: boats leave from a pier right by the station.
- Villa San GiovanniMainly a crossing point: the train is shunted onto the ferry to Sicily here. Little reason to alight unless switching to a fast boat.
- Messina CentraleSicily's first stop after the ferry, with the noon astronomical clock show and easy trains to Taormina.
- MilazzoThe main gateway to the Aeolian Islands, with a vast clifftop castle worth a night before the boat.
- Barcellona P.G.A working town rather than a destination; worth a stop mainly for its ethnographic museum or the Good Friday procession.
- PattiThe stop for Tindari: a clifftop sanctuary and Greek theatre above the Marinello lagoons, plus a Roman villa.
- Capo d’OrlandoA seaside resort with a long beach promenade, a panoramic cape and links to Il Gattopardo.
- Sant’Agata di MilitelloA quiet coastal town and a base for the Nebrodi Park, with a castle museum on the seafront.
- Santo Stefano di CamastraThe 'town of ceramics': a short stop to browse potters' workshops and a ceramics museum.
- CefalùOne of Sicily's loveliest seaside towns: a Norman cathedral, a crescent beach and the Rocca rising above it all.
- Termini ImereseLargely a rail junction and industrial town, though it has Roman remains, thermal waters and Greek Himera nearby.
- Palermo CentraleThe end of the line: Sicily's capital of Arab-Norman monuments, street markets and street food.
Lovćen, Belgrade–Bar
Belgrade → Bar · Serbia · Montenegro · Srbijavoz · ZPCG ↗
- ZemunThe Lovćen's northern terminus, serving a historic Danube district that feels like a separate town from central Belgrade.
- Beograd CentarBelgrade's main station (Prokop) and the practical place to board for Bar, with the capital a short bus or train ride away.
- RakovicaA suburban Belgrade stop, useful mainly for connecting to local lines; little reason to alight unless visiting Rakovica Monastery.
- LazarevacA small town best known for its First World War memorial church to the Battle of Kolubara; a short, focused stop at most.
- ValjevoA characterful western Serbian town with a 19th-century bazaar quarter and the Gradac river gorge on its doorstep.
- KosjerićA small rural town between the Maljen and Povlen mountains; worth it only for village tourism and hiking, not as a quick stop.
- PožegaMainly a rail junction where the Belgrade–Bar line meets the line to Čačak and Kraljevo; modest sights in the town itself.
- UžiceThe springboard for the Šargan Eight heritage railway and Drvengrad, with a clifftop fortress above the Đetinja river.
- PribojA small Lim valley town with a medieval monastery and spa nearby; the southbound train calls here just before 1am.
- PrijepoljeA plain town, but the stop for Mileševa Monastery and its famous White Angel fresco just outside.
- Bijelo PoljeNorthern Montenegro's main town on the Lim, home to the church where the Miroslav Gospel was written; also the border station.
- MojkovacA quiet mountain town on the upper Tara, offering a less crowded northern approach to Biogradska Gora national park.
- KolašinMontenegro's mountain base for Biogradska Gora's primeval forest and lake, plus Bjelasica skiing; arrive by train over Mala Rijeka.
- PodgoricaMontenegro's capital and transport hub; not a showpiece city, but a good base for Skadar Lake, Ostrog and Cetinje.
- GolubovciA small town on the Zeta plain, chiefly useful as the stop for Podgorica Airport; little to keep you otherwise.
- SutomoreThe first beach on the line: a busy, budget resort whose long sandy beach is a short walk from the platform.
- BarThe Lovćen's Adriatic terminus and a hub for coastal buses and Italy ferries, with the ruins of Stari Bar above town.