Many people in Switzerland rely on sleeper trains to get them to various European destinations. We’ve looked at where you can travel to overnight this summer and how much the tickets will cost you.
The Night Ride platform, which focuses on night train travel throughout Europe, has looked at various options out of Switzerland in the 56 days between June 22nd and August 16th, which covers summer school holidays in most cantons.
This is where you can travel in the sleeper car (half-fare card second class):
Buchs (SG) – Vienna: From 117 francs per person
Zurich – Graz: From 129 francs per person
Zurich – Zagreb: From 131 francs per person
Basel/Zurich – Leipzig: 137 francs per person
Basel/Zurich – Prague: 137 francs per person
Basel/Zurich – Riesa: 137 francs per person
Basel – Dresden: 138 francs per person
Zurich – Budapest: 148 francs per person
Zurich – Linz: 148 francs per person
Basel/Zurich – Bremen: 195 francs per person
Basel/Zurich – Hamburg: 195 francs per person
Basel/Zurich – Halle: 186 francs per person
Basel/Zurich – Berlin: 185 francs per person
Zurich – Amsterdam: 161 francs per person
Zurich – Utrecht: 161 francs per person
Basel – Amsterdam: 160 francs per person
Basel – Utrecht: 160 francs per person
Basel – Bonn: 160 francs per person
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This covers all the international night-time destinations from Switzerland to European cities.
Please note that these are either cheapest or average prices for night travel during the summer 2025.
They are operated by the Austrian railway company ÖBB (the NightJet train) as well as by EuroNight trains from other partner railways, which carry passengers from Switzerland to destinations in Eastern Europe like Budapest and Zagreb.
(Ljubljana will be added to the EuroNight itinerary in the second half of 2025.)
Going south
You can also travel at night to Italy — for instance, from Geneva/Lausanne to Verona (cheapest price: 130 francs per person); Bologna (165 francs), and Rome (260).
What about night trains to France?
You can go from Geneva to Marseilles for about 180 francs via the TGV Lyria, and for about the same price to Aix-en-Provence.
Closer locations such as Lyon, Dijon, and Paris are typically reached with the TGV during the day.
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This is what you should know before taking a night train
Due to maintenance works in various locations, your travel plans may be disrupted.
For instance, from July 26th to July to September 5th, IC trains from Zurich to Stuttgart will terminate in Stuttgart Vaihingen.
Passengers can change to the S-Bahn in Vaihingen.
Then, from August 26th to September 5th, the route between Buchenau and Fürstenfeldbruck (Buchloe–Munich line) will be closed to rail traffic due to track maintenance. The EC trains between Zurich and Munich will therefore not run continuously. A rail replacement strategy is currently being developed.
Also, due to the modernisation of the Tauern Tunnel in Austria, night trains to and from Zagreb will continue to be rerouted until July 13th, resulting in longer travel and adjusted arrival and departure times.
Due to the modernisation of the Tauern Tunnel in Austria, night trains to and from Zagreb will continue to be rerouted until July 13th, resulting in longer travel and adjusted arrival and departure times.
You can read about all the disruptions here.
