"It’s Cheap for a Reason - Steer Clear"

I’m giving them one star for doing the bare minimum arranging alternate travel when they cancelled our ticket for overbooking our train otherwise it would be a zero. We had to walk 5 minutes in the pouring rain from the train station to the coach they arranged.

The date of travel was in early October and we have yet to receive the refund owed to us a month later that they agreed to pay out when they informed us that our train ticket had been cancelled and we would be taking a coach.

PS. Following this review they emailed me again and doubled down on not providing the refund. I’d actually give them a zero now if it were possible.

"I had a great experience"

I had a great experience, I traveled with my partner from Rotterdam to Berlin and back. It was my first time on a sleeping train so I didn’t know what to expect. The accommodation was comfortable, the toilet was shared but it was alright, staff was very friendly and helpful, and they gave us breakfast in the morning. I would definitely travel with European Sleeper again.

"Idd een scam"

Idd een scam. Foto's op de website komen niet overeen. Ze hebben deze trein ergens in India gekocht. Volledig versleten en niet meer volgens de huidige normen en standaarden.

"Unreliable company: train cancelled, EU law ignored"

Unreliable company: European Sleeper will cancel your train AND will do so without offering alternative means of completing your journey (e.g. via another carrier). Despite being obliged to do so under European rail passenger law. In addition, they cannot be reached by phone (a tape plays, then they hang up) and the chat is ignored. The initiative is amazing, the execution is severely inadequate. They advertise using the slogan "the good night sleeper" but if you want a good night's sleep and peace of mind before your trip, better book somewhere else. You'll be left scrambling for another company's services either way.

Edit: In response to this line from their reply: "You’ve contacted our customer service and we have proposed a solution following our terms & conditions that are in line with the European Rail Passenger law." This is not true, no solution was proposed. ES refunded the purchase amount at their own initiative, while my right according to their own ToS and EU Rail Passenger law allows me to choose to finish my journey through an alternative route. They told me they could override this because they let me know of the cancellation before the day of travel, although no such provision exists in the law or even their ToS. On November 10, they sneakily updated their ToS to try to avoid this responsibility (Article 10). Of course, EU Regulation 2021/782 (see Article 18) supercedes their ToS, so if you are reading this because you are in the situation: seek legal aid because your EU rail passenger rights are being violated.

European Sleeper, it's nice that you respect that your "solution" doesn't meet my expectations, but what you need to respect is the law.

"Sub-standard accommodation"

My partner and I with 2 friends booked two sleeper compartments for the Brussels-Berlin train on 10 October with European Sleeper. A week before we were informed that our booking was downgraded to a couchette accommodation but all other aspects would be the same and the compartment would still be exclusive to ourselves. When we arrived at the platform the carriage had been tagged on to the rest of the train and was visibly not the same rolling stock. It was dated and dirty and one of the two toilets was not functional from the beginning of the journey. The remaining toilet became unusable around 3 hours into the journey so no toilets were available for the carriage. The light in our couchette compartment did not work and, despite the staff looking at the light, it was apparent nothing could be done and it had probably been like this for some time. We had to continue the entire journey using our night light and phone torches. Our friends compartment had not been cleaned adequately and the general appearance of the carriage was distinctly sub-standard.
Although we received a 20% discount, the cost for such a third-rate offer was really unacceptable. We subsequently used the OBB Nightjet from Berlin-Vienna-Milan and the comparison was stark. The Austrian company’s train experience is streets ahead of European Sleeper and I would not be prepared to recommend or revisit this company’s trains again. I know from other reviews that just this problem is an on-going feature of the product and they’d be well-advised to cut the hype of their advertising and address these difficulties as soon as possible before promising something they are incapable of fulfilling.

"it's a scam die European Sleeper..."

luxe coupé voor 2 personen (met bedjes) geboekt; we kregen (omwille van technische problemen of een tekort aan boekingen (?)) 2 dagen voor vertrek een couchette voor 2 man aangeboden; meest vuile en verouderde trein waarmee we de afgelopen 20 jaar reisden; electriciteit in de couchette werkte niet, 's nachts koud, eerder vuil algemeen; vooroorlogse ervaring; eerder 3de dan 1ste klasse treintrip; it's a scam en blijkbaar zijn we niet de enige met die ervaring als ik wat napluis op internet..

"Short notice cancellation"

My European sleeper outward journey from Brussels to Berlin on 15 November was booked on October 3rd but has just been cancelled putting my travel plans in disarray. Short notice, too short to make any reservations on suitable night trains. I now face a nightmarish all night long several changes journey around northern Europe. Having booked train from Yorkshire and Eurostar to fit with sleeper too expensive to change plans. Can't see any excuse for their short term planning which has made me feel mad for trying to avoid flying. In future I will fly.

"European Sleeper: well worth giving it a go, but have realistic expectations"

My wife and I travelled by European Sleeper (ES) from Brussels to Berlin and back in September (couchettes out, sleeping car back), as part of a journey to Poland.

We normally fly to Poland with Jet2, and although I have looked at going by train in the past it has always been far more expensive, and less convenient, than flying. However, the launch of the new European Sleeper service has been a potential game-changer for us. When I factored in the extra cost of airline baggage and an overnight stay at a pricey airport hotel, the combined train journey from the UK was competitive with the flight alternative, and potentially more fun.

So how did it go? Firstly, booking via the clear and straightforward ES website was very easy, even for a non-techie like me. Both our journeys went well, with on-time arrivals at both destinations. Yes, the equipment (rolling stock) used is dated and fairly basic, but both our 4 berth couchette compartment - which we shared with 2 very pleasant Dutch ladies - and our sleeper cabin were clean and fairly comfortable. We found the bedding, and the beds themselves, more than adequate for a good night's rest, even though I am 6 foot/183cm tall. The riding of the coaches was pretty good considering their age - I have had much bumpier journeys on some very modern trains.

Unlike what some other ES travellers have experienced, there were no toilet or washroom issues on our journeys, although there was no water for the hand basin in our sleeper compartment, which the attendant noted. A simple, but tasty breakfast was provided - I especially liked the crackers - and the ES own brand beer I drank in the evening was very acceptable. All the train staff were very friendly and helpful, even unloading our luggage for us without being asked, when we arrived in Berlin.

Perhaps surprisingly, if we had to choose between couchettes versus sleeper next time - and there will be a next time - we would opt for the couchettes. The couchette beds were almost as comfortable as the sleeper beds, and we found the couchette compartment to be more practical both for luggage storage and the daytime part of the journey (for which the couchette beds, unlike in the sleeper, easily convert into seats). The sleeper cabin DID have plenty of luggage storage, but most of it was located near the roof, and I found getting heavy luggage up there challenging, even though I am a tall, and reasonably fit, 65 year old.

Provided you are not expecting Orient Express levels of service and comfort, I would recommend trying European Sleeper, especially if you intend to travel as a family in a couchette compartment. Just a few years ago it looked like sleeper trains in Europe were heading for extinction, so it's great that ES, along with other companies and existing national railways, are offering a greener alternative to flying. One problem these companies have is the lack of any suitable rolling stock, hence the rather dated coaches that ES is currently using - they were the best that it could find! Hopefully, if enough of us travel by ES it will be able to invest in more and better coaches in the future.

"Fijne reis"

Ruime slaap cabines en heel aardig personeel. Goeie wc en heerlijk geslapen. Zeker een aanrader!

"Travelling with a family: Rotterdam-Berlin-Prague"

We travelled with a family of 6 from Rotterdam to Berlin. We had a very positive experience, starting our autumn holidays the moment we boarded the train. Not spending hours on the road, stuck in traffic jams or annoying teenagers in the back of the car. Instead a few beers and softdrinks, whilst chatting the evening away, followed by a comfortable sleep and arriving in Berlin on time. We used this train to travel onwards to Prague and the mountains in the northwestern part of the Czech Republic, beatiful destinations, one night away from The Netherlands. I noted that European Sleeper has added this part of the journey as from March 2024, which is absolutely great. I would like to wish the company a lot of success going forward. For us this is the future of sustainable and comfortable travel.

Not to forget: we really enjoyed the kind service of the European Sleeper personnel!