Methodology

Where our data comes from

We build each route and operator profile from primary sources first: the operator’s own timetable and fare pages, national rail authorities, and official pass-scheme documentation from Eurail and Interrail. We cross-check that against established rail-travel references such as seat61.com and, for current fares, booking aggregators including Night Ride, Omio, Trainline and Rail Europe. Distances are approximate rail-kilometres, not straight-line distances.

This dataset was last checked in July 2026. Sources are linked on every route and operator page — nothing on SleeperRoutes is unsourced.

How we verify, and what confidence means

Not every night train in Europe is documented equally well. Some run daily on a fixed timetable published a year ahead; others shift with engineering works, seasonal demand, or a schedule the operator hasn’t fully confirmed yet. We tag every route and operator with a confidence level, so you know how solid the number in front of you actually is.

• High — confirmed directly from the operator’s current timetable or official fare page.
• Medium — based on the general current schedule pattern and cross-checked across at least two sources, but the exact date, season or engineering works could shift it.
• Low — assembled from partial or older schedule information; treat it as a starting point and verify on the operator’s own site before booking.

Fact, estimate and recommendation

We try to keep these three apart instead of folding them into one confident-sounding sentence. A departure time pulled from the current timetable is a fact. A price range or a “typical” journey duration is an estimate, built from the sources above. A badge on a route, or an itinerary we highlight, is our recommendation — an editorial judgement — and we label it as one rather than dressing it up as neutral data.

Prices and times move

Treat every price on SleeperRoutes as a floor, not a quote. Night-train fares are dynamic, much like airline pricing: the same route can cost several times more close to departure or during peak season than the lowest fare we list. Durations and departure times reflect the general current timetable, but the specific service you book can run earlier, later, or via a different routing entirely if there’s engineering work on the line. Always confirm the exact price, time and cabin availability on the operator’s own booking page before you pay.

How often we update

We revisit the dataset on a rolling basis and refresh it in full at least once a quarter, sooner when we know something has changed: a route discontinued, a new one launched, an operator revising its pass policy. When ÖBB Nightjet dropped its Paris–Vienna and Paris–Berlin services in December 2025, and again when European Sleeper launched its own Paris–Berlin route in March 2026, we updated the affected entries rather than leaving stale information live. The “updated” date on each page tells you when that entry was last checked.

Spotted something wrong or out of date? Tell us: data@sleeperroutes.com. Corrections from readers who’ve actually ridden the train are some of the most useful information we get.

How we make money, and what that doesn’t change

SleeperRoutes may earn a commission when you book through certain links on the site. That’s how we keep the database free to use and up to date, without ads plastered across every page.

It doesn’t change what you see. Rankings, scores, confidence levels and recommendations are set before we know which link you’ll click, and a route’s placement never depends on whether we earn from it. If the genuinely best option on a given route has no affiliate link attached at all, that’s what we recommend.