LAT SHOTS | CUSTOM TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
The New Season of Rail
Sleeper trains, scenic journeys and smarter European connections.
There is something rather appealing about allowing the journey to become part of the holiday again. Across Europe, sleeper trains are opening new possibilities, established scenic routes continue to make travelling between places an experience of its own, and better-planned connections are making multi-country rail journeys feel increasingly achievable.
September 2026 brings a particularly interesting development: a new overnight route towards Switzerland and northern Italy, supported by connections designed to bring London, Brussels and the sleeper network together more naturally. The appeal is not simply travelling by train, but travelling with greater intention.
Travel note: Rail routes, timetables, fares, engineering works and connection times can change, sometimes at short notice. Confirm each service and its connection requirements directly with the relevant operators before booking or travelling.
WHAT IS CHANGING?
9 September
European Sleeper begins its Brussels–Milan route through Zürich, Lugano and Lake Como.
10 September
The promoted London–Milan journey becomes available via Eurostar and a Brussels connection.
Until 10 October
The Glacier Express operates its 2026 summer timetable between Zermatt and St Moritz.
When the Journey Becomes Part of the Holiday
For years, choosing how to travel has often meant starting with the quickest way to reach a destination. Rail invites a slightly different question: what if the journey itself is worth experiencing?
That does not mean replacing every flight with a train or spending days negotiating complicated timetables. The more interesting development is how intelligently rail can now sit within a wider itinerary.
European Sleeper’s connecting journeys bring London, via Eurostar and Brussels, together with destinations including Berlin, Prague, Dresden, Hamburg, Milan and Lake Como. Connections are selected around more comfortable transfer times in Brussels, bringing the international high-speed and sleeper sectors together more naturally. It is precisely this type of planning that makes rail travel more compelling.
Sleep Here, Wake Up Somewhere Else
The romance of the sleeper train has never entirely disappeared, but the network continues to evolve.
From 9 September 2026, European Sleeper is scheduled to operate directly from Brussels and Cologne through Zürich, Lugano and Lake Como to Milan. Shared Classic accommodation is advertised from €49.99 one way, with prices varying by route and date.
For travellers beginning in Britain, the promoted London connection becomes available from 10 September: Eurostar to Brussels, followed by the overnight service towards Switzerland or Italy.
Closer to home, the Caledonian Sleeper continues to show why overnight rail works so well when it forms part of the experience. Its Highlander routes link London with Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William; the Lowlander serves Edinburgh and Glasgow. Services operate six nights each week, with accommodation ranging from seats and Classic rooms to Club en-suite rooms and Caledonian Doubles.
There is still something wonderfully civilised about going to bed in one city and opening the curtains somewhere entirely different.
Choose the Scenic Sector
Not every rail journey needs to be overnight. Sometimes the smarter itinerary is to use fast trains where efficiency matters, then deliberately slow the journey where the landscape deserves it.
Switzerland’s Glacier Express remains one of Europe’s best-known examples. Its 2026 summer timetable runs between Zermatt and St Moritz until 10 October, and a seat reservation is compulsory.
That approach can transform a European itinerary: Eurostar for the practical opening sector, an overnight train to cover distance while you sleep, then a panoramic railway through the Alps when you actually want to watch the world go by.
Smarter Connections Need Smarter Planning
Rail travel does ask for a little more thought. Connections need breathing room, different operators can have different ticketing conditions and engineering work matters. Eurostar has already published cancellations affecting Dutch-network services on 5–6 September 2026, for example.
I would resist building an itinerary around a succession of tight changes simply because a journey planner says they are technically possible. An overnight stay in Brussels, Paris or Zürich can turn a vulnerable connection into another part of the holiday. The right hotel beside the right station can be every bit as important as the train reservation itself.
RAIL PLANNING NOTES
- Build around the experience. Choose the rail sectors genuinely worth travelling rather than the maximum number of stops.
- Give international connections room. A longer transfer — or an overnight stay — may be worth more than the fastest theoretical itinerary.
- Reserve scenic trains early. Some services require a separate reservation even when a valid rail pass is held.
- Check again before departure. Engineering work and timetable alterations are part of multi-network rail travel.
- Leave space to look out of the window.
Join the Journey
Have you experienced a sleeper train or memorable scenic rail journey, or is there one you would love to discover? Share your thoughts and experiences — I’d love to hear where the journey has taken you.
Sometimes, travelling well is not about reaching somewhere faster. It is about choosing the routes worth remembering.
If this story has inspired your next escape, The Wanderlust Edit can bring the journey together — combining sleeper services, scenic rail sectors, sensible connections and carefully positioned hotels into one considered itinerary.
Follow @lovinglife_loving on Instagram for more travel stories, stays and moments from the road.
Continue the Journey.
