January 21, 2024
Driving home for Christmas: taking the night train to Germany
Since I have been studying in Sweden, I have a favourite means of transport to get from Germany to Norrköping: the night train. SJ (here) and Snälltåget (here) are the two night train companies that operate between Germany and Sweden and both have a stop in Linköping and Norrköping. The SJ train goes from Stockholm to Hamburg (it also stops in Berlin for part of the year), while the Snälltåget goes via Hamburg to Berlin. And of course, both trains offer breathtaking scenery during their journey through Sweden.
Tickets are really affordable and often cheaper than a flight as you can select different options fordifferent price categories: first a seat for the night (starting from 400 SEK (40€) for a one-way ticket) or a berth in a six people apartment (starting from 600 SEK (60€) for a one-way ticket).
Further, you can bring as much luggage as you can carry onto the train. However, be sure to always buy your ticket as soon as you know your travel date, because prices can go up quite fast. Also bear in mind that Snälltåget only operates during the Christmas and Easter periods in the winter and only runs regularly from April to September, whereas SJ runs all year round.
As the Snälltåget train is always earlier it departs from Norrköping at 17:40/ Linköping at 18:08 and arrives at Berlin at 8:00 am. The SJ train departs from Norrköping at 18:58/ Linköping at arrives at Hamburg at 6:00 am. Just keep in mind to have at least one to two hours of buffer between your next train connection as night trains tend to run late sometimes. Both trains offer breakfast and have a board bistro but the easiest option is to just bring your own snacks.
So far I have taken both trains and I would recommend you to take Snälltåget if you aim for a cheap option and are fine with just having a seat while SJ offers cheaper options for a berth in a six-person apartment. Also, there was no WI-FI on the SJ trips I took, so if you need an online connection, Snälltåget is the train to go for.
I hope this post inspires you to maybe include a night train trip to Germany in your travel plans.
Thank you for tuning in and talk to you soon.
– Love, Barbara
