Night trains are one of the most common ways to save a decent amount of money as a budget traveler when traveling. You save a night’s accommodation and instead pay for a train ticket, and you don’t lose precious daylight time getting from Point A to Point B. Taking night trains can certainly be intimidating though, and there are a lot of horror stories out there about travelers running into trouble or getting robbed.

The truth is, I still get nervous going on night trains. Even though I’ve done several journeys in countries some people would say are “dangerous,” even though I consider myself an experienced traveler. I’m still excessively cautious and worry way more than I need to. I’ve taken the night train from Krakow, Poland to Prague, Czech Republic; from Budapest, Hungary to Belgrade, Serbia; from Warsaw, Poland to Lviv, Ukraine; from Lviv, Ukraine to Krakow, Poland; and from Tbilisi, Georgia to Yerevan, Armenia. I’ve got a few night trains under my belt, and all my experiences were different. So I wanted to put together a post with all my best safety tips for taking night trains! I want you all to be safe and wake up in a new destination with all your items and in one piece! Here are my best night train travel safety tips.

First of all, research as much as possible beforehand. The internet has a wealth of information and we are all fortunate to be living in a time where information is so easily and readily accessible. Blogs are so good for this—my night train posts are some of my most popular posts on the blog! For anything train travel related, Seat61 is a fantastic resource. Research the route and see what other travelers said about it, and what their experiences were like. If you cross international borders, try to find out what those crossings are like—will you need to leave the train, or will border guards come to you on the train itself? Look for photos that show the actual carriages, where to store luggage, and what the beds are like. Being prepared for the journey is the best way to keep yourself safe!

Buy a night train ticket that comes with a bed. You won’t be getting much sleep if you’re sat in a seat. You also won’t get much sleep if you’re sat in a seat, and trying to keep a hand on all your luggage at the same time. Pay a little more, and buy a ticket that comes with a bed.

Buy a night train ticket that comes with a separate compartment. It is worth the extra money, trust me. In Eastern Europe, this would generally be a second-class, or “kupé” ticket. These compartments will have a door that shuts and locks, and will typically have between 2-6 beds (“berths”) in the compartment. Generally, you will have more privacy in this type of compartment, you’ll be more secure, and you’re almost guaranteed to sleep better.

Bring some essentials when traveling overnight. I highly recommend bringing hand sanitizer, wetwipes, snacks, water, maybe some booze, and possibly your own toilet paper. For security purposes, you could also bring a lock or a carabiner for keeping your luggage safe. Hand sanitizer especially will go a long way in helping you feel clean. None of the night trains I’ve been on had a dining carriage or anywhere to get food—so snacks are a must, especially if it’s a long journey.

Don’t have high expectations for the toilets. The Budapest-Belgrade night train toilet didn’t have running water, soap, toilet paper, or a door that locked. It was also just kind of a toilet bowl with a hole. The toilet on the night train from Tbilisi to Yerevan was the same situation, but that one at least locked! Other night trains I’m sure have better facilities. But be prepared for the worst. This is why you should pack your own hand sanitizer and toilet paper!

Dress the part. You’ll be sleeping in whatever you’re wearing, so comfy clothes are a must. Don’t show up at the station in your pajamas with your teddy bear, since you’ll stick out like a sore thumb. But do wear clothes that you’re comfortable sleeping in, and that aren’t restrictive.

Charge any devices before you go. I’ve never been on a night train that had plugs before. I highly recommend charging all your devices before you get on board. A portable charger works well too! But don’t expect there to be (working) plugs on board. This is especially important if you’ll be relying on your phone (or other devices) for maps or information when you arrive in your destination—you don’t want to be stranded with a dead battery!

For sleeping, general rules apply. Earplugs and an eyemask go a long way in facilitating a good nights’ sleep. I use a sleeping hat to pull over my eyes. Be respectful of the other passengers in your compartment, and don’t be loud and noisy when they’re obviously trying to sleep.

Sleep on top of your luggage. I generally use my large backpack as a pillow. It isn’t the most comfortable, but it makes me feel really secure. No one could get in there without waking me up. So that really helps me feel safe and helps me sleep better. Obviously, this isn’t always an option if you’ve got a hard suitcase. But if you’re traveling with a backpack, it’s very easy. You can also put your luggage at your feet.

Keep all your valuables on your person at all times. Money, passport, etc. should be in a money belt, in a zipped pocket, or directly under you at all times. It is a lot easier to steal money from a purse that’s left open on the floor, than a bag that’s underneath your head. Like I said, I sleep with my backpack as a pillow, with the end facing inwards, so if someone was trying to get into my stuff, they’d have to literally be reaching across me and under me to get anything. Loop a strap of your backpack (or bag with valuables) through your arm or leg for extra security.

Store your luggage as high as possible. Most of the night trains I’ve been on have had luggage racks close to the ceiling. If you’re in a top bunk, keep your stuff as high up as you can. Again, it’s a lot easier to walk off with luggage that’s been left in the middle of the floor, than climbing up a ladder to snag a backpack from a top luggage rack. If there’s someone on the top bunk and you’re in the lower bunk, they’ll typically get priority for the top luggage rack. If you’re on the top berth, you’ll get priority.

Generally, people won’t steal your stuff. You should always remember that most thieves are opportunistic—if they see an easy theft, they’ll do it. Don’t give them the opportunity, and you’ll be just fine. That being said, it never hurts to be extra cautious. It’s better to be safe than sorry. If you’re traveling solo, I’d recommend bringing your purse or bag with valuables with you to the toilet, just in case. If you’re really worried about theft, bring a cable and a lock, and lock your bag to something sturdy (bars, ladder, etc.) in the train. Even using a carabiner to secure your bag to the train will deter most thieves—they won’t want to deal with the hassle of unclipping it. I’ve never had any issues with theft on my night train journeys and never locked my luggage up—but I’ve also been exceedingly cautious at all times.

If you’re in a compartment, keep the door closed and locked at all times. If the door is closed, it should be locked. The train conductor and/or border guards will knock loudly, and it will be loud enough to wake you up. If you’re doing a border crossing, you’ll probably wake up anyway. Don’t open the door to anyone else that isn’t in your compartment.

Keep your passport in a convenient place. If you’re crossing international borders outside the Schengen Zone, you’ll need to show your passport. And you’ll most likely have to do this twice—first to leave the country you started in (get exit stamps), and again to enter the country you’re going to (get entry stamps). Make sure your passport is in an easily accessible place, so that you’re not spending five minutes rummaging around in your bags while an impatient border guard is tapping their foot, waiting for you.

Don’t be stupid and don’t try anything illegal. Don’t smuggle stuff. Don’t take drugs. Don’t take drugs over international borders. Don’t carry stuff for people you don’t know. DON’T. BE. STUPID. The guards will find out and you will get in trouble. On one of my night train journeys, they brought on dogs to do a quick sniff of each compartment (this was probably to see if anyone was smuggling more cigarettes than allowed). Another one had customs tape over the ceiling and any moveable panels on the train, so that if anyone was smuggling something there, the tape would be broken and the border guards would know. Just don’t be stupid.

Crossing from west to east (or vice versa) in Europe is a real treat. The trains use different gauges on the train tracks, and it is really, really LOUD. I wasn’t aware of this until I traveled to and from Ukraine on night trains, and someone posted a comment on one of my blog posts. Chances are, you’re not going to be able to sleep through that!

For most night trains, it’s best to find your bed, make your bed up, and hunker down. You’ll get more sleep if you maximize the time you’ll be in your actual bed itself. You’ll have more time for your body to adjust to the movement of the train, or the height, if you’re in a top bunk. I rarely come off night trains feeling well-rested, so try to get every minute you can of shut-eye.

That being said, night trains are a fantastic way to meet people and make friends! I had the best time sharing a compartment with two Russians going from Budapest to Belgrade. They brought tons of booze (and shared with us!), we laughed and drank and chatted in a mixture of English and Russian, and it was a lot of fun. We met up with them again a few days later and went out for drinks and to experience the Serbian nightlife. Night trains can be a blast!

Most people traveling on night trains are just normal people. Generally, the people you’re traveling with will be locals going from Point A to Point B, and other travelers like yourself. People (on night trains, and in life in general) are not out to get you. I was so worried about taking the Tbilisi-Yerevan night train, and sleeping in the open-plan, third class (platskartny) carriage. But when I got on board, nearly all of the people were locals, families with kids, and normal people. Be on your guard when needed, but don’t spend the whole night in fear!

Overall, night trains are a great way to save both money and time when you combine transportation and accommodation. However, you should always take extra precaution when traveling on overnight transport. These are my best travel safety tips for night trains. I hope this helps everyone in staying safe on a night train!

Have you ever traveled by night train? What was your experience like? Any safety tips to share?!

Check out my Night Train posts!

Taking The Budapest-Belgrade Night Train

The Warsaw-Lviv Night Train

The Lviv-Krakow Night Train

The Tbilisi To Yerevan Night Train

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