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Zurich to Ljubljana & Zagreb while you sleep
A Croatian Railways sleeper train links Zurich with Lesce-Bled (for Lake Bled), Ljubljana & Zagreb every night, with a comfortable air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car with 1, 2 or 3 berth compartments with washbasin and an air-conditioned Croatian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, ideal for families. The sleeper saves time over flying and saves a hotel bill too.
What's the
couchette car like?
Station guides: Zurich
HB
Ljubljana Zagreb
Train times 2026
How much does it cost?
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Fares start at €49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, €59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, €66.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €86.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Berths are sold individually, one person = 1 ticket = 1 bed. You don't have to pay for sole occupancy if you're travelling solo on a budget, you can book one ticket and get one bed in a shared 2 or 3-bed sleeper with other civilised sleeper passengers of the same sex. But if you book 1 person in a single-berth sleeper or 2 people in a double or 3 people in a triple, you'll get sole occupancy of a whole compartment.
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If you have an Interrail or Eurail pass you must pay the sleeper or couchette supplement, see the Interrail/Eurail reservations page.
How to buy tickets
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Option 1, book at www.thetrainline.com in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem. Look for the direct overnight train with 0 changes.
Booking for this sleeper opens up to 6 months before departure, less than this for dates after the mid-December timetable change. More about when European train bookings open. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Option 2, book using the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. Use this if you have any problems at www.thetrainline.com.
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If you have a Eurail or Interrail pass you can make reservations at the Austrian Railways website following the instructions here, method 1.
Route map
What's the sleeping-car like?
The train has a comfortable air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car. In the sleeping-car it's quiet and civilised. The car has a side corridor off which open 10 compartments. Each compartment can be sold as a 1, 2 or 3 bed room with upper, middle & lower berths folded out as required. Luggage goes in the large recess above the door to the corridor. The compartments have normal locks plus a security deadbolt which can only be locked & unlocked from inside. There's clean bedding, a washbasin, soap, towel & bottled water. Morning tea or coffee and a light breakfast are included in the fare.
Berths are sold individually, if you don't want to pay for a single-bed sleeper you can book one bed in a 2 or 3 berth and share with another passenger of the same gender. Compartments are single-sex unless your party occupies the whole compartment. An excellent way to travel.
Above, the air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car. The Croatian couchette car is the next vehicle to the right. See the Croatian sleeper video.
Above left, luggage goes in the recess above the door. Note the temperature & lighting controls.
What's the couchette car like?
The train has a comfortable air-conditioned Croatian couchette car with a side corridor and 9 compartments, each of which can be sold as 4-berth or 6-berth. Clean sheets, blanket and pillow are provided, the doors have a normal lock and security lock or chain, there are several European-type 2-pin 240v power outlets in each compartment. Toilets and washrooms at the end of the corridor. Couchette compartments are not segregated by gender, as you do not normally get fully undressed. See generic couchette car numbering plan.
Above, the sleeping-car (left) and couchette car (right) to Zagreb, boarding at Zurich HB on a summer's evening.
Above left, 6-berth couchette compartment, see 360º photo. Above right, a couchette compartment in seats mode.
Travel tips
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Seat, couchette or sleeper?
For solo travellers on a budget, a couchette is fine, you get a flat bunk in a safely lockable compartment and can sleep just as well as in a sleeper - but never travel overnight in a seat, always book a couchette or sleeper for comfort and security. It's worth paying a little extra for a couchette in a 4-berth compartment as you get a lot more space per person than in a 6-berth.
For families, a 4 or 6 berth couchette compartment is ideal, you're together in one compartment and can have a blast - bring a bottle of wine for mum & dad. Paying more for two separate 2-berth compartments in the sleeping-car probably isn't worth it unless you've older kids and mum & dad want a break! If there are 5 of you, you can buy 6 tickets for sole occupancy of a 6-berth couchette compartment, simply add a phantom child to the booking.
But the sleeping-car has a quieter, more civilised atmosphere and it's obviously the best option for solo travellers & couples not on a tight budget. Some families and many solo travellers prefer it: A bed in a shared 3-bed single-gender sleeper doesn't cost that much more than a bunk in a 4-berth couchette compartment. In the sleeper, you get a proper fully-made-up bed with duvet (in couchettes you get a blanket, sheet & pillow and arrange them yourself), there's a washbasin in the compartment, and a light breakfast is included.
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Berth numbering
This often confuses people. They get berths 21 & 25 and think that they aren't in the same 2-berth sleeper compartment. Of course they are! See how sleepers & couchettes are numbered.
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Is the overnight train safe?
Yes. In the sleeping-car or couchette car it's safe and comfortable for families, solo females, for anyone. Compartments in the sleeping-car & couchette car have a normal lock (which can be opened from outside by leys used by railway staff) plus a security deadbolt and/or security chain which can only be locked and unlocked from inside. An attendant is on duty in the sleeping-car & couchette car throughout the journey, in the attendant's compartment at the end of the corridor.
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A beer or dinner before you board?
In Zurich, the Brasserie Federal in the main station hall is a great place for steak-frites and a beer or two, see the Zurich HB station guide.
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Finding & boarding your train
As with virtually all European trains, there's no check-in. Just walk into the station, find your train and get on any time before it leaves. And yes, Zurich, Zagreb & Ljubljana stations are all safe at night, with plenty of people around. The sleeper or couchette car attendant will normally greet you on the platform outside the sleeping-car or couchette car entrance door and check your reservation. He'll come round and see you soon after departure to take your ticket or pass.
When leaving from Zurich, it helps to know that the train is combined with the Nightjet to Graz.
When leaving from Zagreb or Ljubljana, the train has a portion for Zurich and a portion for Stuttgart.
Station guides: Zurich HB Stuttgart Hbf Munich Ost Ljubljana Zagreb
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How to check the train formation
You can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations.
For departure from Zurich, search for NJ 465. For departure from Zagreb or Ljubljana, search for EN 414.
Click the camera or seat map icon under each car for photos & seat maps.
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Luggage & bikes
You take your luggage with you into your sleeper or couchette compartment and stick it on the luggage racks above the window, over the door to the corridor, or on the floor. Nobody weighs it, measures it, or worries about how much you take. More about luggage on European trains.
You can only take a bike on this train if it's semi-disassembled, placed in a bike bag as normal luggage, and taken into your compartment. There are no bike spaces and no baggage van. More about bikes on European trains.
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Pets
Dogs can travel in the sleeping-car as long as you and your party have sole occupancy. For details see www.hzpp.hr/en.
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Power sockets & WiFi
There are several 240v European-type power outlets near the washbasin in each sleeper compartment and near the window in each couchette compartment. There's no WiFi, but mobile data reception works fine for most of the journey.
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Food & drink on board
There's no restaurant car, so bring any provisions (and maybe a bottle of wine!) for the evening. See the station guides for advice on where to stock up. In the morning, the sleeper fare includes tea or coffee plus a few breakfast items, served in your compartment.
"But you miss the scenery by sleeper!"
Eastbound, the sleeper train runs along the pretty River Sava all the way to from Ljubljana to Zagreb.
Westbound to Zurich, wake up to scenery like this. Taken from the Zagreb-Zurich sleeper, courtesy of John Richards.
Lesce-Bled
Lesce-Bled station is 3.8 km from the centre of Bled old town, 5.8 km from Bled Castle. Air-conditioned buses link the bus stop outside Lesce Bled station with Bled old town roughly every 20-35 minutes, journey time 9 minutes, fare around €1.50. You can check times at arriva.si, Lesce ŽP = Lesce-Bled railway station.
Lesce-Bled: Above, the sleeper from Zurich & Stuttgart to Ljubljana & Zagreb has arrived at Lesce Bled. There's a small cafe at the station for breakfast, it has a few outside tables on the platform, visible under the Lesce-Bled station sign. Photo courtesy of @AscotPhill.