New to riding a sleeper train? Here’s the best way to book tickets

abcnews.go.com:

Sleeper trains are regaining momentum in Europe thanks to travelers who are concerned about climate change and fed up with air travel

As more people reconsider how they travel on a warming planet, a small but growing contingent in Europe wants to switch from high-emission, short-haul planes to more climate-friendly sleeper trains.

But for all the climate benefits — plus the enduring romance of overnight train journeys — it's not always simple building a vacation around them.

Several national railways and private operators have moved in to meet the rising demand, and the result is a patchwork of overnight routes sold at over 30 different websites. Many routes may not run every day, and online ticket aggregators don’t include all countries that have night trains.

“I’ve always gone around on trains and boats and buses, so it was normal for me,” said Cat Jones, founder of the flight-free travel agency Byway. “But friends would say, ‘Oh, that sounds amazing, but no way am I going to plan all that.’”

Sleeper train advocates, however, say the experience and convenience of riding the rails makes them worth any booking difficulty. With patience and a few tips, you’ll never have to deal with airport security lines in the middle of your European holiday.

First, make sure routes exist between your desired cities. Back on Track, a European rail advocacy group, maintains a night train database with all current and soon-to-launch routes on the continent. Just be aware that city names are listed with local spellings, such as Praha for Prague.

Then head to the sleeper train section of Man in Seat 61, a website run by former rail industry worker Mark Smith that exhaustively explains what to expect. The site has details on dozens of