Can you drink on the train? Alcohol rules by operator

Whether you can open your own bottle on a night train depends on the operator. SJ and Vy forbid drinking alcohol you bring yourself, and Snälltåget allows it only in a compartment your group has booked for itself. European Sleeper sets no limit, and Eurostar caps it at four beers or one bottle of wine per person. Below are the rules each operator publishes, checked 16 October 2026, including the cases where we found no rule at all.

Sweden: buy it on board, or book your own compartment

• SJ: SJ's rules on board say that alcohol you bring may not be consumed on board, that the bistro serves alcohol only to people aged 18 or over, and that alcohol bought on board may not be taken off the train. The same rules apply to SJ Nattåg, which they name. Note that SJ's Stockholm to Malmö night train has no bistro, so there is nothing to buy on that one.
• Snälltåget: section 8.2 of Snälltåget's travel conditions says you may not drink your own alcohol on board, unless everyone belongs to the same party and you have booked a compartment of your own. Alcohol sold in the restaurant car may only be drunk there, but the conditions add that this does not apply to international trains. The Krogen page is stricter: it says beer, wine and spirits are served only in Krogen, may not be taken back to your seat, and are sold to people aged 18 or over. The exception is light beer (3.5 percent), which you may take to your seat. On the trains between Malmö and Oslo, alcohol is served from 10:00 and only on the Swedish part of the route. On the night train to Berlin there is no Krogen, only a kiosk with drinks and snacks.

Norway: the café decides where you drink

• Vy, Oslo to Bergen: Vy's answer on alcohol is that you can buy it and drink it in the café on the Bergen line, but not anywhere else on the train, and you may not bring your own. Your own food and non-alcoholic drinks are fine at your seat.
• SJ Nord, Oslo to Trondheim: SJ Nord's café page says it sells beer, cider and wine, and that you may take one unit of alcohol back to your seat. Its English menu says four units. We found no SJ Nord rule on bringing your own; its conditions of carriage only say that SJ Norge need not carry passengers who are intoxicated.
• Go-Ahead, Oslo to Stavanger: the café menu says that on the trains between Oslo and Stavanger you may buy alcohol in the café and take it to your seat, but not drink it in the family carriage, except at the wheelchair space and by a companion. Go-Ahead's conditions of carriage say it need not carry passengers who are drunk. We found no rule on bringing your own.

Finland

• VR: the menu on VR's restaurant car page includes beer and long drinks, and on night trains alcohol is served until 1:30 a.m., with the restaurant car closing at 2 a.m. VR's terms and conditions say it may refuse an intoxicated passenger who is likely to disturb others through violent, threatening or noisy behaviour. We found no VR page that says whether you may drink alcohol you have brought.

Central Europe and France

• ÖBB Nightjet: the Nightjet menu for sleepers and couchettes includes red and white wine and sparkling wine, served by the crew. ÖBB's leaflet on behaviour on board asks passengers to avoid strong smelling food and excessive drinking. We found no Nightjet rule that bans or allows your own alcohol.
• European Sleeper: you can buy a limited range of alcoholic drinks on board, and the menu lists beer, white and red wine and cava. You may bring your own food and drink, and European Sleeper says there is no limit on the alcohol you bring, though it asks you to drink in moderation.
• SNCF Intercités de Nuit: the clearest statement we found is a reply from SNCF Voyageurs' customer account in April 2018 that drinking alcohol is allowed on trains within the limits set by law. We found no newer SNCF page and nothing specific to the night trains.

Eurostar

Eurostar is not a night train, but its rules are often quoted as the exception. Its alcohol policy limits drinking on board to four 440 ml bottles or cans of beer, or one 750 ml bottle of wine, per person, and you may not drink large bottles of spirits on board. Unopened bottles to take to your destination are fine, but Eurostar may confiscate excessive amounts meant for the journey. On its night ski trains and on trains carrying fans to or from sports events, Eurostar sells no alcohol and confiscates any at check in, and it says it tells you in advance when these rules apply.

In short

• You may not drink your own: SJ, Vy, and Snälltåget unless your group has its own compartment.
• No limit stated: European Sleeper.
• A set limit: Eurostar, with a full ban on ski and sports trains.
• No published rule found: SJ Nord, Go-Ahead, VR, Nightjet and SNCF.

Read more: Night trains with no food on board, and what to bring