Moonlight Express - by Monisha Rajesh (Hardcover)

About the Book

From the author of the smash-hit Around the World in 80 Trains comes a new globetrotting journey - this time celebrating the peculiar magic and mayhem of the night train.

Book Synopsis

From the author of the smash-hit Around the World in 80 Trains comes a new globetrotting journey - this time celebrating the peculiar magic and mayhem of the night train.

'Monisha Rajesh has chosen one of the best ways of seeing the world. Never too fast, never too slow, her journey does what trains do best. Getting to the heart of things. Prepare for a very fine ride' Michael Palin on Around the World in 80 Trains

The wonder of the night train: headlamps ablaze, passengers boarding after sunset and leaving before sunrise, slipping in and out of compartments unseen. For Monisha Rajesh, the singular thrill of sleeper trains inspired a new journey around the world - one filled with moonlit landscapes, cosy compartments and quirky companions.

From Austria's Nightjet to Scotland's Caledonian Sleeper and Finland's Santa Claus Express, Rajesh invites us on a multi-year adventure aboard the world's most wondrous awe-inspiring trains. Along the way she samples reindeer stew on the night-train to Norway, sips on pisco sours while riding the Belmond Andean Explorer to the shores of Lake Titicaca - and considers a game of cricket down a carriage on the Shalimar Express.

A decade ago night trains were giving way to budget airlines and high-speed rail. But as people search for slower and more environmentally friendly ways to travel, night trains are in the midst of a renaissance. By turns romantic and hilarious, Moonlight Express brings us along for the ride - and drops us back at the platform before sunrise.

Review Quotes

"Monisha Rajesh has chosen one of the best ways of seeing the world. Never too fast, never too slow, her journey does what trains do best. Getting to the heart of things. Prepare for a very fine ride" --Michael Palin on 'Around the World in 80 Trains'

"A wonderful companion" --Irvine Welsh on 'Around India in 80 Trains'

"Crackles and sparks with life like an exploding box of Diwali fireworks" --William Dalrymple on 'Around India in 80 Trains'

"What makes the book is Rajesh's wit, astute observations and willingness to try everything . . . She arrived at St Pancras, on time, tired and triumphant. Her riveting account of the odyssey leaves us feeling the same" --THE TIMES on 'Around the World in 80 Trains'

"Rajesh is a rare rising star of the genre . . . She has a simple and easy style, she sees everything and listens to everyone, she's funny when she wants to be and serious when she needs to be, and she keeps the whole thing barreling along like a wonderful dinner party conversation" --DAILY MAIL on 'Around the World in 80 Trains'

"A triumph: a rollicking account, full of memorable encounters and laced with wit" --THE WEEK on 'Around the World in 80 Trains'

"Rajesh offers us a never-ending series of Theroux-esque, quirky anecdotes . . . If you fancy learning about global travel in the relative slow lane, try boarding this carriage and staring out the window" --GEOGRAPHICAL on 'Around the World in 80 Trains'

About the Author

Monisha Rajesh is a British journalist whose writing has appeared in Time magazine, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Sunday Telegraph. Her first book, Around India in 80 Trains, was named one of the Independent's best books on India. Her second book, Around the World in 80 Trains, was shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book Award and won the National Geographic Traveller Award for Best Book. In 2024 she was selected for Conde Nast's Women Who Travel Power List, alongside Eva Longoria, Padma Lakshmi and others. She lives in London.