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.