A young German moving to the city to start studying experiences a troublesome arrival: Within a few minutes he falls in love, learns that the girl has a boyfriend already, and discovers that all his savings have been stolen on the night train. Penniless, he is happy to get a job as a sleeping car conductor and soon finds himself on the same train he travelled on. Naieve and innocent at first, he learns from and adopts to his tougher colleagues on a series of trips to Italy and back, striving to make some money and to win the girl he constantly dreams of.