Jolie

Hi, newbie here with quick question. I have a ticket for the overnight train from Venice to Paris. This train stops in Milan on the way to Paris. Is it possible to board in Milan instead of Venice using the same ticket (basically skipping the Venice-Milan portion of the trip). Or will the train sell my slot if I don't board in Venice as originally planned.

(As a related question, does that mean the train checks to make sure that all who bought tickets havve boarded in Venice, and not just all who boarded have tickets?)

Thanks in advance,
Jolie

bobthenavigator

What a shame. You could have flown from Venice to Paris in 2 hours at less cost than the train ticket.

Thomas_Milligan

My suggestion is to go to a train station as soon as you get to Italy and see if you can get the reservation changed.

Jolie

Thomas: Thanks! That's probably what I'll have to do if I think I'll be leaving from Milan instead of Venice. I still wasn't set on the departure city.

Bob: I'm flying out of Paris the next morning. I may have been able to get a cheap air ticket, but that would have forced me to pay for one extra night of hotel - either in Venice or Paris. The overnight train ticket seemed to combine my transportation and hotel needs in one. Thanks for the advice, though - other boards have also pointed out the cheap flights between Paris and Italy.

suze

I have no advice about the ticket specifics but have done the overnight train Venice to Paris (in a private double) and LOVED it. Venice to Milan ~3 hours then transfered to the overnight train. Bought great food and wine at the Milan train station and had a wonderful journey. Arrived Paris in the early AM.

GeoffHamer

A normal train ticket allows you to break your journey, but the Venezia-Paris night train can only be booked at an inclusive fare covering the journey and a sleeper or couchette berth. Each carriage has an attendant who has a list of berths booked and checks tickets as passengers board; if you don't turn up, your berth may be sold to somebody else (though this is unlikely in this case as everybody boarding thge train should already have booked a berth). As others have said, you should get your reservation changed before leaving Venezia. As well as the train from Venezia, there is a separate night train from Milano to Paris.

ben_haines_london

Staff at the international desks of any large station on the continent they can reach the computer software for this train, and can alter your entry to say you will board in Milan and not in Venice. They can issue you the berth reservation you need from Milan to Paris, and may be able to leave you the stretch from Venice to Milan as a second class seat ticket, at a few euros extra. If you do not rebook, and if the train is crowded, the train staff will sell my slot if you don't board in Venice as originally planned. The conductor both checks at the door to make sure that all who board have tickets, and also checks in his or her compartment that all who bought tickets from Venice have boarded there. It is after the second check that the conductor is free to re-sell an unoccupied berth.

Good point about the hotel cost, too often forgotten.

Suze: The train you took, that starts from Milan, reaches Paris at 0841, the train in question, that starts from Venice, reaches Paris at 0823. So neither arrives too early: the Milan train is deliberately slowed down to give you a decent night. The Venice train runs from Milan to 0553 without stopping to take or drop passengers: it may stop for a change of engine crew.

My note on getting the best from sleepers and couchettes is at http://www.geocities.com/rexbickers/...ghttrains.htm/. It is a good train.

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Jolie

Wow. Thanks, Ben. There are such knowledgable people on this board. I should have come here long ago!

suze

Thank you Mr. Haines. Your kind explanation is exactly how my journey went.