Fodors

The reference library of a city near you may have the Thomas Cook European Timetable. The Hotel Train Antionio Machado runs nightly on your nights. It leaves Barcelona Sants at 2200 and reaches Seville at 0848. It has a restaurant car, but I think you'll want to get to bed as soon as you board: you can board from about 2115, so you'd sup somewhere you like near your hotel before you head for the station. But I'm sure you'd breakfast on the train around eight, perhaps with an omlette.

The restaurant menu is in English, and many train staff speak English. Those who don't are experienced users of locquacious gesture.

If you'll kindly tell me when you first reach Europe, and at what airport, Ill see how you can best book your train berths. You can find an American fare now, on Raileurope, I think http://www.raileurope.com, but they quote with a markup of 20 or 50 percent, and are not good on fares for children.

Any active seven year old would find the drive dull. But a night on a train is special.

There is no one right way from Seville to Frankfurt. The reference library of a city near you may have the Thomas Cook European Timetable, which spreads the choices before you.

Table 79 says you can travel on Saturday only Seville Santa Justa 2135, hotel train with restaurant car and sleepers, Barcelona Sants 0843 to 1720, Cerbere for supper 1958 to 2040, 4-berth or 6-berth French couchette compartment, Strasbourg for breakfast 0843 to 0948, Frankfurt 1158. 38 hours, including a day in Barcelona

Tables 669, 46 and 30 suggest Seville 1600, restaurant car train, Madrid Puerta de Atocha 1830, rushed transfer by metro, Madrid Chamartin 1900 hotel train, Paris Montparnasse 0829, rushed transfer by taxi, Paris Est 0854, restaurant car train, Frankfurt 1506. 23 hours

Tables 90 and 30 suggest Seville 2135, Barcelona Sants rushed connection 0843 to 0845, buffet car train, Montpelier 1316 to 1406, buffet car train, Paris Gare de Lyon 1828, dinner, Paris Gare Est 2227, sleeper or couchette, Frankfurt 0702. 32 hours

Tables 669 and 90 suggest Seville on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday only 0943, restaurant car train, Barcelona Sants 2035 to 2038, Pau Casals hotel train with sleepers and restautrant car, Lausanne 0643 to 07210, buffe car train, Biel 1819 to 0830, Basel 0938Bern 0801 to 0823, buffet car train, Basel 0949 to 1013, restauraqnt car train, Frankfurt airport 1305, and a local train in 25 minutes to Frankfurt main station. 28 hours.

I have on disc a note on night rail travel in Europe: I'll gladly copy it to you if you ask. And in general, please write if I can help further.

Ben Haines, London