My 20 year old daughter and I will take the Florence to Paris night train (Palatino) using a couchette for 4 women (T4). Please share information about how this has worked for others..is it comfortable with strangers?, can we bring our wine and picnic? Is there a time when the beds are put into place? I can't wait for information and advice on this...it will be the next to last night in Europe and I want it to be an adventure and fun(we love the train!), but I don't know the "how to's", etc..

Any French night train I've taken has had the beds made up when I arrived. Usually French night trains are couchette only so there are no seaats. You could picnic in bed. What time are you leaving?

I never had a problem taking couchettes. Usually they try to put same gender people together but not always. I always felt safe, especially since there is a wagon lit conductor.

Many times the compartment has not been full and you may get lucky and get the compartment to yourselves. Have you chosen a berth? I like the top best since I feel safest there. You can store your luggage behind the ladder so it's harder to get to. Sleep with your purse near your head and your feet pointing toward the door to ensure no one will steal it or wear a money belt while you sleep. Don't ever leave anything hanging on a hook next to the door.

I love night trains. You go to sleep in one place and wake up near your destination with completely different scenery.

I sent a reply, but don't see it posted, so again, I say thanks for the good advice, esp about safety features.
I have not chosen a seat..the arrangements were done by an agent working in Florence, through our B and B...I will email them tomorrow and request a top bun,per your suggestions.
The train does leave at 9:50 so your point about the beds being made may very well define our activity...even though a picnic in bed sounds good!

Hi Zwolla

DH and I travelled by couchette from Strasbourg to Vienna last month.

We are early 60s and were joined by a young girl in our 4 berth couchette.

When we boarded the train we were given our bedding - a sheet bag, blanket and very tiny pillow (I used a thick jacket under this for some extra fluff). You sleep in your clothes, so wear something comfortable and forgiving!

Our French is very basic, so it was convenient to have the young girl with us - she spoke fluent French, German and English. This came in handy when the conductor insisted on collecting all passports for our border crossing - this was something I hadn't even thought of! Apparently they are checked overnight, and were returned to us with breakfast the next morning.

Sitting on the couchette isn't very comfortable especially for those on the bottom bunk as there is not much head room. DH slept up top, but didn't feel too secure as there was no safety rail in our cabin. He felt as though he was likely to fall out as the couchette was fairly narrow, and he is quite tall. But by the time we boarded around 10pm we had already eaten and were about ready for sleep anyhow.

We did enjoy the experience and it's a great way to save on time and the cost of overnight accommodation plus train fare.

Happy travels, Di

Note, as said above, that couchette compartments do not have seats; they have only pull-down platforms to use as beds.

As for etiquette, the first time we booked couchettes we arrived at the compartment to find it full to overflowing with a large family and enough food for a week-long journey. There was no room for us; so we had to move elsewhere and ended up in a two-person sleeper room in the sleeper car. It was well worth the extra price.

It is standard procedure to give your passport and ticket to the wagon lit conductor for any night trains crossing borders.

All of your responses are helpful. I especially will remember to wear comfortable clothing.
To upgrade to a sleeper for 2, would you go back to the travel agent (Florence) and have them research the change? I, too, am not fluent in even the most basic Italian, so I would not want to have to negotiate on the train.
How do you choose your seats/bunks as referred to by several of you?

Couchette compartments have seats which convert into bunks at night. A sheet, blanket and pillow are provided but the beds are not made up, like those in a sleeping compartment. The attendant will normally convert the seats into bunks when you ask him. If you're sharing with strangers, it's best to agree on what time you want this done.
In this case, the Palatino is the Roma-Paris night train. If you board in Firenze, you may find the others in the compartment have come from Roma and are already settled in their bunks, or the others may be joining later, perhaps at Bologna. The attendant has a check-list, so will know which berths are occupied and where the people are due to embark.
When you book a couchette or sleeper, you have the option of choosing an upper or lower bunk. The berth number and position are printed on the ticket.

We boarded the Palatino Express in Paris, and the couchette compartments were already converted into bunks. If you're working with a travel agent, certainly have him/her find out what a change would cost you and then get reservations if you want to upgrade to a sleeper car.

My husband and I ended up in a first-class compartment, which holds two comfortably. There were also second-class, which had room for 3. We chose second on our return trip, and I was put in with women, my husband with men. The top bunk (mine) was very stuffy when we went through long tunnels, BTW.

So be prepsred to spring for dinner in the dining car -- assuming there is one. Actually meals on the train aren't terribly expensive, and it's a nice experience, dining as the scenery flows by.

Zwolla, Be sure to take earplugs! On our recent Berlin-Paris couchette two people were snoring so loudly that we could not sleep!
Also, be sure to wear your money belt and secure your other things.
Have a pleasant trip.

Love the earplug tip...I went to get the Bose plugs I had read about here and they were cost prohibitive, but will look for others...After reading the different tips, I am thinking it may be worth it to see how much upgrading would be. Especially since Geoff clued me into the fact that this train will have originated in Rome...I was looking forward to being a bit more in control of this night...dinner in the diner though sounds good...do you book ahead? and several of you suggested top bunks, but the tickets were purchased by a booking agent from my Florence hotel...should I inquire about location to him, even though the hotel has the tickets? and also direct to him the question of upgrade option? I am so thankful to get all of your information as we had a different idea about the way it would be....privacy and enjoying wise...This forum provides an incredible comfort zone!!!

They probably won't serve dinner at 10:00 at night. There might be a buffet car but if the food is anything like I've seen on trains you would want to bring your own snacks.

The Palatino leaves Firenze at 2053 or seven minutes to nine. There is a restaurant car. Descriptions and pictures of the accommodation are on www.seat61.com.

The Seat 61 site is so interesting and informative...I am thinking that I will upgrade once I get to Florence and can speak to agent...less confusion...I want more control over the situation and want the night to have some of the romance of traveling by rail through Europe..not just a means to an end...with others I can't control! So thanks for these invaluable tips...and any other tips that Fodorites can supply!

If your train goes through Switzerland, security officers with dogs may want to do a quick check of your cabin. Has happened to me a few times on night trains from Brussels to Milan.

Re wearing comfy clothes, also have a pair of slip on shoes handy in case you need to make a late night trip to the bathroom. If you do go, make sure your daughter is awake to keep an eye on your things (or vice versa).

If you are going to picnic in your cabin, be careful about crumbs and really noisy (crunchy) and/or smelly foods. Make sure all your food items are cleared away neatly when finished. And cross fingers that your couchette companions do the same.

If you do upgrade to a private sleeper and it's a 3 berth (I don't know what's available on your particular route), make sure the attendant knows you have paid for private use of the whole compartment.

I once caught an overnight train in Germany and had prepaid for the entire compartment (a two berth). The attendant had premade both beds and got very sniffy when I put my purse on the top bunk. Don't do that, he snapped, someone is coming to this compartment at 1 am. WHAT??!! I made him doublecheck my ticket and sure enough, he was mistaken. Glad we got that sorted at 10 pm, not at 1 am with a tired stranger standing in the doorway.

Also, keep your compartment door locked. On my overnight trains, I always had a private compartment and yet every time, someone would try to open my door at 3 or 4 am.

I don't sleep well on overnight trains and I enjoy the scenery so much that I have switched to day trains only, even if that means a 13 hour ride (from Brussels to Vienna, for example).

The Palatino has T3 sleeping compartments which are configured to have one, two or three berths depending on what fare you have paid. The Palatino has inclusive fares - you pay per night according to the type of accommodation, rather than per kilometre.
The train goes through Switzerland, which is why the attendant will take your passport in the evening and return it in the morning. The Swiss police are entitled to check passengers, but it's rare and you normally sleep through - that applies in both sleepers and couchettes.

I definitely will be a considerate traveler, but I am still stuck on the upgrade so that I can relax and enjoy the ride...I had forgotten how the doors of compartments are opened on night train's in the past, by passengers getting on at different stops going toward the destination...however, not on a couchette....I don't know the cost difference, but will investigate the possibility...That was also good to note the types of food one brings needs to be monitored...and so I am now thinking along the lines of a final, good evening meal in Florence, prior to boarding...I will contact the agent who arrranged the tickets once I am there, to avoid misinformation, etc. Where can I find the train route so that I can know wwhat places we will be going through as we travel ?

www.bahn.de will give you the schedule and break down all stops the train makes (German rail web portal and easiest for schedules all over Europe i've seen.)

Note that these trains in summer are very very popular and need to be booked as early as possible to guarantee a spot - esp in cheaper digs like T-4 or T-6. Best fares are usually at www.trenitalia.com but that site is simply a terribly frustrating site to actual succeed in getting a ticket as many many Fodorites have reported. But give it a try. In the U.S. i always advice calling BETS 800-441-2387 for their great personal service - though they work thru RailEurope i believe they will find the best fare and Raileurope.com does not always IME list the cheapest fares. In any case, don't leave until Europe. And there are usually Fodorites that will help you thru the trenitalia.com fog if you ask.

On www.bahn.de, find your train, click on details, then on the train number (EN226 in this case).
The train picks up at Roma, Firenze, Bologna, Parma and Piacenza (at 2328), and drops off at Dijon (0633) and Paris. The train will stop at the borders to change engines and drivers, etc, but these are the only stops for passengers.