I just took this train a few months back - the window curtains will be pulled shut no doubt so unless you stand up outside the compartment don't expect to see much

I did wake up when the train was standing in Dijon and that's all i remember

This topic brought back fond memories of my trip to Europe in 1986. I was traveling through Europe for 6 weeks and I often times slept on the trains. Usually, I slept in the seats, but for the trip from Amsterdam to Rome I decided to spring for a couchette.

Here is what happened during the trip from Amsterdam to Rome:

The train was due to leave at 10:35PM. So, I went to a grocery at the station and bought quite a few bottles of beer, food, and a bottle of wine to drink on the train.

Got on the train and found my compartment. During the first few hours I sat in the aisle drinking and talking with people from all over the world as we traveled through the night to Rome. There were plenty of people sitting, eating and drinking up until 2AM or so. It might be different now, but in 1986 there was alot going on.

I finally emptied all the beer and wine, exchanged addresses and business cards and went to beds.
I remember that I was in the lower bunk of the compartment. Just as I was beginning to fall asleep the train stopped and new passengers boarded the train. Two young German girls heading to Spain entered the compartment. We exchanged greetings and they proceeded to get ready for bed. (Trying to keep this clean.) As they got ready for bed, they both stripped out of all their clothes and climbed in their bunks. I remembered being awfully surprised when the girls were both standing in the middle of the compartment completely naked. Nothing happened. They went to sleep, as did I. In the morning when I woke, they had left the train for a differet connection. Interesting story. I still tell that story once or twice a year.

One thing you want to be careful of is of course, thieves. But, also be careful of the train car that you are in seperating from the rest of the train sometime in the middle of the night as you sleep. I am sure that i has happened to plenty of people that in the middle of the night, the front half of the train might unhook from the back half of the train and end up going in a completely different direction than you thought. You might wake up thinking that you are in Paris and you are really in Rome.

Good Luck!! Have fun.

There are at least three locks on the inside of these compartments if i remember correctly and if when someone goes out at night to the loo - if they lock them when they return it will be theft proof

that said i always prefer the topmost bunk and secure my luggage up top on the wide ledge rather than having it at floor level

That's a very good warning about the fact that train cars can separate when leaving a station--some stay behind. Be sure to look at the sign on each car to see what is the final destination and be sure you're in the right car.

note that this Artesia Night Train serves secondary stations in Florence (Campo di Marte) and Paris (Bercy) and not Florence's SMN station.

Campo di Marte is on the eastern fringe of central Florence - only about a mile from the Duomo.

Paris-Bercy is near the Gare de Lyon and has a metro stop right at it

actually on this train you will have a car number on your ticket and you will automatically then be in the right car and won't have to worry about the train splitting

but the warning about trains splitting is a good one in general - always check the placard on the outside of the individual train car to see where exactly it is going so not to be surprised when the front half of the train moves out and leaves your half sitting in the station waiting for another engine to come hook up and take it on a different routing