Florence to Paris train
 

Thanks to everyone for helping me with my other questions.

I have another one.

We're taking the overnight train from Florence to Paris.

This is probably the only one I'll reserve ahead of time just to ensure that we're on that train.

We (three of us travelling) have the railpass and I'm told that we could get a 3-berth 2nd class for about 87 Cdn per person.

I was offered a 6-berth, but I've been in one years and years ago, and I didn't get much sleep because of a couple of snorers in the other bunks.

So how much different is the 2nd class 3-berth from the 6-berth? Is the 3-berth the same bunk-bed style as the 6-berth? I read that sleepers are more comfortable than couchettes. Is the 3-berth a sleeper or a couchette?

Any safety issues we should be concerned about?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Use this link

http://www.seat61.com/Italy.htm#The%...0to%20Italy%20...

to see some pictures and read an explanation of the accommodations on these "Excelsior" services (France-Italy)

Artesia Night Train, Florence-Paris. T-3, requiring 2nd class pass, $63 (US)off peak or $69 peak, per person if bought in the US; your pass must be valid in both France and Italy for this passholder rate. Without a pass $175 including fare and berth in T-3. T-3's I've been on are half a couchette in the same space as a six-person couchette - 3 bunks against one wall. You get a free "welcome drink" and coffee and croissant complimentary in the am. the T-3 is in a sleeper car - the T-6 ($29 per person with a pass peak or offpeak) is in a couchette car- no free welcome drink or cafe/croissant and six people in the space of three. This train goes into the Paris Bercy rail station, about a half-mile before the Gare de Lyon on the same tracks.

You may find help in choosing if you read my note on getting the best from sleepers and couchettes at http://www.geocities.com/rexbickers/...ghttrains.htm/. I think the extra cost of sleeper above couchette to be value for money.

You probably know that until 6 September you have a choice of trains. The Palatino runs from Florence at 2029 to Paris at 0838, and the Galilei from Florence at 2114 to Paris at 1013. Second class in both has 2 and 3 berth sleepers and 4 and 6 berth couchettes. The Galilei stops running after 6 September, the editors of the Thomas Cook European Timetable think this is because of the competition of no-frills flights.

I know no safety issues. Of course, you lock and bolt (or chain) your compartment door when you settle for the night.

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Our company sells tickets on these Artesia Night trains (Paris-Florence, Rome, Venice). It was once billed as a premier hotel train but RailEurope sent a message saying, due to customer complaints, not to bill it as anything other than a regular night train. I booked some friends into it last August and unfortunately it was during the GREAT HEAT WAVE of 2003, when 15,000 or so old French folks suffocated to death in too hot rooms. My friends had a miserable time on this train as the air conditioning wasn't working and they thought they too were going to die. Yes the Rome and Florence night trains are being consolidated this fall into one train, probably due to EasyJet/Ryanair type competition - the reasons night trains are being cut all over Europe. You can go in the day time via Artesia Day trains running between Milan and Paris, taking the Eurostar Italia to Milan to connect with it. Passholders only need to pay for seat reservation on the Milano-Paris Artesia day train (though it you book in advance you can get a $44 Milan-Paris fare, but seats are very limited in this category.

Hi ferrier,

You can save time and money flying Volare from Venice or Rome to Paris Orly.

www.volareweb.com

PalQ, Topman and Ben, thank you so much for the information. Ben, I didn't know about Sept. 6. We're not leaving 'til the 15th so that's good to know.

Ira, thanks for the plane suggestion, but to be honest, since we have the railpass, all we would have to pay for is the sleeper reservation. The plane plus transfers would end up more, and at that point, we want to take the most direct route possible (albeit longer). The transfers would be a hassle. And I'm hoping we can get that 8:29 p.m. night train that Ben mentions which would get us in at about 8 a.m. in Paris. I know it's longer, but I guess I like the idea that we still have the whole day prior in Florence, then we go on the train, go to sleep and it's Paris! But thanks for letting me know about the Volare flights.

PalQ and Ben, is the Artesia train that PalQ mentions the same thing as the Palatino train that Ben mentions?

So does this mean that there's only one night train leaving Florence to Paris after Sept. 6?

And one more question: Is this Palatino and/or Artesia train direct? Does it stop anywhere else?

Thank you again!

Hi Ferrier,

You can find the schedule for the night train at www.trenitalia.com/en

You want Florence to Paris Bercy.

The train is direct, but it stops at Dijon.

Currently the train leaves Florence at 20:29; after train consolidation the Palatino (Rome-Paris night train
Galilei) should stop in Florence about the same time as it leaves Rome at 19:00 (7pm; a crucial time for railpass holders as if the night train leaves at 7pm or late, you put the next day's date in as your unlimited travel day, the so-called 7pm rule; meaning the whole next day in Paris your railpass will be valid - at the least you could use the rest of the day on the some of the RER lines running through Paris that honor railpasses, or use it to go to Versailles. Anyway I digress, so the train should stop in Florence at about the same time. The soon-to-be-discontinued Galilei Florence-Paris night train was one of four France-Italy night trains that were branded as "Artesia Night Trains", the others being the Palatino to Rome, the Rialto to Venice and the Stendhal to Milan. (If for some reason you can't book a spot on the Palatino, book one on the Milano-Paris Stendhal, then take a day train from Florence to Milan (but having to use 2 days on a railpass in this scenario. You are scheduled to arrive in Paris-Bercy at 10:13am. The train runs via Modane, on the Turino-Lyon line. Bon Voyage!

Ben,

I was happy to post your "tipsnighttrains" on my geocities web page - - but wouldn't it make more sense to create one for you?

Be glad to help if you need me to talk you through it.

As for the original question, I would favor flying volare also.

Best wishes,

Rex

Thank you for all the great advice!

I checked the Trenitalia website and noticed it had a promotion on for night trains to France as well as Saturday travel. But I can't tell how long the promotion is for.

I've tried plugging in the info for the Florence to Paris trip, but the 'buy' option isn't available so I can't see what the prices are.

Does this mean that option is no longer available? I've e-mailed the question to the Trenitalia help address, but don't know when and if they'll get back to me.

Thanks again for all your help in planning this trip.

Hi ferrier,

AFAIK, you can't buy international tickets online from Trenitalia.

In addition, You can't purchase just the sleeper accomodations online.

I think that you will have to either use a TA in the states or buy your reservations after you get to Italy.

Thanks for all your help!