Is an overnight train a fun experience?
 

Hi everyone,

I am trying to decide how to get from Barcelona to Seville with my boyfriend next month and I think an overnight train ride (in a private Grand Class double with shower, toilet, dinner, and breakfast included) would be a fun, adventurous, and romantic experience. He would prefer to fly and says that I have a wrong impression of an overnight train ride. Does anyone have a thought on this?

Thanks!

Depends on your outlook - pre-determined attitude tend to be self-fulfilling. that said i'd consider this deluxe type of compartment would be very nice - dinner on the train. If you live in US you can save money by buying Spanish night trains thru RailEurope and not in Spain. For example the Gran Clase double is about $25 p.p. cheaper than on the RENFE site. ($138 p.p. thru RailEurope; RailEurope charges a $15 handling fee plus a mailing fee - i always go thru BETS (800-441-2387), a RailEurope agent who doesn't charge RE's mailing fee and are Spanish rail experts. Check www.renfe.es for prices in Euros in Spain - maybe there are some special offers i've missed but for regular fare it appears RailEurope is quite a bit cheaper. These trains can fill up in advance so reserve early.

We took an overnight train from Paris to Venice, and slept in 2nd class. We shared a cabin with a teacher and his wife. The teacher was escorting a class of high school kids to Genoa for a field trip. We had a great time talking with them, as the kids were from a smaller town outside Paris that apparently doesn't get many Americans coming through. They tried their English out on us, and we butchered French for them. There was plenty of eye rolling and laughter.

I'm sure the first-class accommodations would be nice, but I wonder how many hours on the train you'd be spending. If it's a night deal, you might as well take the train since it would spare you finding another hotel room, and would be romantic...we had dinner on our train ride, and it was really fun, and the service was above the usual Amtrak experience you get in a dining car in the Western states at least.

Good luck deciding!

Jules

We took an overnight train from Paris to Berlin last September in a private double with all amenities and enjoyed it greatly. There wasn't a dining car so we brought our own food, champagne and wine! It wasn't cheap but we didn't have to pay for a hotel room or hassle with two airports.

It all depends on what you enjoy, how you feel about being in control of your vacation and your idea of romantic. I'm with him - I hate being "trapped" anywhere and long train rides are hell for me. Too uncomfortable, too boring, no chance to go and explore something that looks interesting - give me a car every time.

(But then I would never take a cruise either and would be happier if I were the one flying the plane - but I don't have any choice on that one.)

See the bottom of my trip report for our recent (May 2005) experience in a 1st class 2 bed compartment... MISERABLE. We're both young and normally laid back but it really was terrible.

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34650299

I have had several great trips on an overnight train. I really enjoy it! That said, I would ONLY go with a first class private cabin. And wouldn't it do it more than 1x week. Yes I *do* think it is <romantic>. The route we were on didn't have a dining car so we took on our own picnic dinner with plenty of wine. One time we boarded at midnight so a meal wasn't needed.

Since your boyfriend says you have <a wrong impression>, has he been on an overnight train before himself???

I think that is important because IF he has and didn't like it, I would take that into consideration. If he hasn't and is just blowin' smoke about what he thinks it is or isn't like on a the train, then I'd try to talk him into it.

I'm a great believer in overnight trains but sleeping on them is no more "fun" than sleeping in a hotel. There is certainly some romance in being shown to your own private sleeping compartment by a uniformed steward who'll bring you drinks in the evening, then wake you with breakfast in the morning.
Flying will actually take more time because you'll spend half a day travelling. The big advantage of an overnight train is that you can spend a day sightseeing in one city, then go to bed and wake in another city for sightseeing the next day. If you fly regularly, then why should you want every journey to be the same?
The last time I got the overnight train from Barcelona to Sevilla, I just booked a couchette ("litera" in Spanish) and had a fascinating evening talking with the other passengers - two were German, but one of these was a student in England, and the other was Mexican. I'd imagine the Gran Clase compartments are pretty comfortable.

TexasAggie, I can't find your report. Maybe could you copy and paste the paragraph that tells about the overnight train on to this thread?

I'm curious what could have made it so miserable for you.

The experience of overnight trains, however posh, varies massively. Things like the quality of the air conditioning, the frequency of points, and your partner's tolerance of a bed that's never going to be super king size all affect the experience, and aren't at all consistent.

You're confined to a small space for 8 hours or so and all these things can annoy you far more in a sleeper than in a normal train journey.

On even the best occasions, our experience has been that the earth doesn't move. But, when all about you is, it feels more like the earth moving than it would in the conventional hotel you'd be in otherwise. And Mrs F and I have always found overnight trains have been a lot more fun than the alternative. Mind you, she wouldn't be Mrs F today if she'd been the kind of stick in the mud who bridled at an overnight train. You can tell a lot about a partner from their attitude to trains, it's always seemed to me.

Ordinarily, I'd say the only way you'll find whether it was right for you would be to do it. But if MrHMD has got his mind set, he'll find something to prove he's right.

Which of course raises the question of what that tells you about him... But that's none of my business.

I've not done such a train trip in Europe and if his only experience has been something like the Auto Train on the east coast in the US, I can see where he might be coming from (we did it once -- did NOT have a compartment -- it was simply DREADFUL!!!!!) I wouldn't expect that to be the case with what you've described though and I'd sure be willing to try it. There are a lot of advantages, as pointed out, and depending on how long your trip is (one week? two?) I think it would be worth a try. Good luck!

Hi suze,

Here is the excerpt from my trip report. Hope it is helpful!!

We picked up our luggage about 9:45pm and made our way to the waiting lobby (an indoor area on the second floor with plastic chairs). We spent the time reading and people watching. Ladies beware – the Salerno train station is NOT an area that I would want to be in alone at night. We were approached twice by men asking for money and one completely drunk or high man came in and laid down on the floor and went to sleep. Our train was about 10 minutes late. We boarded a little after 11:50pm and hauled our weary selves and luggage through several compartments to the sleeper car. We had reserved a first class 2 bed private compartment for 120€ (special off the web, normal price is almost 160€). While normally a trooper I just about cried when I saw our room.

It was about half the size of my not-oversized closet at home. It was about 100-million degrees. There was literally not room for both DH and I to stand and we are thin people. The beds were the narrowest set of bunkbeds I have ever seen. Fortunately DH took over. He left me and the luggage in the hall and worked on getting the window open to cool the compartment off. That done, he sent me off to the bathroom to wash my face and get ready for bed while he maneuvered the luggage into the compartment. I had to laugh when I got back as the smallest suitcase ended up being carefully squeezed onto the foot of my bed since there was nowhere else to put it. We only had one medium-sized backpack and 2 suitcases both small enough to qualify as carry-on luggage but this room was miniscule. DH opted for the top bunk and I settled into the lower one, chuckling that we were REALLY glad we had not tried this last year on our honeymoon. "Goodnight honey, ‘night babe".

The room did eventually cool off enough for me to doze but we had to keep the window open meaning we heard every rattle between Salerno and Monterosso and especially every train that passed (WHOOSH) us on the opposite set of tracks.

Please, when you talk about trains you shouldn't say Europe. I mean, the trains are VERY different from one country to another. Even inside the same country..they are different from one route to another. So experiences can't be compared.
The trains labelled "Trenhotel" in Spain are as good as sleeping on a train can be, in fact, some other companies in Europe have bought wagons made here.
But, it is very expensive, at least, for the prices we use to have in Spain.
So if you are doing it for "fun", just do it, I don't think you will regret. But on that route, plane is very much cheaper and if you are "light" sleepers maybe you won't be able to sleep (not because is not comfortable..just because it is a train, it is in motion).

P.S. Our train was in Italy, however it was a first class compartment.

I took the overnight train from Arth-Goldau to Rome in March. We had a two bed compartment. The room had bunk beds, a sink, mirror and a few things to freshen up. It even had an emergency toilet (I wouldn't have used it otherwise). We could lock the door from the inside. The compartment was recently renovated and very clean. There was a lot of room between the top and bottom bunk bed.

How did I sleep? Well, there wasn't too much rocking so that wasn't a problem. The worst was the sound of the brakes and when we stopped, sometimes people would be yelling outside (and this was during the night). I heard nothing from the neighboring compartments.

The breakfast was small: a cup of coffee and a piece of cake/bread (we weren't sure what it was).

It was a memorable experience but I wouldn't do it often.

Hi HM,

Every now and then my Lady wife and I take a train instead of flying, because it is much more fun.

>....private Grand Class double ...<
Absolutely. If the BF still won't take the train, reconsider if his flaws are really outweighed by his virtues. :)

((I))

PS,

If you fly (1:30 hr) you can expect to add 3-3:30 hr getting to/from airports, waiting for flights, etc.

That doesn't leave much of the day, while the train has a very convenient schedule and, as noted, saves the cost of a hotel for a night.

((I))

I've only taken one overnight train, and our experience closely mirros Shuler's. Our train was the Artesia, from Paris to Rome, and taking it maximized our time in both cities. We had a 3-bunk sleeper (my 13-year-old son and I) but we paid for the 3rd bed so it would be ours exclusively. Very clean, and in November very comfortable, and the rocking motion was very soothing. What you're describing sounds much more luxurious and like the greatest of fun.

In terms of hours spent traveling, you will spend at least 6 hours on any flight of a duration of an hour or hour and a half. That is wasted time, IMO, and when you go by train you save the hotel that night.

My only concern would be the air-conditioning, if you are traveling in summer. A small, hot compartment wouldn't have much romantic charm for me.

Don't save anything..it is more expensive than a hotel , at least, for me :) The Grand Clase cabin is 135 euros per person. So it is 270 euros for a couple. You can flight that route for 70 euros each one..and have a nice 3 star (even a 4 ) for 70 euros a double. The only thing you save is time, because you travel in the night :)
Anyway, I've never done it. For a single it's even more expensive.

Well you could take this train for as little as $69 thru Raileurope - including sleeping accommodation in a couchette and rail fare and save a night's sleeping - so low-budget travelers can save both time and money.

We took an overnight from Paris to Genoa and thought it was fun. We had our own 1st class cabin, but no bathroom facilities. The dinner was good. It definitely wasn't luxury, but I remember it as a fun experience.

Oh... its a classic experience. But then I adore trains - do it in a New York minute.

Ok, but couchettes are not what we were talking about :)
PalQ , can a spaniard buy through Raileurope ? It seems sometimes that they have better offers !!

I think people may be on to something about different countries! My positive experience was in Switzerland and France not Italy. Geneva to Venice twice and Venice to Paris once.

We took the Artesia from Venice to Paris last spring in a T4. We considered flying, but decided to take the train for the experience - and it really was quite pleasant.

The cabin was larger than I expected - I thought it would be more like the experience TexasAggie had, but there was quite a bit of room for the 4 of us.

It wasn't like staying at a hotel, but I thought it was fun. If you're considering the Grand Class double (which sounds way more luxurious than the T4 we had), I would try it for sure.

Kendirina: not sure - visit www.raileurope.com for info; not sure they mail to Europe and have no paperless tickets i think.

As long as you don't actually want to sleep, don't mind noise, constantly starting & stopping, obnoxious drunks trying to get into the wrong Coach (typically yours) then go for it. (This list has been severely edited due space limitations).

SAn Paris, I've never seen a drunk in a long distance train here in Spain..much more less on a Grand Clase coach.
Alcohol is too expensive in the trains to get drunk, I suppose. And the Grand Clase coaches are different for the rest, they are not mixed. One cannot join the coach without a ticket for it, there is train personnel to ask for it.

HMD99- As you're figuring out by now, it's a love it or hate it kind of a thing. And people have a wide range or experiences from negative to positive.

Personally in your situation I would probably skip it since your boyfriend really doesn't want to do it anyway. It's fun but not THAT fun.

I've seen drunks on trains...several times - one whole couchette car i had the misfortune to be in was largely a German youth group and they all got smashed - vomit was all over the WCs in the morning and lots of noise all night.
And in Spain in a couchette, a French guy came in who was so smelly that the conductor gave him his own compartment.
couchettes are a crap shoot - usually nice middle class folks but never know. Sleeping cars, however, like the Gran Clase will only have well-heeled folks - i wouldn't worry about drunks in that class. Gran Clase in Spain are amongst the finest sleeper trains in Europe - luxurious compared to those in Italy for example.
PS you don't have to buy alcohol on the train to get drunk as many folks bring their own on - always allowed.

We did an overnight train last year from Cairo to Aswan, and return from Luxor to Cairo. We too booked a 1st class, private compartment with meals included (I don't remember if there was a dining car or not) but while we had a tiny fold out sink in the compartment the restrooms were down the hall and only 2 per car - with so many people using them they were disgusting! Ugh! Also, while the sheets seemed to be clean there was great doubt regarding the blankets and pillows. Also, it was hard to sleep because there are many slow downs and stops. The train compartments were also pretty dirty, grimmy, etc. We don't consider ourselves to be super particular with accomodations but we do require cleanliness. I'm sure the trains in Europe have better standards, but for what my opinion is worth, I'm with your boyfriend, next time we'll fly!

Susan

I overnighted in a pvt. compartment from Rome to Nice when I was 21; I thought it was an interesting adventure. Today I would fly.

I only have experience with Amtrak here in the States, and even with a private compartment, I found it difficult to sleep because of the movement of the train. The IDEA of train travel is certainly romantic, but the reality is less so. My daughter and a friend took an overnight train last summer from Paris to Venice and did not get any sleep because it was so hot. Also, they did not get served dinner. It was the only anti-American experience they had on their whole backpacking trip. The waiter just would not come to the table to take their order and, being young college students who did not want to make a fuss, they decided to leave the dining car without eating.
I think train travel is an interesting experience, at least once in a lifetime, but I would not push your boyfriend into it if he is predisposed against it.

We took 2 night trains (with only 1 hotel night in between...BIG mistake). Private compartments for 2, very very very tiny, very stuffy. It was October, but there was no air circulating unless you left the window open, which meant you got all the noise (and it actually got too cold in the middle of the night, but immediately too hot if you closed the window). Dad slept well, I didn't sleep at all. I'd vote for flying... yes, you spend more time in the airport, but no lost time the next day because you are exhausted.

Anne

IMHO, it all depends on who is sharing the berth with you...

I have stayed off this thread, because:

1. "historically", I have been "against" overnight train travel, but earier this spring, I took a 2nd class couchette from Biarritz-Paris, and found that it can have some merit, and it is certainly tolerable... and...

2. I hsve never trie the posh (high-priced... to me) private compartment option that the OP seeks - - and I am not inclned to ever try it...

BUT...

I find it interesting that the most relevant advice seems to have been offered in the very first sentence of the very first reply.

HMD and boyfriend need to determine whose pre-determined attitude will trump the other's...

I've only once done this, so my experience is limited, and it wasn't 1st class, but I'm not sure my issues wouldn't be relevant to any class.

It was hot. It was cramped. It was noisy - people getting on and off in the middle of the night and conductors randomly coming into cabins to check IDs. Passport controls (not sure that's still an issue - they used to come into your cabin every time you went into another country). I slept about 2 hours total. Hated that. It wasn't the least romantic.

Upon arrival I was about at the worst I ever am when traveling - sweaty, exhausted, feeling dirty, ready for a full day's nap - and I've been descrined by many as "indefatigable."

That train ride did me in.

PalQ, you're right, you can buy alcohol outside the train :) I have been lucky then, I've never had a problem on the train and I travel on them quite frequently through Spain.
No night trains, though and also no trains that are known here to be really bad ones.
By the way, raileurope doesn't sell me tickets for Spain , I looked their web ..oh, well, Renfe prices are not that bad :)

Hi I've just booked an overnight train (CityNightLine) from Amsterdam to Zurich, private compartment. We'll be travelling in September, and I hope the experience will be a good one. It was interesting readings everyone's perspectives on this. The reason we went ahead and booked an overnight is because we couldn't get any decent flights in that sector, and a day train doing that distance would have killed us.... (Not to mention all the changes involved)

MaureenGP thinks the staff on the Paris-Venezia train were anti-American. On these trains, there is a dining car, and the stewards go through the train taking reservations for dinner which is generally served in two sittings at specified times; passengers in the sleeping cars get the first choice, and there may be no places left for couchette passengers. The dining car also has a bar which serves snacks, but they won't serve a meal outside the specified times. The staff actually work hard serving dinners and are then up early in the morning serving breakfasts. These trains often have passengers of many nationalities including Americans.
I'm also baffled by StCirq's idea that there are random ID checks on overnight trains. Each sleeping car or couchette carriage has an attendant who checks tickets and keeps them overnight. On some trains, the attendant also keeps passports overnight, so that passengers do not need to be woken at borders. That has certainly been the practice during the 25 years or more that I've been using overnight trains. If you venture into Eastern Europe, passengers are woken at borders for passport and customs controls. All this is quite irrelevant to an overnight journey within Spain where nobody will need to wake you during the night.