We're planning to book a couchette. Is this a good idea for this train trip?

thanks

We booked an overnight train for this trip and just slept in our seats. This was not uncomfortable, but the three of us in our family ended up in a car with two other young tourists, which can happen if you don't have a sleeping car (is that a "couchette"?). We were actually on our way to Heidelberg, but all of us, including the two strangers slept right through to Frankfurt. It ended up okay, though, as we got to see a little bit of Frankfurt on a city tour before heading back to Heidelberg.

I've travelled on hundreds of night trains in couchettes and 90% of the time it's fine - 10% or so not so nice - depends on whose in the six berts in one compartment (4 on a few trains as well as 6)

Usually very nice folks but on few occasions partying youth groups made noise all night in the whole car - vomit in the sinks in the morning, etc.

Another occasion a guy who stank so much that the conductor finally gave him a place somewhere else.

But on the whole very nice experiences and at times great conversations.

Other than couchettes are T-3's - triples in same space as T-6's or couchettes (which are usually unisex and you sleep in your street clothes)

T-2s doubles cost a lot more usually but you have privacy and better bedding and sheeting and a wash bowl in room.

Newer hotel trains sometimes have en-suite doubles and singles with douche and toilet but very dear.

I would not sleep in regular seats as i did for years - reports of theft are too numerous to be ignored. And you get woekn up by conductors for ticket checks. In couchettes the attendant will take your ticket or railpass after boarding and return it to you just before arrival so you are not woken - even for Customs though there aren't any on this route.

Some trains have sleeperettes - reclining seats that can be OK

I rode night trains twice in my life - first class, single compartment. Did cost a fortune - and was a torture, especially the noise. Would never do it again. Better fly.
In any case, if you are determined to ride the night train, inform yourself what a couchette really is. It is not like a hotel room on wheels...

But it's much much cheaper than the typical hotel room and you arrive in the city centre, not some remote airport, bright and early.

I've never had sleeping in couchettes but that is me... others cannot - know your sleeping self first. No fun arriving wiped out.

You might want to look at www.seat61.com

Click on Germany on the left-hand sidebar.

then pick "London to frankfurt"

Hi D,

Have you checked the schedules at www.bahn.de?

It's only 4 hr by train.
Why do you want couchettes?

WOW! Thanks ira. The plans are to travel from Paris to Regensburg through Frankfurt (I think). Our itineray says leaving Paris at 10:45 pm arrive in Regensburg at 11:28. Switching trains in Frankfurt at 4? in the morning won't be fun. I will have to ask my Travel Planner to take another look at this.

The fastest <b>daytime</b> timing Paris-Regensburg requires 8.5 hours with changes in both Cologne and Frankfurt.

The slower (10.5 hours) timing requires a change in Cologne only.

Oops..sorry..that may change with the advent of new faster service from Paris Est into Germany.

Check the Bahn site for details on the day you actually plan to travel.

This link shows the train: leaving Paris ay 10:45 pm arriving in Frankfurt at 7:02 am, then leaving at at 8:18 to Regensburg, arriving at 11:28. Am I missing something?

http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/po...0&amp;s=Search

me thinks that perhaps taking the Paris to munich overnight train and then going to Regensburg may be quicker.

If you are not using the www.bahn.de or German rail site for schedules for these trains and only Raileurope you may indeed be missing something as RE site is notoriously incomplete. A good way to access the Wunderbar www.bahn.de site's English schedule page is to go to www.budgeteuropetravel.com and on the home page click on the link All european Railway Timetables or some such wording and this brings up the bahn site's English schedule page where you put in the date and Paris to regensburg (careful to spell correct) and you'll get all the connections and best ones. The home page i referenced has several tips on using the bahn site. You probably can book this train on the bahn.de site - and even at a discount if you act soon enough. In this country i'd eschew RailEurope and go thru Budget europe - the site i list above for their expertise - but as they use RE pricing you are often better off booking on the bahn.de site.