NIght Train from paris, Zurich
 

My husband and I are planning a trip to Paris, Lucerne, Interlaken, Zurich, Venice, Florence and Rome.

My question is that are there any night trains that we can take from Paris to somewhere in Switzerland (preferably Lucerne or Zurich) and also from Zurich to Venice.

The cheapest tickets I found are from Toronto to Paris and return from Rome. I am also trying to maximise the days by travelling at night.

Please help - thank you!

S

Bahn.de is the best site for information on train schedules (although it will give prices only for trips starting in Germany. If you prefer you can click on the flag at the top to switch to English.

You can get from Paris to Zurich in as little as 6 hours and there are no overnight trains without at least 2 changes. Trips to Lucerne are even shorter and there are also no overnight trips without a change.

Trains from Zurich to Venezia take about 12 hours - but again the trips all have at least one change.

Now that Paris - Zurich takes 4 hours 45 (to be cut further, to just 4h15 from December) there are no night trains.

Unfortunately the very convenient night trains from Zurich to Venice no longer run following the introduction of the Fleccia Rossa high speed trains in Italy and a very messy divorce between Swiss Rail and Trenitalia - at the very least a change in Milan is unavoidable. Even the day trains call for a change in Milan - the trip takes 6.5 to 7 hours.

The only overnight trains with your cities are Paris to Venice and Rome and Florence and also Venice to Rome (but this one has a late departure and very early arrival I believe.

the only night train I believe that would come close to Zurich would be to take one from Paris to Stuttgart, Germany then head for zurich.

Check out these sites for lots more info on European trains and night trains, etc. - www.seat61.com (Man in Seat 61, above poster's commercial site; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

If contemplating a Eurail Select Pass for this itinerary there is a special that if you buy it before the end of March 2011 you get an extra day free - and this is a first class pass and in my decades of incessant European train travel I strongly advise first class travel for the average tourist on the trip of a lifetime - lot more relaxing IME - so if you are comparing 2nd class fares to the cost of a first class pass IMO you are compaing apples and oragnes.

The only overnight trains with your cities are Paris to Venice and Rome and Florence and also Venice to Rome (but this one has a late departure and very early arrival I believe.

the only night train I believe that would come close to Zurich would be to take one from Paris to Stuttgart, Germany then head for zurich.

Check out these sites for lots more info on European trains and night trains, etc. - www.seat61.com (Man in Seat 61, above poster's commercial site; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

If contemplating a Eurail Select Pass for this itinerary there is a special that if you buy it before the end of March 2011 you get an extra day free - and this is a first class pass and in my decades of incessant European train travel I strongly advise first class travel for the average tourist on the trip of a lifetime - lot more relaxing IME - so if you are comparing 2nd class fares to the cost of a first class pass IMO you are compaing apples and oragnes.

It is time to forget most night trains. Rail travel is now so fast in most of Europe that the only night trains need to slow down as much as possible to be able to call it a night trip.

kerouac,
LOL. It's a pity but you are right.

<<It is time to forget most night trains. Rail travel is now so fast in most of Europe that the only night trains need to slow down as much as possible to be able to call it a night trip.>>

In some routes, its not possible yet. for example, Amsterdam to Zurich (CNL)

@s_roopra--> pls check the site
http://tgv-lyria.tgv-europe.com/

It is time to forget most night trains. Rail travel is now so fast in most of Europe that the only night trains need to slow down as much as possible to be able to call it a night trip>

just a bunch of crapola IMO and ignorant of the many long-distance night trains that connect dozens of cities - now in some cases that is true and a reason the zurich to Paris night train was scrubbed - but to say that as a general statement just means the poster knows not of which he/she is talking IMO and IME!

another armchair 'expert' on trains who rarely rides any it seems - at least overnight trains.

It is time to forget most night trains. Rail travel is now so fast in most of Europe that the only night trains need to slow down as much as possible to be able to call it a night trip>

just a bunch of crapola IMO and ignorant of the many long-distance night trains that connect dozens of cities - now in some cases that is true and a reason the zurich to Paris night train was scrubbed - but to say that as a general statement just means the poster knows not of which he/she is talking IMO and IME!

another armchair 'expert' on trains who rarely rides any it seems - at least overnight trains.

Make that Amsterdama all the way to Milan which is one of the great overnight trips but I think we are quibbling over small details.

Amsterdam to Prague by 'high speed train' takes all day, and involves at least 1 and possibly 2 changes.

The excellent City Night Line sleeper train is direct, departs Amsterdam 7.01pm, arrives Prague 9.31am, taking less time out of your sightseeing schedule than flying - and it's far less hassle, far better for the environment, and may save a hotel bill, too!

The 'new' Paris-Barcelona high speed service currently involves 1 change at Figueres, and takes 7.5 hours. I did it last week - nice scenery, but feels a long day, especially as I was travelling through to London, leaving Barcelona 9am arriivng London 8pm.

The excellent Elipsos 'trainhotel' leaves Barcelona at 8.32pm, arrives Paris 8.24am, is more time-effective, and feels quicker even though I(in terms of actual hours) is much slower.

Amsterdam-Copenhagen, Amsterdam-Zurich, Berlin-Zurich, Berlin-Budapest, Vienna to Rome, I could go on. Night trains are often the best (and in effect, fastest) option!

Night trains at times do go really slow and yes, duh, slow down so folks do not arrive in the destination city at 5am but 7am - this has always been the case and has little to do with faster trains in the daytime except in a very few cases like Paris to Amsterdam - now just over 3 hours so the night train that ran for years yes is on the scrapheap of history, like the Paris to Zurich trains. and a reson for the overall decline of overnight trains would be more IMO due to the ascent of discount airlines than faster day trains - but there are still zillions of overnight trains in Europe, albeit none serving the OP's purpose unfortunately.

Zillions? PalenQ has statistics as usual.