night trains
 

How exactly do you know when to get off a night train? Is there only one stop at the end, or do you need to use an alarm to wake up before my stop?

It depends upon where you are going. If you are headed towards a major city then that stop will most likely be the last. If you are headed towards a small town, it might be one of many stops on the way to an ultimate destination. If that is the case, then you should probably bring an alarm. Sometimes conductors will come around if they know that you are the only one getting off there, but more than likely they are sound asleep too. I remember taking a night train from Rome to Munich and was awakened at 3 am by new travelers arriving in my car.

Some trains terminate at your destination, and some don't (duh).

If this were my problem, I'd set the alarm in my iPAQ to give me some time to wake up and get organized. And the one in my watch. And probably the one in my cell phone, too.

I would not rely on someone else to remember for me.

Any particular train/route in mind? The answer to your questions really depend on it. However often night trains makes a few stops before the destinastion station. In any case, the train conductor will pass by wake you up and return you your passport and the ticket that you gave him the night before. Still having your alarm is a good idea.

My experience(s) was my stop happened to be the termination of the line (Venice, Paris). The conductor came around and knocked on the cabin doors a bit ahead.

Honestly, I've never been able to sleep very deeply on a train so am awake with all the stops and starts as it draws towards the destination stop.

suze, please tell me about your experience on the night train from venice to paris. we are 3 women getting a 3-berth cabin. curious as to what they're like or if you can give a heads up!

hipvirgochick- we had a great time!! but i was traveling with only 1 friend and we reserved a private 2-person cabin (sink, window, two beds the bottom flipped up into a couch)

we took a day train from Venice to Milan. then transfered onto the night train. we bought dinner - sandwiches, cookies, beer, wine, water, at a grocery store within the Milan terminal.

we got to Paris in the morning.

it was very easy except for Milan station and transfer which was a bit overwhelming in lack of signage, number of people, and our own inexperience.

the 3-person couchette you will be in is quite different than the cabin we had, so i can't tell you specific how your sleeping arrangements will be.

Hi hip,

>....night train from venice to paris. we are 3 women getting a 3-berth cabin.

For a lot less money, a great savings in time and a more comfortable trip, I suggest that you fly www.myair.com from Venice VCE to Paris ORY.

Flights as low 42E including tax.

The three of you can save about 300E compared to a T3 2cl sleeper.

((I))

A three-berth compartment is a T3 sleeper compartment, not a couchette. Each train sleeper carriage has an attendant who will check your tickets when you board the train and ask when you want to be woken up, and whether you want coffee or breakfast in the morning. I've always found the staff to be reliable in waking passengers at the right time, even when they're alighting at an intermediate station early in the morning. You do not need to use an alarm as the wake-up call is very much part of the service on an overnight train.
If you are tempted to compare the price of a sleeper with a cheap flight, don't forget that you'd then need to spend an extra night in a hotel, and will still waste more time travelling.

I agree with Geoff. Believe me, if you didn't PAY to go any farther then they won't allow you to go any farther for free..they'll definitely remember to wake you up.

We took a night train from Vienna to Florence and my experience was the same as Suze's. We had a private sleeper compartment and the conductor of our car came by and woke us up by knocking on the door and giving us our breakfast.

I personally wouldn't recommend a night train. I believe there is a certain thought of romance that goes along with night trains, but in all honesty its very hard to get any sleep. Every time the train stops (which is enough), it is very loud and unless you are a very deep sleeper its hard to ignore. I think I got about 4-5 hours of sleep in total, and DH got about 3, but even the sleep we did get was very resless. We ended up in Florence at 6:00 a.m. exhausted and disoriented.

Tracy

I'm curious (thanks to the correction from Geoff) does a T3 compartment have regular beds like a 2-person one, or the flip down plank bunks like a 4-6 person couchette?

The conductor has to return your passport and ticket on the night trains I have taken, so wakes you up with a gentle rapping on the door, brings coffee or tea and a croissant. I suppose it doesn't hurt to take a alarm but in theory waking you up is part of the service.

We took the night train from Venice directly to Paris and stayed in a T4. While flying and staying in a hotel would have been more comfortable, we liked the convenience and savings of combining the travel and hotel together.

I wasn't expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised at the roominess of the T4. The beds themselves weren't bad at all. While it was not the best night of sleep I've ever had, I slept right through and didn't toss and turn.

The downside was the shared bathrooms for the entire car - but it was no worse than a regular public restroom, I suppose.

We were all awake and ready to go before the conductor arrived with croissants and orange juice - but if you aren't, there's still enough time to get ready before you arrive at the station.

T3 sleepers were the standard sort in France, Italy, Germany and some other European countries. The bunks can be fixed in different positions so that compartments can be one-, two- or three-berth, depending on the fare paid; the unused bunks are folded away. The beds are exactly the same size and have the same linen sheets, blankets, etc, whether you've paid the first-class fare for a single-berth compartment, or are sharing a T3 with two other people.