Overnight Train
Dec 28th, 2000, 03:08 PM
#1
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Overnight Train
My wife and I are thinking about taking an overnight train from Paris to Barcelona then, after a few days, renting a car and driving back to Paris through Provence. Has anyone had any experience with the train to Barcelona? Is this a dumb idea?
Dec 28th, 2000, 03:21 PM
#2
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You don't say how long you'll be in Europe, or your stamina. Is there a reason you're going back to Paris? If not, then drive from Paris to Barcelona via Provence, then fly out of Barcelona - or vice versa. If you do have to go back to Paris, I suggest you do the drive from there, through Provence, on to Barcelona. Take the train coming back. It's not a dumb idea (unless you have a 3-day vacation, then I'd seriously question your mental health).
Dec 29th, 2000, 10:12 AM
#3
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Not sure of your age, train travel experience and what kind of train you will take. If you take a train and you are not young kids, or use to close proximity to people you do not know, my suggestion is to get a private sleeper car instead of each getting a couchete. (SIC) They sell couchette's in order and there are 6 to a room. This means you will be in a room the size of the average American closet with six (or more if they have kids). Now, once the train starts, people go search out the empty rooms, but you could get caught because there is usually no other place to go on many trains (they only have sleeper cars). I rode the train from Paris to Italy and there was a 2 year old in my car who had to go to sleep in the first 30 minutes of a 13 hour train trip (By 8:00 pm). I wanted to stay up and read but it was so crowded we just stood up in the hallway and stared out the window. The mother and child ended up moving to another room so the 7 people we originally had in the car/room turned out to be 3 after an hour. It all depends on what kind of experience you want. You can meet some interesting people, but if I was traveling with my wife or girlfriend, I would probably get my own room like in the movie North by Northwest.
Jan 1st, 2001, 03:09 PM
#5
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Just to clarify, we'll be in Europe for 14 days and are flying in/out of Paris. I wanted to see Barcelona but also want to do Provence and, of course, Paris. That's why we're going back to Paris...working our way through Provence after probably 3 nights in Barcelona. We're in our early 50's and don't want to share the train experience with a bunch of kids. Just trying to maximize the time spent. Thanks.
Jan 1st, 2001, 06:36 PM
#6
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Frank. <BR> <BR>There is a really excellent sleeper train from Paris Austerlitz at 2030, arriving Barcelona 0824, with sleepers only and restaurant car. This is the train Lesley was referring to. If it was me I would book a First Class double sleeper (hang the expense) for a really comfortable night. <BR>On this basis your plans sound pretty good to me.
