I was planning a trip to London, Paris, Venice then back to London in January. We have 21 days to do this and I was wondering if taking the train between the cities would be a good idea.

How is the overnight train between Paris and Venice? Any suggestions/comments would be appreciated.

Aloha

I love the overnight train from Paris to Venice. But for me it's important to do it "properly" - i.e. paying a bit more to have a private two-berth compartment, packing a nice picnic with champagne and goodies, and avoiding eating in the dining car at all costs (although it does have good comedy value, with food and wine flying all over the place).
I love falling asleep to the sound of the train as it rattles through the Alps, and waking up in Italy. I really enjoy having a private compartment and being able to take off my shoes, pour myself a glass of wine and enjoy the journey. And I like that you arrive in Venice early and leave late, giving you a full day on arrival and departure to explore.

Many people prefer to fly as it's certainly quicker and probably cheaper, but I think the train journey is much more fun, more comfortable and probably less hassle too.

> packing a nice picnic with champagne and goodies ...

That's my kind of picnic dinner on the train!

Thank you for your input. I was planning on going first class. Is there a shower?

Our compartment had a washbasin but no shower, and the WC was down the corridor, which wasn't a problem for us. However, I believe that the overnight trains also have 1 or 2 bed compartments with showers, though I'm not sure how expensive those are.

Go to this page for information on the Paris-Venice night train, including pictures: www.seat61.com/Italy.htm#Venice. The site says that sleepers with showers are no longer available.

Before I wrote my previous post, I checked on the French SNCF website which said that compartments with showers were available! That said, I'd trust the info on Seat61 over the SNCF...

The night trains from Paris to Italy used to have 'Excelsior' sleeping compartments with showers and toilets, but they don't any more. I believe they're now used on domestic services in Italy. The Paris-Italy trains do have comfortable two-berth compartments with wash basins. Sleeping compartments are neither first nor second class, and these trains have inclusive fares for the trip and accommodation: the fare depends on the type of accommodation and the number of people sharing (if two people share a compartment it's cheaper than a compartment for one person).
I've used the train several times. There's a restaurant car for dinner and breakfast. It's magical to step off the train in the morning after breakfast, look out of the front of the station and see the Grand Canal. There really is no better way of arriving in Venezia.

My experience is similar fo Hanl's.

Cafegoddess- it isn't about 1st or 2nd class, but rather what specific type of compartment you reserve, on top of your train ticket. I like the private two person cabin as mentioned (wagon-lit).

Ours had a window, sink, two beds, the bottom which makes a couch until you flip it down to sleep. No shower, and toilet down the hall. I did the route reverse, Venice to Paris.

I really enjoy taking an overnight train. But probably wouldn't do it more than once per week of travel.