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Overnight train Florence Paris
hi, I'm trying to book the Artesia train from Florence to Paris (roundtrip) but am confused by the options for sleepers and couchettes. We are a family of four and there seems to be something called a Comfort couchette for four people with, presumably, a shared bathroom somewhere in the car. It looks as though the sleepers are private cabins but just for two people? Has anyone taken this train and could explain the difference between the sleeping options? Also, does the train stop a lot - do you get much sleep? Any and all advice welcome! Thank you,
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Personally, I would sleep in real beds on terra firma (i.e., in hotels). Fly easyjet.com Paris (Orly) to Milan (Linate), and then make the easy 3 hour trip by train (incredible bargain on Saturdays) or rental car (might be cheaper for four people at other times).
Best wishes, Rex |
Personally, I would go to www.seat61.com for an explanation of the various types of accommodations offered (click on Italy on the left-hand sidebar and scroll down to the pictures).
Some people actually ENJOY riding on trains rather than flying despite the supposed hassles, expense, etc....perhaps you are one of them and, as such, deserve equal respect IMO. |
We took the Artesia night train from Venice to Paris, which I assume would be similar.
We were a party of 4 and traveled in the T4 compartment, which consisted of 4 bunk type beds. The cabin was roomier than expected (though certainly not huge), with padded couch-like seats facing each other. The two upper bunks pulled out of the wall, the seats converted into the two bottom bunks. Storage for the suitcases was tight - I had a 24" suitcase and my other 3 companions had 26" suitcases, but we managed to fit them under the bottom bunks. Running across the cabin and perpendicular to the upper bunks was a deep shelf that you could store your carry on bags. Each bunk had an individual airplane type lighting system. Sheets, pillows and a blanket were provided for each bunk. I slept relatively well, though not as well as if I would have in a bed. I don't recall the train stopping a lot - or at all, really. I did awaken a couple times during the night, but immediately fell back asleep. I'm a very light sleeper, anyways. There was a shared toilet for the car - I would advise that you use it early - as the night wore on (and definitely in the morning) it started to smell a bit. I would advise that you pack whatever you need for the night - toiletries, sleep clothes, etc. in your carry on bags - once you stuff your suitcases under the bunks you won't want to pull them out again. It will be much easier to access your carryon bags. We brought sandwiches and drinks with us to eat in our cabin. I also brought bottled water to brush my teeth with - I wasn't sure if the water on the train was potable. From what I understand, the sleepers are for two people - but it was so expensive, we decided to do the T4 instead, which wasn't bad at all. |
Forgive me if my tone seemed disrespectful. I was saying what <b>I</b> would do.
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Thanks for the replies. As a nervous flyer, I am actually worried about being on a train for so long too :-) It is almost as cheap to fly and use hotels but we thought the train might be fun - not sure that is true though. And I'm not too sure about the shared bathroom part!
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If you have never done this before, it can be a nice little family adventure. The T4 couchettes are a good option for a family, much cheaper than booking 2 sleeper compartments. This is a relatively brief (one overnight) trip as you'll be asleep a good part of the time. Cost savings over flying may are probably not huge, but train travel is in many ways easier than air travel (including easier to get to station than to airport, less advance check-in required, arrive in the center of the city rather than the outskirts, more space while in transit and the option to tote along a nice stash of goodies for your enjoyment whenever you want during the trip.) Admittedly, I am a fan of train travel and this bias colors my response. One other thing, is you are a US resident (dare I say "American"?), this experience is something you and the kids will not be able to have at home. (Yes, I do know about Amtrak - it doesn't even come close!)
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hi Chepar, thanks for the detailed description. It sounds as though it would work well for a family of four. I guess we can't wear our PJs if we have to run down a corridor to the bathroom though. It's true, Seamus, that this seems like a unique opportunity for the kids - we traveled by overnight ferry from France to England this summer and they thought it was like being on a cruise.
Many thanks. |
"we traveled by overnight ferry from France to England this summer and they thought it was like being on a cruise."
Ah, the blessed innocence of children. May they always remain that naive! |
Italiaphile - glad to help. Your kids should love it.
Another thing - we were able to board the train much earlier than we expected. Most of the trains we took between the various Italian cities pulled into the station and left again within 10 minutes - we always felt rushed trying to find our car and fighting the mob with our luggage. We were able to board the overnight train at least 45 minutes before its scheduled departure. All the conductors were standing out in front on the platform in front of their cars and helped us get our luggage on board. The extra time was nice, as it allowed us to figure out how to get our luggage to fit under the seats without crowds of people waiting impatiently in the corridor. If any of your party is prone to motion sickness, you might want them to take a Bonine or something before the train leaves. My sister is very prone, and got a little nauseous from the slight rocking of the car as the train traveled. |
Sound's like an "adventure" to me!
A fun adventure... Sometimes, convenience is not the best thing... |
We were considering the same train last summer but decided that two sleep deprived kids in Paris was not worth the grief. Hope you have a good experience.
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I have never slept on a plane, bus, or in a car, but for some reason I am able to do so on overnight trains in a sleeping compartment.
Some train routes do put in stops to make the trip a bit longer (so you don't arrive at 4AM for instance). My best advice for overnight train travel is to bring a good picnic dinner, bottled water, sandwiches, snacks for the trip. |
Others have already provided great advice about the different types of sleeping accommodations on trains like the Artesia. Here's a money-saving tip for booking your Artesia ticket...
By buying "Prem's" discount tickets through the SNCF (French National Railways) Web site, you will pay only 35 Euros per person each way, depending on the dates of travel. This includes transportation (no rail pass is required) and accommodation (no additional sleeper charge, reservation fee, or supplement is required). In this case the accommodation is a 2nd Class Couchette, i.e., a bunk in a 6-person compartment, with a shared restroom elsewhere in the car. You could book 6 tickets to block out an entire compartment, for a total of 210 Euros each way. The result would essentially be the same as a 1st Class Couchette (T4). The folks at Rail Europe will cheerfully sell you full-fare one-way 2nd Class tickets at US$225 per adult and US$112.50 per child (under 12). The only advantage is that these tickets MAY be changeable/refundable, whereas "Prem's" tickets definitely aren't. To book "Prem's" tickets, go to: http://www.voyages-sncf.com/ and click the "Prem's" link in the blue box at the left. As you move through the reservation process, check everything, including the dates and the compartment and bunk assignments, carefully. Once again, these tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable. Incidentally, with "Prem's" there's no advantage to booking a round-trip. I usually make two one-way bookings. "Prem's" tickets can be paid for with a U.S. credit card and mailed free of charge to virtually any country OTHER THAN U.S. or Canada (think: relatives, friends, hotels, etc.). Tickets for one-way trips (only) originating in France (only) can be picked up at any French train station or SNCF ticket office. In theory they can be picked up from "Billeterie Automatique" (automated ticketing) machines. However, the machines request the original credit card for verification, and an SNCF agent confessed to me that the machines aren't compatible with "foreign" cards. "Prem's" tickets generally CANNOT be picked up from train stations/railway ticket offices outside France. Hope this helps! Paul Marcelin-Sampson Santa Cruz, California |
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