Overnight train from Venice to Paris
 

Most people on this forum suggest that you wait until you arrive in Europe to reserve and buy your train tickets. We would like to take an overnight train from Venice to Paris on December 30 and would arrive in Paris the morning of New Years Eve. Will this be a very crowded time and should we get our tickets in the states before we leave? Or will it be enough time if we get our tickets for all legs of our trip when we arrive in Rome on December 19? I wouldn't normally worry if it wasn't the holiday season. Thanks.

You're right: you shoul book now for so busy a date. I think you can do so now online at Paris prices, if you use <BR> http://voyages.sncf.fr/hs_reservatio...tion&langue=GB <BR> <BR>Please write if I can help further. Welcome to Europe. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines, London

Hi Debbie. Ben has ridden more trains in Europe than I have seen! So my usual reaction to his advice is this: <BR>Consider it very carefully!! <BR> <BR>(I never met Ben personally, but I have ridden trains all over western Europe, except Iberia and south Italy, and find his advice to be in agreement with my experiences.)

Thanks, Ben and Bob. I went to the website but I think I have waited too long to prepay (in either FF or euros) and if I want to pay in lire it says to pick them up in Milan. I'm not going to Milan. So I guess I will call my travel agent and have her book for us. Thanks so much for the advice.

You're probably right. But you might try phoning an office in London to see if they'll still book you on the train, at Paris prices. They are Network Leisure Travel at Cannon Street station open on ++44 20 7904 0540 from nine Grenwich Mean Time tommorrow morning, so phonable from before breakfast American times. You'd phone holding a credit card, and your first question would be whether they can deliver your ticket to your hotel (which you'll name) or to American Express (whose addrsss you'll give) in Paris (usually they post to English addresses). To cut the cost of the call you could take the officer's name, and phone again after ten minutes, as it takes him or her about that long to get your berth on the computer. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines

Thanks, Ben.