We are coming to Italy for a bus tour in early September. We decided to go early and spend a few
Days in Switzerland. As part of our time in Europe we would like to take an over night train with sleeper cars (I've always wanted to travel over night by train). We will be in Lucerne and then need to travel to Rome where the tour will start. Is there any over night sleeper car trains into Rome that would make sense for us coming from Lucerne (even if we have to travel a little out of the way to accommodate my desire to spend the night in a sleeper car)?

No. Used to be but nearest now would be from Salzburg or Munich - a long train ride away - for lots on other night trains check www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

so add perhaps Munich to your pre-tour agenda and take hotel trains direct to Rome. Done zillions of overnight trains and loved them all - get a private compartment and bring any food or drink aboard.

You can take trains that leave Lucerne in the evening and arrive in Rome the next morning, but it's not the quasi-romantic journey you're thinking of. All of your options involve at least two connections during the night, and in the "best" option one of the connections involves a 5+ hour gap between trains (about midnight to 5:00). All that and you miss some nice scenery.

According to bahn.de there is no direct night train from Munich to Rome, only to Venice.

There is a direct night train to Rome from Salzburg, but it will take you over six hours on a day train to get to Salzburg. (It would be quicker to go to Paris, but you'd have to get off the night train in Milan, quite early).

Another option, if you are set on night trains, is a night train to Vienna (with a change in Zurich) and a direct night train from there to Rome - just don't do them back to back!

But if you do that you will miss some lovely scenery. You don't even have to take the pricey tourist train, regular trains run the William Tell route and if you book early you can get some amazingly cheap tickets.

Of course, the scenery isn't going anywhere, and night trains are an endangered species.

If you want to play with the schedules, go to bahn.de. For details on the trains, go to seat1.com.

If you are American, take Amtrak somewhere. Night trains between where you will be just don't work.

According to bahn.de there is no direct night train from Munich to Rome, only to Venice.>

Do a better check:

München Hbf dep 20:10 +0 11 EN 295 EuroNight Direction:
Roma Termini arr 09:22 +0

It does go via Salzburg but starts in Munich -maybe does not run every daily so the day you checked it may not run.

Could be I didn't look early enough. 20:10 is a bit early for a night train.

Night trains are being slashed all over Europe - especially involving Germany where I think most domestic ones have been scrapped recently and this one I think given over to Austrian Railways.

If you want that overnight train experience hop on it.

It won't be the 'romantic' experience you envision.

Fergiddaboutit . . .

Naw janis always says that and probably has never taken a Continental night train in generations I bet - private compartments on these newer night trains can be very cozy - hotel trains they call them. Yes there is a bit of noise always but hotel rooms can have that.

Everyone reacts differently to overnight trains and to automatically say it will not be the whatever experience you imagine it may or may not be so is so tunnel visioned.

But she always says folks will never like them - well I have taken zillions and nearly always slept well - but yes if noise allergic much eschew them.

Not romantic - friends of mine swear their first son was conceived on an overnight train! Kind of romantic IMO.

There are bad night trains out there. There are also good night trains. I tend to rely on the reviews by Mark Smith on seat61, and he speaks well of the trains under consideration on this thread.

I am, of course, assuming that the OP at least gets a four-berth couchette, if not a sleeper. Go here and scroll down to Nightjet:

https://www.seat61.com/international...m#Munich-Italy

There are even showers.

One of my last experiences with a night train and the reason it was my last was the problem of toilets. I did have a very cozy compartment but several hours after we left the station ( Paris ) the toilet for our car was gross. Don't want to experience that again. And, no I don't think it was an exception. Just too many people using it. Unless I can have my own private toilet and shower, I'll happily pass.

I look at the number of interim stops an overnight train makes and know immediately that it will be a long, dark ride, but the likelihood of me sleeping much are close to zero. Although the train carriages roll much more smoothly than they used to, I know I will wake up every single time the train makes a stop. That no-connection, overnight from Munich to Rome makes 12 stops in 13 hours. The very last thing I would care about is whether there are showers, and the first thing I'd want to do when I reached Rome is check into a hotel and take a long nap.

Janis may be judging night trains from British ones where due to poor track condition cause a clickety-clackety noise much of the way, rather than the NightJet like the ones talked about here that run on the generally smoother rails on the Continent).

Janis -what overnight trains have you taken and just what was the problem that caused you to have such a miserable experience and advise others: "It won't be the 'romantic' experience you envision.

Fergiddaboutit ..>

And just when was it -with hotel trains things have changed a lot recently as night trains have had to spiff themselves up to compete against airlines?

Some folks yes can't put up with a modicum of noise and they should eschew night trains as there will always be some from inside and outside the compartment and train.

Deluxe sleepers on the train in question have a toilet as well as a shower. There is a public shower for people not in deluxe sleepers.

If you are a light sleeper stops may well be a problem. I must be a heavy sleeper because I have often slept through them.

If you are a light sleeper stops may well be a problem. I must be a heavy sleeper because I have often slept through them.>

Many folks are IME of taking multi-person couchettes (because they are much cheaper than private compartments) do sleep just well it seems or appear to be.

WC and shower in compartment are some of the newer developments in hotel trains I was talking about.

Well, I personally absolutely **adore** night trains. However, I should say that I adore them only when I get a private compartment that has a single bed, shower, toilet, & sink (I'm at an age where having a private toilet steps from the bed is a necessity, not a luxury). I chalk the expense up to a "hotel" night, and I value waking up in the city of my destination.

I've taken them about 5 times in my life, once in the 1960s when I was 13 years old (Switzerland to Spain), once in the 1980s when I was in my 30s (Germany to Paris), and then about 3 times since moving to Germany (again Germany to Paris). I am really sick at heart that the DB no longer runs the Munich-Paris overnight route, and every time I go to Paris now, it's a pain to figure out the most convenient way to go.

Anyway, here's what I do. I buy snacks and wine/champagne, then get settled into my compartment. When the train starts to move, I get undressed, turn off the lights, open the blinds, and climb into bed. I love watching the lights go by in the distance and imagining how life is going on. Even though I'm alone, it is romantic to me, evocative of traveling in a bygone era. I can imagine it's the 1940s ...

Yes, I would say that it's worth experiencing at least once in your life, particularly since they could be disappearing.

Have fun as you plan!

s

Yes, I would say that it's worth experiencing at least once in your life, particularly since they could be disappearing.>

Yes but it would be a major detour for OP to get to Munich and costly too - and though it is for the ordinary traveler a nice unique experience (especially in private compartment with WC/douche)- I would not go that much out of my way to do it - next time plan an itinerary that can easily include one.

My experience is the same as Swandav. Excellent! I've done this between Geneva and Venice twice. And Venice to Paris (thru Milan) once.

Sorry no idea about Lucerne to Rome.

OK -one way to do an overnight train Lucerne to Rome - take day trains to Milan -maybe check out the city after putting bags in train station left luggage -then take an Italian InterCityNight train to Rome - does have private compartments though no luxurious ones like Munich-Rome but a chance to experience a night train.

Italy still has ones between cities like Venice-Rome v.v. See www.trenitalia.com for fares and booking.

Milano Porta Garibaldi dep 23:17 ICN35787 InterCityNight Direction: Salerno
Sleeper and couchette train , 2nd class only , Global price , Couchettes
+ 1 Day
Roma Tiburtina arr 08:43