Overnight trains from Paris to Luzern or Munich?
 

I am planning a study tour with a teaching partner that will begin in London and go through either Luzern OR Munich.

I would like us to get an overnight train (one with private sleeping) from Paris to either Luzern or Munich.

Can those tickets for the train be bought here in the U.S. in advance? Who do I buy them from? What is the most economical way to do that?

Our study tour must include a visit to a WWII concentration camp? This is why I am including Munich since Dachau is very close. Is anyone aware of a closer option to Paris?

I didn't look up your specific request, but Deutsche Bahn has one of the easiest European train websites I've used. Here is the English Page:
http://www.deutschebahn.com/site/bahn/en/start.html

You also may want to consider taking a flight from Paris to Munich. It will be cheaper than you think and may be far less of a hassle than the train. Last time I was in Paris, two years ago, I extensively researched an overnight train to Barcelona. My wife and I ended up flying for about $150 bucks total for both of us and it was easy with public transport on both ends.

There is a City Night Line train from Paris to München, leaving Paris Est at 2020 and getting to München at 0716. The train has sleeping compartments, including some with a shower and WC. Descriptions and pictures are on www.seat61.com/Germany.htm
There is no night train from Paris to Luzern.

A train with a private sleeping compartment to Luzern will be expensive. Are you sure you wouldn't opt for a day train instead? For example, you could catch the TGV from Paris to Basel (takes less than 4 hours), explore the city briefly (it's worth seeing IMO), then head down to Luzern (about an hour).

OR...catch an afternoon TGV to Strasbourg or Nancy, spend the night there in an inexpensive hotel, then catch an early morning train down to Luzern. You'll spend about as much as you would on a private compartment for an overnight train and you'll get to see and do more and enjoy the journey more (IMO).

Likewise for Munich, catch a TGV train to Basel, overnight there, then catch the early morning scenic train to Munich (change in Ulm) from Basel Bad Bf - again, it will cost you the same (or less), the time difference is not that great, you'll sleep in a better bed, and see more. (There are other day train routes to Munich, of course, and some are faster)

Just my opinion. I've taken many night trains in Europe, always in a private sleeping comparment, but have decided that I prefer day trains. Alas, Euro night train experiences aren't like that Chanel ad.

Yes, the flights are another option. If you want to see a concentration camp, there are inexpensive direct flights to Krakow from London or Paris. You could see Auschwitz (and take in Krakow itself, a delightful city), then take an overnight train to Vienna and from there a morning train to Munich or Luzern.

There are, of course, no WW II concentration camps near Luzern, although there were prisoner of war camps in Switzerland
http://swissinternees.tripod.com/

And yes, while there is no overnight direct train from Paris to Luzern, if the OP was committed totally to nighttime travel (vampires making the Grand Tour, perhaps ;-) ), it is possible to go from Paris to Cologne via Thalys, overnight train from there to Basel, and then on to Luzern. Awfully convoluted and a waste of money, IMO, but theoretically possible.

4.5 hours Paris to Zurich and then another hour from there to Luzern..all in the daylight. I LOVE night trains but in this case, wouldn't bother but to each their own.

Dukey1, for a trip to Luzern, it makes no sense to go to Zurich instead of Basel, that simply adds an hour to the trip. The TGVs from Paris stop in Basel on their way to Zurich and there are frequent trains from Basel to Luzern. And you can even stock up on Zurich's famous Sprungli chocolates at the Basel train station :-)

the Paris-Zurich with a change for Luzern overnight train was scrubbed a few years back after the opening of the new high-speed rail line in France that reduced travel time so much that it is only a few hours train trip - yes the Munich one still runs as Geoff says.

Thanks so much for the information. Price is absolutely a concern as we are only given a very specific amount of money to spend on such things as public transportation.

Time is of the essence as well. I'd love to get to Krakow from Paris. I was concerned about the cost. I was told the tickets would be quiet expensive, thus I was opting to go to Dachau instead.

I would be happy to do either as long as I am fulfilling the requirements of the study tour fellowship?

I've never tried to fly within Europe or take a train that far from Paris to Munich.

Day trains would be fine. I'd rather a direct connect, but it sounds like I have to change trains regardless.

If it is cheapter to fly to Krakow and hotels are cheaper there....that might be best?

Any ideas/suggestions as to what is best? The tour is a World War II study focused tour. We have specific things to do in England, France, and then needed to tack on a Concentration Camp at the end.

THe England/France plans are set...but, having some issue figuring out the rest.

Day trains would be fine. I'd rather a direct connect, but it sounds like I have to change trains regardless>

If talking about Krakow to Paris then it would impossible to go between those cities in the daytinme I believe. - You'd first have to go to Prague or Dresden - several hours then lots more hours via Frankfurt or Munich or Mannheim or whatever to Paris - you could get an overnight train to Paris from Munich and go in the daytime Krakow to Prague or take an overnight train Krakow to Prague and go on in the daytime via bus to Nurnberg then train to Paris.

Go to SNCF.Com and specify your date, as long as it is within three months. There is one overnight that costs only 58€ for <b>two</b> on June 17, but that is probably sitting and not in a couchette.

Think thrice about sitting up on an overnight train IME - those reclining seats often recline hardly at all - pay the extra at least for a berth in a couchette to get a modicum of sleep.

In open cars you also get woken up a lot than in a compartment with a door that locks from the inside - theft can be a problem also in open seating - upright - cars at night IME.

Overnight trains make sense for longer distance and when there are direct trains. And yes in a private compartment, not in a seat. But seems like overkill for between Paris and Switzerland.