I've just ridden the new Thello overnight sleeper train from Paris to Venice. If you want to see a video account of the journey to see for yourself what the sleepers, couchettes and restaurant car food is like, it's at www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfjiaO2lyOw

I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, slept well, and I'm pleased to say it's vastly improved over its lacklustre predecessor Artesia. Investment in the car interiors is where Thello needs to raise its game, as it currently uses the same elderly Trenitalia sleeping-cars and couchettes as its predecessor Artesia, but everything else is streets ahead. I'd happily use Thello again, whereas I had stopped recommending Artesia!

The train now leaves from platform 'M' of the main concourse of the easily-accessible and well-equipped Paris Gare de Lyon, no longer from the remote and poorly-equipped Gare de Bercy. You can have a drink or meal at the famous Train Bleu restaurant before boarding!

The sleeper train was platformed in good time, it left promptly and arrived at Brescia (where we left the train) spot on time. Staff were all new, and were friendly and helpful in both the sleepers and restaurant car.

The food was also way ahead of Artesia, it's now provided by Skychefs, a subsidiary of Lufthansa. Allowing for the constraints of providing complete meals economically on a train, dinner was remarkably good, with lentil and curried chicken soup followed by grilled Atlantic salmon steak and wild rice, then raspberry and chocolate tart, all accompanied by an excellent half bottle of Chianti and rounded off with a decent cafe latte from the restaurant car's expresso machine. The 3-course dinner cost 28 euros, the 37.5cl Chianti 12 euros. I almost went for a nice Cognac to round it off, but didn't on this occasion!

When we returned to our sleeper compartment the beds were made up, with clean sheets, plump pillows and soft duvets replacing Artesia's old blankets. Each berth had a reading light and a handy power socket for laptops and mobiles, which worked fine.

The ride was very smooth indeed, on well-maintained track all the way, and our sleeper was very quiet too - unless you opened the hopper window, when you'd suddenly hear all the track and wind noise!

In the washbasin unit in the corner, each of us got a clean towel, toiletries pack with soap, toothbrush and Thello-branded toothpaste, a tiny bottle of Thello-branded mouthwash, disposable slippers. We also each got a small bottle of mineral water.

The sleeper attendant took our tickets and passport and returned them next morning, so we weren't disturbed by any ticket or passport checks during the night, and he gave us a voucher for a complimentary light breakfast next morning in the restaurant car (that's sleeper passengers only, breakfast is 6 euros for couchette passengers).

The breakfast wasn't huge, just an orange juice, coffee and pain au chocolat.

The sleeping-cars had Closed Circuit TV cameras in the corridor for security, and both sleeper and couchette compartment doors had a security deadlock that cannot be opened from outside, even with a staff key. However, it seems Thello haven't yet fitted the hotel-style card-key locks that I have seen promised in some of the articles about the new Thello train.

I think if you travelled in the economical couchettes, in which fares start at only 35 euros in 6-berth or 55 euros in 4-berth, I think you'd think it great fun and amazing value, and travelling with a group of friends or a family, either using the restaurant or taking a picnic and your own wine, you could have a blast. You just need the 'camping' mentality for couchettes!

The sleepers are far more comfortable than couchettes, with proper beds and a washbasin, 1, 2 or 3 berths per compartment, fares from 145 euros per person in a 2-berth. ButI think it's here Thello need to raise their game, as passengers with expectations of old-style Wagons-Lits luxury may be disappointed.

The sleeping-cars are standard 'MU' ones built by the Wagons-Lits Company 1964-1974, probably a later batch, and when built they were classy vehicles with carpet and decent fittings. However, they were refurbished by Trenitalia a few years ago, before Thello inherited them, and for some strange reason Trenitalia removed the plush carpet and repaced it with grey linoleum, rendering them at a stroke (to British eyes, at least) much more basic and less luxurious. Perhaps the Italian psyche hates carpet and loves grey synthetic flooring?? Add to that some cheap materials such as a sticky-back-plastic mirror instead of a proper mirror, and no amount of new CCTV and power sockets and LED lighting can make the cars look really classy, they are at present a bit tatty. Thello promise sleepers with shower and toilet in due course, and say they will invest once the concept is proven, they've certainly got off to a good start, but higher-quality sleepers is where the money needs to go.

In the meantime, you'll find Thello an affordable, pretty comfortable and fun way to get from Paris to Milan, Verona or Venice without the stresses of modern flying, just make sure you have realistic expectations. Don't expect luxury, just reasonable comfort, if you expect lounge cars with pianos you're thinking of the Venice Simplon Orient Express!

So excited to read this. My father and I have looked at your website for years!

Thanks. I had wondered how this would be and posted a thread a while back. I'm going to link both threads so both will turn up if anyone is searching Thello.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...talyfrance.cfm

Thanks Mark! It definitely looked much better than the Artesia (although I thought the Artesia was better that the cocoon-like pods in some of the City Night Line trains). I still have the little travel pouch from the Artesia line (Milan to Paris) that I keep in my purse -- it's great for little makeup items!

I am a huge fan of sleeper trains and have been for the last 40 years!

Thanks--this is so valuable.

Super info I may try this in the future, Do not sleep well on sleepers usually not a fan miss a lot of country at night too much "train lag" the next day but I love the day trains down. 35 euro for a couchette a good deal for the frugal though. Thanks GREAT report.

Wonderful to have this info-many thanks!

Great stuff. I thought I read somewhere on the web that plans were in the works for a Thello from Paris to Rome? Anyone know if that's the case? I can't find the site I was reading from.

They plan to start a Paris to Florence & Rome sleeper train in June 2012, so stay tuned.

The Paris to Florence & Rome is now scheduled to commence December 2012

Thanks for your detailed report and video. Paris to Venice by train looks inviting compared to airport waiting and lines.
What about toilet facilities? Are they closeby in the sleepers?

Oh my word that looks amazing! I like chilled trips like that. Does it go to London?

Great thread - thanks so much - this settles it, we are taking the sleeper in April!

Each sleeping-car and couchette car has two toilets at the end of the corridor.

You can add a London-Paris connection by Eurostar train at www.eurostar.com - allow 90 minutes between trains, as Eurostar uses the Gare du Nord and Thello uses the Gare de Lyon, a 30 minute transfer by metro (less than €2) or taxi (about €17).

We booked our sleeper Venice to Paris via Rail europe. There are 4 of us traveling, so we reserved two doubles. The tickets have come and the seat numbers for each of us are all over the place. I called and they assured me that the numbers in the sleepers are not contigous as I would expect. Does this make sense?

Click on the cabin layout to see the numbering.

https://www.thello.com/a-bord/Plans_...res/index.html

What does RailEurope charge for two people in a double? Did they charge a mailing fee?

Just starting to research Venice as an addition to our annual Paris in Sept. trip.

How many months ahead can you book a 2 person cabin?

Would you choose Venice Mestre or Venice Santa Lucia as a destination?

seafox----when are you traveling? I'll be watching for your report on this.

Mestre is on the mainland, not really Venice at all. Santa Lucia is the station you want. Coming out of the station to the panorama of the Grand Canal is one of my most favorite memories of Europe.

Hi M,

Thanks for a great report.

However, when I read "The sleeper train was platformed in good time,..." I went into anaphylactic shock and had to be rescued by a local EMS team.

Fortunately, I recovered.


After the train was platformed, did it transition from the station?