asimm

Family vacations in End May 2016

Question is, should i FLY or use Train for going to Venice from Paris.

I will take train only if the views are picturesque and i can see natural beauty and Alps, otherwise flying would be more convenient

Note : not interested in the overnight train, as budget airlines are more comfy

please suggest

kybourbon

Fly Easy Jet from Venice to Paris Orly (flight would be an hour or so). The train would take about 11-12 hours and multiple train changes.

asimm

Is the TRAIN trip scenic and worth taking the 10-12 hour trip

Jeff801

Flying is my choice, unless you are willing to spend the money for the Venice-Simplon Orient Express. Before booking a budget airline, be certain to check which airport it is flying from. Ryan Air, which may not service Venice from Paris, flies from an airport far north of the city. In addition, the extras associated with baggage and advance seat bookings, an essential for a family of more than two IMHO, may make flying Air France out of CDG a reasonable alternative.

Christina

It wouldn't make sense to even consider Ryanair to Venice given how far out their airports are in both locations versus numerous other options (Easyjet, Transavia, Air France).

Advance seat bookings are not "essential" for a family of more than two at all. It's a flight of less than two hours, what's the worst that could happen, that you couldn't sit next to each other for those 2 hours? Besides, the argument doesn't hold because Air France won't let you choose your seat ahead of time on that route (even with the highest priced ticket), nor do you get free checked baggage on them with the lowest fares, so it's no different from Easyjet on baggage fees, you can buy a higher priced ticket which includes checked baggage or choose not to. But you cannot get advanced seat bookings on Air France. And Easyjet (and Transavia, I believe) fly out of Orly while AF flies out of CDG which is farther away from the city.

In fact, Easyjet's cost for checked baggage isn't much if you buy it with the ticket (about 15 euro) and their cost for seat selection is minimal (5 euro). You can't even do that on Air France, choose seats in advance. I think adding on checked baggage and seat selection to the Easyjet Standard fare is the best choice when flying them, as the higher fare that includes those perks (plus some other things which I don't care about much) costs a lot more than the addon fees.

As for the train, it does go through the Alps (although a tunnel in parts) and should be scenic part of the journey, but make sure you have enough connection time in Italy so dont' miss the train to Venice (at Turin, most likely).

here, this should give you an idea of the route and scenery http://www.seat61.com/Paris-to-Milan...m#.Vdx3pSVViko

Mimar

>> Note : not interested in the overnight train, as budget airlines are more comfy <<

Not on my experience.

But the airplane is obviously the way to go on this trip.

kybourbon

Trenitalia doesn't route you through Turin if you select Venice/Paris (or Milan/Paris). It will show Venice/Milan Centrale (1st train change), Milan/Basel (2nd change) and Basel/Paris. YOu could force the Turin connection booking it in segments, but you might have to change not just trains in Milan, but also train stations (Centrale to P Garibaldi) and perhaps in Turin.

Man_in_seat_61

There are two excellent scenic train options:

Option A. By Paris-Turin TGV train...

1. Have lunch at the amazing Train Bleu restaurant inside the Gare de Lyon in central Paris, see the photos and reserve a table at www.le-train-bleu.com - set 3 course meal with half bottle of wine €65.

2. After lunch and a half bottle of red, stroll (or stagger...) across the concourse and board the 14:41 TGV from Paris to Turin, arriving around 20:15.

Book this from €29 in 2nd class or €46 in 1st class at www.capitainetrain.com and print your own ticket.

The train first dashes out of Paris across rural France at 186 mph past pretty villages then slows right down to meander through the mountains via Chambery and Modane into Italy. All seats have power sockets and there's a cafe-bar on board (or bring your own picnic and wine, it's allowed on trains as you are treated as an adult)

3. Overnight in Turin - a wonderful city, even if you're not a fan of the 1969 Michael Caine film 'The Italian Job'... ideally, allow time for a look round Turin next morning, or take the earlier 10:41 TGV from Paris instead and have an afternoon/evening there.

4. Next day, simply hop on a Turin to Venice Frecciabianca train, they run more or less every hour, journey around 4h20, fare from €19 (or from €29 in 1st class) pre-booked at www.trenitalia.com . It's ticketless, you just quote the booking number on board.

It's a great way to arrive: You rumble across the causeway into central Venice with anticipation building, then walk out of Venice Santa Lucia station to see the Grand Canal right in front of you with vaporettos & gondolas. Priceless...


Option B: The ULTIMATE scenic option...

1. Day 1 afternoon or early evening, take a TGV-Lyria from Paris to Zurich in 4h05 from €25 at www.capitainetrain.com with print-at-home tickets. You can leave Paris Gare de Lyon at 16:23 or even 18:23.

2. Catch an onward train to Chur, www.sbb.ch and stay overnight, it's a pleasant Swiss town.

3. Day 2, take the FABULOUS Bernina Express through the Alps from Chur (depart 08:32) to Tirano, booked at www.rhb.ch for around €70 (in fact, see http://www.seat61.com/BerninaExpress.htm for a cheap way to book it for €29 and a video and photos). It's pretty spectacular.

4. Catch the 13:10 Italian regional train from Tirano to Milan for €11 bought at the station arriving Milan 15:40, then take an onward train Milan-Venice from €9 pre-booked at www.trenitalia.com

Either option would be SO much more rewarding than sticking your heard in the clouds on yet another soulless flight...

vickiebypass

Man in seat 61 - both of those options sound SO appealing! If I ever need to train within Europe, I'll think of these.

PalenQ

Paris to Venice train is IME not dramatically scenic - the Alpine part is in tunnels (Modane) and yes France is nice but after that many hours many may be snoozing rather than watching. If not into overnight trains fly.

annhig

man_in_seat_61 - you're a great way to fly!

cathies

Annhig, I couldn't agree more!

PalenQ

Man - OP is going Venice to Paris not the other way around and I don't think they want to make a 2 or 3 day trip out of it. This is a response he cuts and pastes zillions of times on zillions of sites so understandly in a hurry got a little mixed up. Great suggestions but not Venice to Paris and not a much longer 2-day itinerary.

suze

We did it by overnight train in a sleeper car (regular train Venice/Milan then transfer) but I see you specifically don't want to do that. Worked like a charm for us (train stations being much easier to get to and from on either end than any of the airports).

asimm

I appreciate the nice trip outlined by you guys, especially the ever popular MAN IN SEAT 61. I really like the idea of Paris-Zurich-Tirano-Venice and what a journey it would be in the BERNINA EXPRESS but as PalenQ that it would turn out to be a 3 day journey and considering the fact that i am not staying in Switzerland (1 day at CHUR) would be an insult to Switzerland

I just checked and found that if you book in Advance then fares are almost similar for RYAN & AIR FRANCE, then off course AIR FRANCE should be the choice, but on few dates i see that Air France does not have a morning flight or if available its double the price.

Secondly, RYAN say BVA airport in Paris and TSF airport in Venice. Can someone guide me on those and if i travel by Ryan, then how to reach these air ports and cost

Thanks

annhig

Man - OP is going Venice to Paris not the other way around >>

Pal - I think you've got that wrong:

<<Question is, should I FLY or use Train for going to Venice from Paris.>>

you're right about its taking longer by train, but it always strikes me that time spent in the air [and at the airport, going to and from the airport et etc] is dead time, whereas time spent on a train is still part of the journey.

Man_in_seat_61

I do often get journeys the wrong way round, especially if the OP puts the places the 'wrong' way round as in 'I want to go to Paris from Venice'. But I think I got it right this time! ;0)

I didn't cut and paste, I actually wrote it out (probably more fool me!) but it's what I hope is a useful answer to an often-asked question.

It's pretty quick - amazing to think you can leave central Paris after lunch and (if you chose not to spend a morning in Turin) arrive in Venice potentially as early as 11:40 next day, with great views through the Alps and a good night's sleep in a hotel. And I know the train passes through the Mont Cenis tunnel, but I don't even remember it to be honest - it's only a few minutes out of the Alpine part of the journey.

Even via the Bernina route you can leave central Paris early evening, sleep in a hotel in Zurich, and be in Venice the following night. The journey through Switzerland's most amazing Alpine route is a great introduction, I'm sure you'd be back to do more later!

But the Swiss Alps in the morning, Venice's Grand Canal by evening, what a day!!

pariswat

BVA is Beauvais. It is about 60 kms from PAris.
There are shuttles every hour (or half hour ?) that go to Port Maillot, west of Paris. Shuttles takes about an hour too, I'd guess. Been told it runs pretty efficiently. Never taken it myself.

Ryanair arranges for shuttles, you can (should) combine it with your flight ticket, there is no other way to go to Paris actually.

TSF used to be 'telegraphie sans fil' or radio as we came to call it, back before 1940 - I guess it is also an airport 'in the neighbourhood' of Venice - do check on google and/or Ryanair site.

Best regards.

annhig

I think that it's Treviso - and Ryanair runs buses from there to Venice as well.

PalenQ

Ryanair arranges for shuttles, you can (should) combine it with your flight ticket, there is no other way to go to Paris actually.>

Well you can take a cab or local bus if there is one to Beuvais' train station for trains to Paris all the time - but yes bus would be more convenient but not the only way - only way direct from the airport.