Paris to Venice - train or plane?
 

Hi! We can't decide whether or not to fly to Venice from Paris or take a train. The prices on www.volareweb.com are great, and it would cut down on time. Anyone have a firsthand experience with this?

The only direct train is the 'Rialto' overnight train which leaves Paris at about 2000 and has sleeping cars, couchettes and a restaurant car. You arrive in Venezia Santa Lucia station, right on the Grand Canal, in the morning after breakfast. No flight will be quicker, because the train allows you to have a day sightseeing in Paris then a day in Venezia.

Keep in mind that Volare Air has some very restrictive baggage allowance (read the fine print). The final cost of the ticket can be altered if you have more than one check-in bag or if the one bag you have is "overweight". The French Railway website, www.sncf.com, has some first class overnight fares to Venice as low as 60 euros and that saves the cost of a hotel room for a night. Think it over before making a final decision as there are pluses and minuses for both options. Have a great trip!!! Mike

Purplefreak (is this Prince)

If you do decide on the overnight train try to get a higher class couchett. I found on the overnight train the classes did make a pretty big difference.

Unless you go overnight in a train, a plane is the only way to go. If, moreover, cost is your primary consideration, a discount airline could possibly be cheaper and save time. Day travel by train is not the way to go, for sure. You didn't say how long you plan to be in Venice, which would certainly affect any recommendation. If you end up with only a day or two in Venice, then the fastest way there is the best.

Letting price dictate your method of travel might leave you less time to enjoy your destination. Good luck.

No I am not Prince!! :)

Thanks for the suggestions. We would definitley overnight it. We'll be in Venice for about 3 days.
I am going to look into that website for France trains. Thanks for all your help!!

Hi Freak,

I just checked SNCF. Two people traveling together in a T2 berth (private room) 2cl Paris to Venice is 280E. Train leaves at 20:01 from Paris Bercy.

The T4 on certain trains go for 60E per person (first class 4 berths). I 've booked mine for March 26 from Paris to Venice.

The one barbmike booked above for 60 looks good(first class 4 berths).

I had one where there were 8 no sleep whatsoever and this was a bad trip! It's why I was saying on the sleeper it does make a differance in what class you pick.

ecat, I've had several different friends who loved that train (T4) from Paris to Venice. By the way, could you please explain to us the meaning of your first sentence of paragragh 2. It that some kind of broken English? Mike

Mike - I was agreeing with you about that train (T4) it sounds good.

Explaination, it was typo and it does look like broken English, I just hit the reply too quickly.

I was on an overnight train that had eight beds in one couchett, therefore it was a bad nights travel where I had no sleep what so ever.

ecat, I was just trying to have some fun with you (sorry about that). I thought/hope that the T4 has only 4 berths as outlined/pictured on the eurorailways website. I guess I'll find out in late March. Mike

Thanks everyone! After a long time deciding, we have decided to fly. We booked our flight on volareweb.com. It was only about 100 euros total for the two of us.
I know that the train would save us hotel money, but we would rather stay in a hotel room. Plus we really dont need the extra day of sightseeing, we will have enough time in each place. Plus, we are worried about late check out and early check in and all that stuff. So this way we get up, fly to Venice then we are there.
This way, we add another night stay somewhere on our trip! We are thinking of spending it in Siena. :)