Castellanese

Hi,

I'm planning to take a night train from Torino to Lecce (13 hours) on my next trip to Italy. I've never spent the night on a train, so I would love to read about what to expect. Flying is way more expensive, that's why I'd rather take the train.

Thanks!

Dukey

Last I read everyone here except Mr. Haines and myself has said that sleep and night trains are oxymoronic terms.

My advice: go FIRST (there's a reason they call it that) Class.

suze

Hey, I like overnight trains! As long as you can afford a private cabin, not a couchette sharing with a bunch of strangers. Pack a nice dinner and a couple bottles of wine for the ride. Take a sleeping pill and earplugs if you are normally a light sleeper. Don't do this more than once a week on any trip.

yellowbyrd

Even first class will not be a guarantee. I look an over-night train from Savona Italy to Munich Germany. Shared my berth with two very paranoid German women who would not open a window...it was August....it was HOT. They were afraid that the Italian men would come in and ravish them....they were 60....I was 28. They bolted themselves in for the entire trip so that I had to stand in the hall and knock to get back in after using the bathroom in the middle of the night. Got some sleep but awoke to realize that the Italian trains were on strike, so we had just shuffled around Genoa all night from one track to another. Luckily I had packed some water, bread, cheese, and salami and a nice bottle of red wine. As a result, I made friends very easily!!!! Had a fabulous visit with folks in other first class sleeper cars, relaxed and didn't stress about being a day late to Munich. The moral to my story is...if you have the time and can save some $...go for it!

FauxSteMarie

I once had an entire couchette compartment to myself from Berlin to Paris. It made no difference. I still did not sleep much. I just find it difficult because trains are noisy.

Having said that, I am supposed to take the Transiberian Express next August (tentative plans). It is a charter train (better class of service) and goes from Vladivostok to Moscow with diversions to places like Ulanbator and Lake Baikal along the way. I suppose, with 12 days on that train, at some point I will just get used to it and sleep. It is two in a compartment with a sink. Toilets are at the end of the cars and the showers are in a shower car.

By the way, the price goes up considerably if you want the shower in your room--1 1/2 times as much--so I have opted for the basic service.

The trip I am booked on is run by Elderhostel. I have had good luck with their trips.

nbodyhome

The overnight trains are much better, IMHO, in Europe than in the US. At least when it comes to the private accomodations. I'd not do one without it (we went from Paris to Munich last year, and had a private bathroom with shower - which was very nice!) You may or may not sleep well on the train, but I was happy with the experience.

lucy_d

As seen, opinions will vary; however, I think many people over the age of 25 would agree that a couchette is never advisable.

Personally, I have had two terrible experiences, one involving a stowaway, and will never take a night train again.

Pegontheroad

I have loved my overnight trips in a little two-person couchette--Or whatever it was. They were both very cozy and comfortable. The first time I went from Lisbon to Madrid, and the second time from Madrid to...Granada, I think. Or was it Sevilla?

The only anomaly was that the young pregnant woman who was sleeping in the top bunk of the Lisbon train apparently was in too much of a hurry to run down to the bathroom in the morning, so she availed herself of the wastebasket. "Hmm," I thought."She obviously lives a little closer to nature than I do." For some reason, I wasn't particularly bothered by her shortcut.

On the Madrid to Granada train there was no one else in the two-bunk couchette.

My suggestions would be two: 1) Don't sit in the train station drinking coffee before your train, as it will necessitate a middle-of-the-night trip down the hall to the rather unappetizing toilet. 2) Bring a bottle of water, as the water in the couchette may not be potable.

I loved both trips! Have fun!

WallyKringen

As may have transpired so far, there are people totally not suited to night trains (unless they want to sit up?) - neither couchettes (simple bunks, either 4 or 6 to a compartment, all you get is a blanket of suspect hygiene), or sleeper (private cabins with varying sleeping arrangements, some even with bathroom en-suite) will provide the comfort they need. If you are used to air conditioning, fussy about other people's smells and sounds, a worrier about private belongings, a light sleeper in the first place - this is not for you.

If you are a relaxed and trusting person who takes things as they come, has recently been discharged from the armed services (no kidding), has worked on ships where close-quarters sharing is the norm, or comes form a large and noisy family - you might survive it and actually benefit.

Either way, do not expect anything like a normal night's sleep. But some of us like the sound of the rolling - not all that loud in these days of advanced tracks and rolling stocks, and the screeching of brakes and bumping at stops in the middle of the night, and the PA announcements on the platforms that wake up most pax - it is part of the romance of travel, of which there is not much left (says an oldtimer).

For all kinds of good tips about night train travel and more, check out www.seat61.com.

THERESA10

took a overnight train from paris to madrid. and I didn't get 2 hours sleep. But while I was sleeping my brother in law told me he was praying real hard during that time too. Seems our train stopped for awhile because of the winds on the mountains/hills we were about to travel to and My bil said he could feel the train rocking back and forth and it scared him sh*tless. I'm glad I slept through that part.

I Like traveling by train. They came in made up the seats into bunks and I thought it was pretty cool. The next morning walked on down to the coffee shop for breakfast.

The station in Paris was nuts, really busy and crowded and I was worried about getting ripped off, many shady people hanging around. I hung out next to the cops most of the time. And we arrived at the madrid train station about a month after the bombing, so that made it a somber arrival. Security was super tight too.

brigdoon

Last summer, my mother and I took the nite train from salzburg to Paris. luckily i'd reserved the bottom bunks, but had to oust one woman who had gotten on earlier and tried to nab one of our bunks. Other disadvantage of getting on at a later stop was that all the storage for luggage was taken except that up by the top bunks. No way myself and 78 y/o mother could lift, and no place anywhere else (esp as 2 travellers had those huge frame backpacks). I tried to put it in the hall outside our 6 person couchette, but luckily the porter warned me that it would be stolen during the nite -she locked it in a neighboring compartment that was empty. The next am, my mom was first up, so the porter let her use the empty compartment, where we had breakfast and then got a couple more hours of more peaceful sleep. I was trying to save money, but after this experience, I'd say pay the extra for space to accommodate only the number of travellers in your won party. If more costly than flying, fly.

phototraveler

great, highly recommended. saves you time during the day for visiting.i particularly took 2, paris-venice, and rome-paris. do it, it will save you time.

hopscotch

I love night trains. You save travel time plus the cost of a hotel. The internet site http://tinyurl.com/y57vft has tips on using overnight trains.

christieCA

I love night trains and I love discount airlines. It depends on how long the trip is, cost of flight, and how long the train ride is. I've taken about a dozen night trains and slept on them all. However, I have the wonderful gift of being able to sleep anywhere, so I'm not sure that helps you. I find there is something magical about night trains though.

equitraveler

Some over night trips are not safe, even if you have a private, First Class compartment. I made the mistake of taking the night train from Prague to Budapest. We bordered late at night and the porter told me to be sure to use the toilet before the train left the station because after that it would not be safe for me to leave my compartment until we arrived in Budapest. He told me not to unlock/unchain my door for anyone because they had had many robberies on the train. Scarey!

Dukey

LOL..don't let ANYONE, even the railroad try to convince you that a "couchette" is "First Class" because it isn't!

GeoffHamer

Many people are confused by the different types of sleeping accommodation. Couchettes come in first- and second-class versions (with four or six bunks in a compartment), but it is very basic sleeping accommodation. Sleepers are neither first nor second class (despite what many people think) and you can use sleepers in many cases with a second-class ticket. Confusingly, someone using a sleeper with a second-class ticket will travel in much greater comfort than someone in a first-class couchette. All sleeping accommodation is private, with compartment doors that can be locked. You may have to share with strangers if you don't pay for a whole compartment; in couchettes, you usually share with people of either sex, but sleepers are only shared by strangers of the same sex. Sleeper compartments have a wash basin and space to hang clothes, and it's normal to undress before going to bed; couchettes have no space for hanging clothes and you sleep in your day clothes.

ira

Hi C,

>Flying is way more expensive, ...<

Have you checked air fare at www.whichbudget.com?

Myer

On our very first trip to Europe in the late '70s we took a couchette twice. While we slept, we decided that wasn't for us.

On subsequent trips we took a private sleeper. On one trip we did it a few times. I wouldn't do it more than once on a trip. While we slept (kind of) we just didn't get a decent night's sleep. Not really worth it.

This past June I decided to take a late afternoon (4:20) train from Prague to Budapest. I didn't want to be awakened twice in the event we did fall asleep.

The trip went alot faster than we expected and we arrived in Budapest 11:30PM. Essentially, we really didn't give up very much time by leaving at 4:20PM instread of later at night.

basingstoke2

Lie down on an ironing board and have a few friends toss you up and down for awhile. If you enjoy the experience, take the night train.