We're traveling with two teenagers. We want to take a night from Paris to a weekend in Nice and then on to Pisa. Google sometimes says yes there is a night train but we cannot find any night train times posted on the Websites we visit. Any advice?
Posted by
Sweden
6347 posts
What websites and have you tried www.sncf-connect.com?
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16194 posts
Try googling SNCF Intercité 5771. It is running on April 25, departing Paris Austerlitz 20:51 and arriving in Nice the next morning. I didn’t check later dates as the SNCF website is not very user-friendly.
https://www.sncf-connect.com/app/en-en/home/shop/results/outward
Edit: I see the link does not work to produce the booking page I found. Just start with the SNCF-connect website as Balso suggested.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16194 posts
When are you traveling? That April 25 night train will cost €448 for 2 adults and 2 teens, assuming you want berths rather than seats. Hopefully the price is lower for dates further out.
Posted by
Paris
6883 posts
Sometimes, night train bookings open late due to track work planning.
If there's four of you, you can privatise a first-class 4-berth couchette compartment : that would be ideal. SNCF is pretty good at avoiding stops in the middle of the night, so you should be able to get some sleep. Do not count on the most restful night of your life, though.
If there is no night train in your dates, the last train from Paris to Nice is typically at 7 PM or so, getting there some time after midnight. More expensive than the night train because of the extra hotel night, though.
Posted by
Nice, France & San Francisco
675 posts
Nightly, from Gare Paris Austerlitz, at 20h51 (8:51pm).
Posted by
Washington DC
27063 posts
At least some of you will probably be in better condition to sightsee the next day if you opt for the late train and beds in a real hotel. Nice isn't always painfully expensive, either.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Oh thanks so much for the help! We sincerely appreciate each reply--we're on the hunt now for tickets for the last weekend in May. Bless you al!
Posted by
Los Angeles
4385 posts
you should also search in Youtube to see if any train vloggers have taken that route (they are everywhere)
Posted by
4 posts
Do it! Why waste 6h+ of sunlight on a train when you could be on a Riviera beach?
We recently booked this for my family of four after seeing a lot of positive reviews online and on YouTube, just be careful on the SNCF website as it gets a bit confusing.
I just checked and tickets are for the “4-Berth Couchette” but the berth numbers are not all sequential even though we are all together (for us it is 81,82,85,86).
Posted by
Paris
9550 posts
Hopefully this won't be a problem by the time you are planning to travel, but please note that during strike days, these Intercités de Nuit trains have been basically 100% cancelled every time, even when other lines have been barely affected.
Here is a link to the current times the train departs and arrives at various towns
Posted by
Lake District, England
5702 posts
For Bradleygr- for a 4 berth couchette SNCF just use a 6 berth and block out the middle berths on each side of the compartment so your berths are the upper and lower on each side of the compartment- see here and scroll about 2/3rd of the way down the page to the berth plan- https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/intercites-de-nuit.htm#espace-privatif
Posted by
Washington DC
27063 posts
But understand that a couchette berth is just a padded ledge. It will not be a normal night's sleep for most people. The train doesn't get to Nice until 9:25 AM, so it will be close to 10 AM by the time you've dropped off your bags and gotten oriented in Nice.