Howdy!
My wife and I love trains - especially overnight ones. Is France large enough of a country to have an overnight train that stays within France? Even if it's a luxury train that's primary purpose isn't to transport people as quick as possible.
Thanks!
Yes, if you don't want to cross any border there are night trains from Paris to Cerbère, Hendaye, Nice, Rodez, Lourdes, Briançon and Latour-de-Carol. And of course they stop at other places as well.
Read more at: https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/intercites-de-nuit.htm
Latour-de-Carol is the termination point of the Yellow Train running through the Pyrenees. I believe the next stop after Latour-de-Carol is Bourg-Madam, which is practically on the Spanish border, about 1 mile from the very pretty Spanish town of Puigcerda. It's a highly scenic ride to Villefranche-de-Conflent, a very touristy but also very attractive medieval town. Although the Yellow Train is very popular with tourists, it's an SNCF regional train, so the cost is very reasonable. I'm seeing 5-euro one-way fares for February; I believe I paid more than twice that for a round trip back in 2017.
Regular trains run east from Villefranche-de-Conflent to the coast at Perpignan. The station at Villefranche is called "Villefranche-de-Conflent – Vernet les Bains" and shows up on SNCF itineraries as "Villefranche Vernet les Bains".
The Yellow Train runs infrequently in winter. There are enough departures during warmer months (with some open carriages) to complete a round trip on the same day.
I believe the next stop after Latour-de-Carol is Bourg-Madam, which is
practically on the Spanish border, about 1 mile from the very pretty
Spanish town of Puigcerda.
Yes, the next stop of the Ligne de Cerdagne, also known as Le Petit Train Jaune (The Little Yellow Train), is Bourg-Madam. The rail line more or less follows the border for a while and at times is just a couple of metres from Spain. But Latour-de-Carol is also the end (or beginning) of a rail line to Barcelona, whose first stop after the border is Puigcerda. This line is a very scenic option for travel between France and Spain.
