My parents want to take to the overnight train from Paris to venice in November. They are Indian, in their 70s and do not take the cold well. Are these trains as well heated as the Amtrak trains here? Are they safe? Also, the other option is the easyjet flight- my concern that way is the shuttle from the airport to their hotel in Grand canal. Their tentative trip route is Paris-Venice- Florence??-Rome-Paris. Any suggestions would be welcome.
Thanks
Posted by
Pa and Italy
4152 posts
Unless they walk to their hotel from the train station in Venice they'll have to take a boat. You could hire a private water taxi but that's very expensive. Either way the choose to travel tell them to dress very warmly for that leg of the trip. Make sure they have hats and maybe a scarf. It doesn't get horribly cold but if they're not use to it then they will be uncomfortable. I can't comment on the overight trains as I have never taken one. Donna
Posted by
Spokane, WA, USA
121 posts
I've taken the night train from Venice to Budapest and felt very safe and relatively comfortable. I say "relatively" because I booked a 2nd class couchette. I recommend going first class if you plan on taking an overnight train. Venice will be cold in November. Trains are well heated however. Depending on where your hotel is in Venice, you may have to walk over cobblestone roads and/or climb steep steps going up and down the bridges across the canal. If the hotel is a ways out you should take the vaporetto boats to the nearest stop; then, plan on walking.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
If your parents want the overnight train to Venice from Paris for November, it's time to book it now if the journey is before 11/19. The French train website (www.tgv-europe.com) has a 90 day window for booking. The one evening run that goes to Venezia Santa Lucia (the station you want) departs at 20:33 from the Paris-Bercy train station. No change in trains either on this run. The journey will take 13 hours. At this time, I can see the special "PREM" fare of 35Euro (not including sleeping arrangements) for a 2nd class couchette. The cabin berths are already gone at this fare. These very low fares go very fast after the 90 day window opens so you have to hurry. There will be additional costs for the type of couchette or cabin berth as well as the class of service (1st or 2nd).
Posted by
OP
Chicago
56 posts
thanks everyone for all the helpful tips.
Posted by
Slidell, LA
570 posts
Please don't compare the trains in Europe to to Amtrak as there is none. The trains are very comfortable and they should book first class with the sleeper. If they're already in Paris it will be colder there than it will be in Venice. We took the night train from Milan to Paris in early October and even going through the Alps the temperature on the train was fine. Be sure to tell them to eat before departing or bring something with them to eat on the train. On ours the bar/restaurant car closed as we we were leaving Milan at 11:30 PM. Jim