Train Ticket Advice

I'm afraid sleeper trains are in the past -for many major lines- now that modern and very comfortable fast speed trains are around, especially here in Europe. The traditional 'night train' PAR-BCN -such as the Elypsos- was discontinued a few years back. I believe there are none left in this line, all are day trains now. The journey now lasts barely 6h30' while in the past it was far more than that -hence the night trains. Check out this site for everything train in Europe, is run by a former British railway engineer and it's a well of knowledge on trains: http://www.seat61.com/Spain-trains.htm

Sorry to spoil your dream :)

Having said that, if you are 'financially sound' (lol!), you can still make your dream come true (not for the PAR-BCN journey though!): http://www.renfe.com/trenesturisticos/eng/alandalus-el-tren-suite-superior.html

Thank you Enric for your quick response. Should I buy a Eurorail Pass, Flexipass, or individual tickets? I will probably end up planning every day of my trip with the way that I plan. So I will probably know where we will be staying for each leg of the trip. Even though I would like to have some spontaneity. Thank you.
Sincerely,
CarefulPlanner

Joela, you can "sleep on a train in a real bed" by taking Amtrak in the U.S. -- I took my daughter cross-country to college on Amtrak and four years later brought her (and her accumulated stuff ) home again. Sleeper on Amtrak requires a "first class" supplement which includes meals with the room. Fun if you enjoy the journey, which I do.

In Spain my daughter and I used trains from Seville to Granada and for a day trip Seville to Cordoba, plane Barcelona to Seville, and bus Granada to Madrid. All purchased point-to-point. Plane booked from home, the others booked in Spain.

Thank you Laura. Traveling with a daughter is so special. I am already nostalgic about it. Here on the east coast we don't have sleeper trains. Our tunnels can't accommodate the taller trains. One day maybe we will take a sleeper train out west. I am reading the link that Enric gave me. It is very informative. It looks like the way to go is to buy individual tickets and a variety of sites.

That's a very personal decision, myself I prefer to purchase tickets a few days before the journey because you never know whether you'll alter your plans while "on the way". That might be sometimes more expensive though. To this 'rule' I always have an exception: key routes that tend to be very busy all the time.

When comparing rail pass prices, note that both the 2-country Select Pass and the one-country Eurail Spain pass include an extra day "free" if purchased before April 29. Two-country price examples during this period are $252 per person for 5 travel days in 2nd class (for adults, too) or $364 for 9 travel days.

Also note that the Spain pass alone does allow you to reserve the direct Paris-Barcelona TGV train for a regular seat reservation fee of about $33, even without having France on the pass, but then you wouldn't have the Loire rides covered. If choosing that popular TGV route, I would book the reservation at the same time that you buy the pass. Spanish train reservations cost about $13/€10 per person on faster trains within that country and are less likely to sell out.

It is correct that there has been no international night train here for a couple of years. There is still a domestic French night train from Paris to Cerbere, but it's not fancy and has only 6-passenger couchettes (with 2nd class ticket or pass) and 4-passenger couchettes (with first class).

OK. That's confusing. I thought the trains I would be taking in Loire would be local trains and so it wouldn't help me to get a Eurorail pass for them. For example, I won't be taking the TGV into Tours but instead will be taking the slower train into Amboise because that is my destination. So will a France/Spain pass get me on those trains?

That's a strange bit of misinformation. Any rail pass for France cover all trains between towns, with only very rare exceptions (e.g., Nice-Digne and on Corsica). Using a pass for a regional train means that you don't have to pay for a seat reservation and can hop on any train. (Direct trains from Paris Austerlitz to Amboise depart about 4 times per day and regular tickets cost €33 per person on the day of travel, or maybe €23 if booked in advance.) See also https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/france-rail-passes.

There are indeed sleeper trains in the US on the east coast - just not the double-decker kind they use on the routes west of Chicago. You can go from New York to Miami, New Orleans, or Chicago (and points in between) on a sleeper. The single-decker sleepers are called Viewliners, and the double-decker sleepers are called Superliners.

I know someone who hates to fly, and swears by the New York to Chicago train (called the Lake Shore Limited). She said a roomette is fine, if you can't afford the full room. I've never taken any of Amtrak's long-distance routes myself, but have read lots (good and bad) about them.

Thank you. I was not aware of any sleeper trains on the east coast. I have been reading Rick Steves Spain, France, Paris, Barcelona and Back Door Europe books plus a Eurorail book I bought that doesn't seem useful at all. I've also been checking the website that Enrick first gave me and some links from that website. Buying train tickets is clear as mud. I am spending 2 weeks in France. That trip is planned. We will be in Paris for 5 days, Chartres for 1, the Loire for 7 and then Paris for 4 more days. Then we will leave for Barcelona for 3 weeks. We will need a few trains in France yes but not many and not too far. In Spain I hope to travel to many cities is a nearly, but not quite, whirlwind trip. So I am thinking that I need a 10 day Renfe pass instead of individual tickets. But I haven't even figured out how to buy that. I have also learned that I should not be buying my train tickets more than 90 days in advance.

Taking the high-speed train between Barcelona and Paris should be a special experience, exactly the opposite of clanking endlessly through the night. It takes six and a half hours. Check www.seat61.com for plenty of description and advice on purchase (and that goes double for using regional trains and the value of rail passes.)