overnight trin or plane?

Alice,

An overnight train probably won't save any time, as it's at least a 12 hour trip. There may not be much of a cost savings either, as you'll be paying both reservation and couchette fees.

On that particular route, my choice would be a direct train departing Wien Sudbahnhof at 06:23, arriving Venezia Santa Lucia at 14:20 (time 7H:57M, no changes, reservations compulsory, runs daily).

Happy travels!

Call me odd, but one of the plusses of riding the trains is the chance to see the lovely scenery one passes through. Riding a night train means well, sleeping. If you can. There are many threads on here about sleeping on the train, some people can, some can't. I am one who can't, so I stay awake the whole time. Cost wise, a hotel room is cheaper than a night train. Have you looked at cheap flights yet? I have to say the other posters suggestion sounded good. 7 hours on a train is quite enjoyable. It isn't like flying, you can get up, walk around, go to the dining car, watch the scenery, nap if you like, and the seats are comfortable.

Hi Alice,

Certainly you would be missing out on the views if you make that train trip at night, but if you are somewhat pressed for time on your trip then a night train is a great option. As I was tight on my last trip, my preference was to spend the night on the train so as to maximize my time in the destination.

As for saving money... it depends which method you are willing to travel. Will couchettes work for you, or would you want a sleeper?

You have an option of a train that departs Vienna Westbahnhof at 20:40 and arrives in Venice Santa Lucia (the preferred station as it is in Venice proper - Venezia Mestre is on the mainland from where you will switch to another train to Santa Lucia) at 08:34. This train offers six-bunk couchettes, two-bunk private sleepers, and a one-bunk private sleeper. If you will travel in the six-bunk couchette, you will likely save money versus another night in a hotel in Vienna. If you want a sleeper... probably not.

Hi Alice,

My husband and I took that very train last May and were absolutely delighted with the experience. I think the key was we paid extra and got a private compartment. It was still cheaper than paying for a daytime train ride and another night in a hotel, and it made the trip so much more comfortable.

Here's what the private compartment entailed: A conductor shows you to your compartment (water, apple, chocolates, and hand wipes waiting for you) and comes back later to pull down the bunk beds from the wall. Our beds were as comfortable as can be expected, and there was a washbasin (no toilet) in the room, which was nice. The ride was one of the smoother ones I've had on an overnight train, and we arrived in Venice precisely on time the next morning. Hot coffee and a croissant are provided for breakfast. All of the private compartments count as first-class tickets, and we are not usually first-class travelers, so these were nice perks!

Personally, I thought it was absolutely magical waking up, opening the blinds, and watching as our train sped past rolling fields on the way to Venice. We did miss the scenery, but we bought ourselves extra time in Venice.

Enjoy Vienna and Venice!

I've taken a night train in the past, and will do so again. I have trouble sleeping in general when I go to Europe, so I bring sleeping pills. I took them on the train, slept fine. I'd also recommend bringing the kind of eyeshades you see people wear on planes, because even with the shades in the compartment closed yuo'll still see flashes of light as the train passes intersections and stations.

Looking at the site at http://www.oebb.at/pv/en/ they show a train in Sept (for example) leaving around 8:30pm and arriving around 8:30am; price for 2 in a 2-person sleeper compartment is just 198E. Sounds good to me! However its worth searching for cheap flights, too. Just beware of the full cost if you fly a discount airline; they may charge for checked baggage and only allow carry-ons of 10lbs or less (in other words, you'll need to check a bag), charge extra for getting boarding passes at the airport, etc.

Thanks guys for your valuable suggestions and I really appreciate your sharing of your experience. I'll do some homework and see how it goes from then. Thanks again!