Night Train to Venice

Night trains are a different experience. Hopefully, your berth fills up at Paris so that later arrivals aren't climbing over you to get to the top. Also, keep your berth locked from the inside.

Let's see if Tim from Minot comes along. He's the best night train person on the site.

Ooooh, I would have so splurged on that double cabin.

Prepare for an evening of torture.

Only thing I can suggest to make a 6 bunk cabin better is GET THE TOP BUNKS.

I sleep well on trains, even in a reclining seat, so my one-time experience in a bunk in a six-person couchette was okay. However, I thought the cabin was very crowded. In the future I will definitely pick a four-person couchette. You need to know that the cabin in a six-person couchette is the same size as the one for a four-person couchette. That means limited luggage storage space for six people. If you're avoiding budget airlines because of their luggage requirements, you probably will struggle hauling your luggage on and off trains. Pack lighter! You won't be sorry.

I did that trip, but in reverse (from Venice to Paris) in a six-berth couchette. Surprisingly, there ended up being two unused beds for the night, which was rare to have vacancy on that route in summertime.

The biggest problem I had with the Venice-Paris night train was that the couchette car was quite old, and the air conditionining kept making a loud noise that sounded like machine-gun fire. Eventually I got tired enough that I finally got used to it. As my train departed from Venice, it was an old Italian train that I was in. As you are departing from France, it may be a higher-quality French train car that you will be sleeping in.

Two other German night trains that I took were fine, even with all the people in one compartment. Most people just want to get as much sleep as they can before their long touristy day, so they try to get to sleep quickly. This is especially true if the compartment is not filled up with a big group of people travelling together. If most of the other people are strangers, few individuals will spend much time talking, and therefore keeping the others awake.

Trains are a great place to use a real (Prescription) sleeping pill

Think of 6 berth sleepers as being similar to a hostel experience. That will give you a good idea of what to expect. Top and bottom bunks are best for storage. The top usually has a small niche where a backpack size bag will fit, and a normal size (but not large) bag will usually fit under the bottom bunk. I've used a 6 berth overnight train twice. Since neither was a bad experience, guess I could say they were a good experience since they served their purpose. My experiences in 2 or 4 berth cabins were more comfortable, but that comes at a steep premium.

If you want to fly, check out whichbudget.com, skyscanner.net, and flylc.com for discount flights. Don't use their booking engines....find the airlines that make the run and go directly to their websites, so you're sure of all the luggage and check-in regulations. Easyjet and Myair both fly from Paris' two main airports to Venice Marco Polo. Ryanair flies from Paris "Beauvais" to Venice "Trevisio" which are quite a bit outside the cities.

Ok so I am rethinking the 6 berth sleeper. My other option is the train that leaves Paris Est at 8:24 and connects in switzerland and arrives in venice at 6pm. it takes one day from our trip although i suppose the scenery would be pretty. that is 65 euros per person. the only thing i had scheduled for that day was versailles. My travelling companion is an Adventist so I don't think he was too excited about sightseeing on a Saturday in any case as it is his sabbath.