I am traveling to Europe this June and want to take the night train to Chamonix from Paris on June 22. I cannot find the tickets on the TGV site. Can anyone tell me if they still run this route? I will be traveling with my wife, two 10 year old daughters and my mother-in-law. We wanted to get a couchette train. Any help would be most appreciated.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
According to the timetables on the French Rail and the German Rail sites, the night train doesn't run beyond 14 March.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
There are two reasons why you are having trouble finding tickets. There wouldn't be a train all the way from Paris to Chamonix as the line through Chamonix is narrow-gauge. The overnight train from Paris ends at St Gervais le Fayet where you need to change to the narrow gauge train. Unfortunately the route beyond St Gervais is closed for reconstruction work and I think there is a bus replacement. I would search online for trains from Paris to Saint Gervais as the overnight train may still be running. The other issue is that French railways normally only open booking for trains three months in advance. Additionally, mid-June is one of the two times per year that train timetables in France are revised and as a result the booking period may not be opened the usual three months in advance but even closer to the time.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
There was a previous post that identified the night train as running from Paris to St-Gervais-les-Bains so I didn't identify it as such in mine. That post has now been deleted, making my reference unclear. However, the important point is that both the SNCF and Bahn timetables do not show the train running beyond 14 March.
Posted by
OP
Royal Palm Beach, FLorida, USA
4 posts
I cannot find any night trains between Paris and St. Gervais as early as now. Do they only run that route in late spring and summer?
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16241 posts
I posted earlier about the night train to St. Gervais-les-Bains but deleted it after Tim pointed out that the train does not run after March 14. That is the correct answer to Robert's question.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
I just checked the German Rail timetables. They show the night train running every day this week and next week. Since the timetables don't show the train running beyond 14 March, I'm guessing that it will be discontinued beyond that date, meaning no service in late spring or summer.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16241 posts
It is probably a train for skiers. The schedule I looked at after Tim posted about the end date said something in red letters about no service after March 14.