I'm planning a trip to France and Italy this summer and would like to take the night train from Paris to Venice. If I purchase a railpass, does an overnight trip count as one of my days and if so, what is the upcharge? Also, what is the best way to make reservations for night trains? Finally, I noticed that there is also a night train from Chamonix to Paris. Does anyone have any info on this?
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
I suggest you click on the Railpasses tab at the top of the page you're reading now and read the detailed information you'll find there. It tells you that with a railpass you will have to pay a supplement for seat reservations on trains that require them and a supplement for sleeping accommodations on night trains. The cost of night train supplements depends upon the type of accommodations you choose. You will also find information on the "7pm rule" regarding night trains. If you travel on a night train that departs after 7pm, you enter the date for the next day on your pass and use only one pass day. If you have a railpass, you can make reservations for night trains with either Rail Europe or Euraide.
However, you may find that it will be cheaper to buy point-to-point tickets for the Paris-Venice night train and for your train trips in Italy. Fares in Italy are relatively inexpensive. If you have a pass and travel on fast EuroStar Italia trains, the seat reservation fee will be 15-20 euros, nearly half of what many tickets cost. For timetables and fares go to www.trenitalia.com.
If you book the Paris-Venice night train well in advance (up to 90 days allowed) at www.tgv-europe.com, you can get discount fares. To keep the site in English and avoid being bumped to the Rail Europe site which doesn't offer discount fares, choose Great Britain as your country of residence and Great Britain as the country in which you will retrieve your tickets. Don't worry. You can pick up your tickets at the station in Paris by presenting the credit card you used when booking and the confirmation number you'll be given by e-mail.
For detailed information on the Paris-Venice night train, including photos of the sleeping accommodations, go here.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Or you could fly for 20-80 euros .
Posted by
Powell River, Canada
359 posts
Tim gave you the method for booking the sleeper train Paris/Venice, pat the alternative. If you do decide for the night train, book well in advance. We did it this past May but because I'd procrastinated, we had to do Paris/Nice/Venice to get a double compartment. Was OK, but we did have a 4 hour layover in Nice which was mitigated by seeing the lights glimmering at night in the very expensive coastal towns/areas east of Nice as we headed for Italy. Wouldn't do it again but glad we did it once.