We are flying in to Paris and out of Rome. What we need help with is determining if we should purchase our train tickets prior to leaving the US and if we should travel at night from Paris to Venice. Last year we traveled between Rome and Florence with ease, we purchased our tickets at the kiosk at the train station with no problem and found the fares reasonable. For some reason going from France to Venice seems to be a bit more challenging as we don't want to waste precious time traveling during daylight however we don't want to miss the Swiss Alps (if this is the route the train takes?) if it is worth it......any advice will be appreciated and welcome. Thanks!
Posted by
London, UK
286 posts
I was planning this route and found the train fares to be quite expensive. We were just going to carry on so I found a cheap airfare between Paris and Venice instead.
Point to point in Italy was more reasonable.
You will have to consider your trip motivations... cost, time, luggage restrictions, going green, scenic, slow pace, etc.
Posted by
Edmonds
20 posts
Are you trying to actually visit places in France and Switzerland? or are you planning on just heading to Venice from Paris?
If it is the latter (and it sounds like it, considering you want a night train), flying is by far the best economical option (both in terms of time and price - easyJet, for example, has usually 1 or 2 flights a day, usually very cheap if booked well ahead of time).
Trains through the alps are beautiful, but... most routes end up going through many long tunnels (i.e. Bern->Milan), so what you see is a lot of dark, with the occasional view, albeit rather unspectacular (you need to usually venture on the Swiss and local trains to actually enjoy the Alps), plus, it takes hours and hours, as opposed to roughly 2 hours to fly.
The only train tickets I would consider buying ahead of time are Eurostar tickets (say, Padua->Florence and Florence->Rome), but even that could be excessive, considering the astronomical amount of trains that run (and as you mentioned, they are easy to buy when you need them).
Something to consider, and good luck!
Posted by
Kansas City, MO
113 posts
Your itinerary is almost identical to the trip that my wife and I took last month. (We added a stop in Siena after Venice). After weighing the pros and cons of a night train, we opted to fly from Paris to Venice. Check the rates on both Vueling and EasyJet airlines. You might be pleasanly surprised by the cost -- I know that we were. (Avoid Ryanair for this route, since they use out-of-town airports). Beyond that, I agree that you should be able to buy train tickets at the station and be fine.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Nicole, for the most part, you won't see any of the great alps views in Switzerland as most routes from Paris to Venice go through southeastern France directly into Italy. They miss Switzerland. I haven't checked but there may be a run via Bern. If you want to save precious daylight, Louis has the answer. Fly Vueling or Easyjet from Paris to Venice. You can do this in the late afternoon and be in Venice in time for a nice dinner. Better than 12.0hrs on the train. Often times less expensive as well.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Do you like traveling by train? Do you sleep well on trains? Are you willing to share a couchette with other travelers? If so, the direct Paris-Venice night train can be a good use of your time and money. It gives you more daylight hours for sightseeing and saves you the cost of a night in a hotel. Leave Paris-Bercy at 18:55 and arrive at Venezia Santa Lucia at 09:39. Booked far enough in advance (up to 90 days allowed) at www.voyages-sncf.com, you can get PREM'S fares of €35 for a bunk in a six-person couchette and €55 for a bunk in a four-person couchette. Or you can get a DEPART fare of €135 for a bed in a two-person sleeper. A four-person couchette is your best choice for combining economy with a bit of comfort. If you are willing to pay the price, a sleeper is best for both comfort and privacy.
Posted by
Seattle
14 posts
myair.com is another option for flying between paris and venice. Two summers ago my wife and I went Paris -> Venice -> Florence -> Rome and flew the paris to venice leg, and took trains between venice, florence, and Rome. We just booked our departing train tickets when we arrived in a city... no problems
Posted by
dallas, tx, usa
1358 posts
Considering your needs, buying point2point tickets will be best. I dont think a rail pass would be wise. Consider the number of days you will use the pass with the cost of p2p tickets.
You can buy your tickets at the station when you need them. That way you can be more flexible if you need to change plans.
If you choose to fly discount airlines, be aware that some fly from remote air terminals. Dont rely on reservations on the net. Be sure to use the toll free phone number so you can talk with an agent of the airline to be able to ask questions about their service.