My husband and I and our two teenage grandkids (girl and boy) are traveling with us from Rome to Paris. We would like to take the Palatino night train, and my husband and I are arguing over whether we should take 2 2-person sleepers or a 4-person couchette. Or whether we should just fly. I've read horror stories about smoking in non-smoking cars, filthy toilets, bedbugs in the bedding and more. Both of us love train travel, but the kids haven't ever done a sleeper, and I've never done one without a private toilet. I'd love to have some feedback from folks who've mre-or-less recently traveled this route in the summer (we're going in early July). Thanks so much
Posted by
Ottawa, Ontario,, Canada
521 posts
Hi Pam,
I travelled from Venice to Paris by night train last August. I actually took a number of night trains that summer and in none of them did I ever have problems with smokers, bedbugs, or filthy toilets.
On the international routes, there is an attendant for the couchette or sleeper cars, so if anyone is smoking they will handle it quickly if you advise them of it. As I have said, though, this was not a problem in my experience.
If you take couchettes, obviously you will not have a private bathroom. The only problem I have experienced with this is that sometimes you will have to wait to get a chance to use the bathroom, especially within 30-45 minutes of departure and arrival... otherwise they are basically empty.
As for the possibility of bedbugs in the bedding... remember that in couchettes there is barely any bedding at all. You are expected to sleep in your clothes, and you are only given a tiny pillow and usually just a sheet, which is folded and sewn in order to make something like an envelope that you slide into. It is difficult for bedbugs to hide in that, though I will not altogether rule it out.
The only negative that I had on the trip is that the air conditioning in the compartment was quite loud. The sleepers are much higher-end (and much more expensive), which means that mechanical issues like this are treated more seriously than in the low-cost couchettes. At least there was a/c, so I was happy with that.
Finally, make sure that a 4-person couchette is available. When I travelled Venice-Paris, only 6-person couchettes were available on that train.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
The sleepers on the Rome-Paris night train do NOT have private toilets. Your accommodation choices include 6- and 4-bunk couchettes and 3-, 2-, and 1-bed sleepers. For a complete description of this train, including photos, go here. Based on my experience in a couchette on the Nice-Paris night train, I think a couchette is perfectly adequate; but I would definitely book the 4-bunk rather than the 6-bunk version. More space for your luggage and less of a crowded feeling.
For the record, the Venice-Paris night train does have 4-bunk couchettes. Perhaps they were all booked when Steven took that train.
Posted by
Freedonia
15007 posts
Fly....You're taking the night train which means you won't see much out the window. I say fly and get a good nights sleep in a hotel.
Quite a few people have trouble sleeping on a train. I prefer taking the train during the day to see the scenery which is beautiful on this trip-only it's at night and you can't see anything.
That's why I'd fly.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Yep, I 'm with the "fly" crew. We flew from Rome to Paris last summer, the train was too expensive, even with a night in a hotel it was cheaper for us to fly. We used Vueling, cost us 80 euros each one way, and we stayed at Hotel Selene, which was 90 euros a night.
We have an RV.. we know about cramped sleeping conditions, we don't find it especially romantic or fun.. LOL , and thats with our unit parked, not rumbling down tracks,, and we have a private bathroom.