Paeis to Nice night train

1,you did not state for when=the most imprtt point. Nearly all out of EUR here are waaaaaaaaaaaay too early.

2.I have read in dedicated railfan forums there are indeed some probs with this train-probs often mean that the railway, in this case an utmost state-burocracy, cannot yet decide on the exact timings-lo&behold if they have to change that with 5 or 3 mins later on. The only remedy is sit&wait. But perhaps others have read/seen more info.

3.it will be impossible to only use nite-trains. As such Nice is already a dead-end: can only go back same way. But at least doing that you cannot go in ESpana-as there are none left there. This is the most problematic country for pass-users.

Also a simple couchette place (last yr) cost 21,50 on SNCF-it is often possible to find hoStelbeds for less-plus that these offer far-way more in comfort and other conveniences. In East-EUR extra cost tend to be far less-but so do hoStelbeds there.

Thanks for responding. I will be travelling in May. However, I looked for that route in February and then late January (as a test, to see if May was too far out) and I still could not find a way to book that route. Not through the Eurail system nor the SNCF system. And yes, I realize Nice is the end of the route. But I would be happy to go back to Paris and then take the Nightjet to Vienna the next night.

It seems a strange idea to only use night trains and I assume you are not intending spending any nights in static accommodation, The challenge sounds similar to those who simply take satisfaction of doing as many Km as possible during their pass. Good luck.

Just a thought, why not modify your concept and allow day trains to join the next night trains? From Nice it is only a few houre via Ventimiglia into the Italian night network (including a recent notification of a service to La Spezia. Rome to Sicily is an obvious experience, but you could link with a return day IC back to Rome to connect the same night with your next train.

Once finished with Italy you can then criss cross the Alps up to Vienna and mesh with the NightJet service across upper Europe. 

Personally I have never understood the use of sleepers on a train (except maybe the Orient Express). I far prefer to sleep in an en-suite room, in a decent sized bed, have a proper breakfast and meander on to my next train.

Even worse in my world is the thought of sharing my bedroom with strangers. (Yes I am a kranky old man).

Thank you to those who responded.

To Yorkie, we have something in common. I, too, am a cranky old man.

A few more questions, if you’ll indulge me. My trip will be from May 7 to May 20. This is my first time using a Eurail pass. As mentioned, my intention is to use night trains for accommodation (yes, that may not sound comfortable or particularly glamorous, but I’m travelling alone and I’m not really too concerned about my personal comfort). I’d like to book the first few days of my trip so that I can start stress-free. My questions:

1. During that time period (May 7-20), how easy is it to just book a spot on a night train on the day of the journey? Are spots hard to come by at that time of year, meaning should I reserve a spot earlier? Or is it safe to wait until the day of the planned journey, or perhaps a day earlier, and just kind of wing it on the fly? I guess I’m wondering how much I need to be worried about a structured trip if I’m using night trains predominantly.
2. If a person is travelling at night with either a couchette or sleeper berth, are there other cars on the train where a person could be, other than the place where you sleep? A bar car, for example, or a dining car, or just regular seats in a coach car?
3. If I make a reservation on a night train but decide to change my mind at the last minute, can I cancel the reservation? If I’ve already paid for the supplement for the couchette or sleeper, is that money lost?
4. Mcadv (see above) mentioned hostel rooms as a more comfortable alternative to night trains, and mentioned that the costs are comparable. I haven’t had any luck finding that to be the case. Does anyone have any recommendations on a hostelling website? Is it best to look country by country?

Thank you again for your help. Steve B.

1. Depends on the route. They can sell out quite far in advance. But since there’s a lot of prolonged weekends in May, and mostly nice weather, it’s quite a popular holiday month for smaller trips. In which night trains are very efficient to get to your destination for tourists and short term holidaymakers! Best book in advance.
2. Depends on the train. From the top of my head, this is the case on the Caledonian Sleeper, Night Riviera Sleeper (both in the UK) and most Scandinavian night trains (from Vy, SJ and VR). This is not the case on the Nightjet or the French sleepers. I don’t know about the other companies offering night trains. On nightjet you can order drinks and food with your car attendant.
3. Depends on the company and the cancellation policy. The more expensive the ticket/reservation, the more flexible it is usually.
4. Hostelworld, booking.com, hostelling international or just google “hostel + city” and you sure find some results.

Scandivian nighttrains have the best service and are most comfortable (because of the wider trains over there and the possibility to take a shower in a nearby hotel once you arrive) and the British sleepers have quite a good service, with a nice bar car. Nightjet is okay in the sleeper-accomodation, but the coupling together of train sets in the middle of the night usually always wakes me up. I only would consider it if you would want to gain some time by travelling overnight. It’s quite often delayed too.

And if you only take night trains, you miss out on a lot of good scenery on some routes! I would recommend taking sleepers to save some time on shorter trips, or on routes you did already a lot. For the rest, stick to day trains, they’re more frequent, comfortable and have usually a good service on longer distances (bar or restaurant car) and better punctuality.

Since I’m on a roll, more stupid questions:

1. Would this Type C adapter be a) compatible with electric sockets on board European trains, and b) compatible in general with European sockets? (I’m Canadian, hence the uncertainty on my part.)
2. Is the Berlin to Stockholm (or Hamburg to Stockholm, I guess) journey a decent one via night train?

1. Yes, except in the UK and Ireland. Most modern trains have a plug or USB-plug. On older material or typical commuter trains you might not have plugs.
2. That’s via the Snälltåget train company, that night train. There’s a restaurant car “Krogen” for only a bit of the journey - between Malmö and Stockholm (whichever direction you’re travelling, northbound or southbound).

Or via SJ. SJ is currently running a Euronight service between Stockholm and Hamburg but the train will, if everything goes as planned, be prolonged to Berlin from April to September.