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Overnight trains from Paris to Nice

  • 8 April 2023
  • 7 replies
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Hello Community.  We are a family of 4 planning a European vacation this Summer, traveling by train between cities and countries.  We bought the Global Pass with Eurail and are trying to book an overnight train from Paris to Nice, leaving Paris July 1, 2023 and arriving in Nice the morning of July 2nd. The only option seems to have a stop over in Marseille from midnight to 6am.  We really would like to avoid sleeping in a train station.  What are we missing?  How can we find / book an overnight train from Paris to Nice?

Thanks in advance for your support,

Gabriel

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Best answer by thibcabe 8 April 2023, 23:29

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The night train should be available to book on eurail.com. Otherwise you could call SNCF : https://www.sncf.com/en/customer-service/contact-us/telephone (press #85 for English, no booking fee, delivery via e-mail)

It leaves Paris-Austerlitz at 8:51 pm and arrives in Nice at 9:08 am the following morning

EDIT : It doesn’t seem to run on 1st July unfortunately… The one leaving at 8:51 pm goes to Briançon in the Alps. You could take the last TGV of the day though.

  • TGV Paris Gare de Lyon - Nice-Ville 17:22 - 23:00 (10€ seat reservation)
T

Thank you @thibcabe.  I appreciate the quick response.  Another overnight option I am now seeing now is going from PARIS AUSTERLITZ to VEYNES DEVOLUY (FRANCE).  From there I can take the 7am to Marseille, arriving in Nice at 1pm July 2nd.  It is a longer journey but it may work. Thoughts on this? Any other ideas?  Do you know why the overnight Paris-Nice train is not running on July 1st?  

 

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I believe the night train to Nice doesn’t run that day because it runs to Briançon instead.

It is a nice route via Veynes-Dévoluy, you’ll see a bit of the Alps which not many people see. It’s a hidden and beautiful route I’d say ;)

 

Btw as you’re 4 people I’d actually recommend to book TGV rides (not possible for the night train) here : https://travel.b-europe.com/Eurail-GE/en/booking-tgv#TravelWish

4€ booking fee per order instead of the 2€ per people per journey on eurail.com. So you can book all your TGVs for only 4€ booking fee.

Marseille - Nice there are multiple trains :

  • TER Marseille St-Charles - Nice-Ville reservation-free 09:57 - 12:37 (connection seems a bit tight)
  • TGV Marseille St-Charles - Nice-Ville 10:20 - 12:58 10€ seat reservation
  • or you have breakfast in Marseille and then take the TER (reservation-free) at 11:57 (arrival in Nice at 14:37)

 

T

Great.  Thank you for the recommendations.  We very much appreciate your time and support.  

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Btw @rvdborgt I believe I've found another proof that SNCF dislikes Interrail/Eurail…

For 2nd July :

- TGV Marseille St-Charles - Nice-Ville 10:20 - 12:58 20€ seat reservation (quite weird for July already but I thought it was possible)

- TGV Valence TGV - Nice-Ville 08:48 - 12:58 10€ seat reservation

They don't want passes on such short journeys... but then the following thought : is it possible to buy a seat reservation between Valence and Nice and only board in Marseille ? I don't think so with the gates at the station :/

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For 2nd July :

- TGV Marseille St-Charles - Nice-Ville 10:20 - 12:58 20€ seat reservation (quite weird for July already but I thought it was possible)

- TGV Valence TGV - Nice-Ville 08:48 - 12:58 10€ seat reservation

They don't want passes on such short journeys... but then the following thought : is it possible to buy a seat reservation between Valence and Nice and only board in Marseille ? I don't think so with the gates at the station :/

Not sure if this is due to their dislike of pass holders. They play the same trick for normal tickets: from Marseille it's €41/59 (2nd/1st class), from Valence TGV €37/41. The non-availability of the €10 pass holder reservation is probably just a consequence of the cheaper contingents not being available anymore.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
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Just a note - TGVs between Marseilles and Nice operate on the same line as the regional trains and do not travel any quicker. It is therefore pointless to pay the 10/20 euro reservation fee for a TGV on such a short journey.

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