On May 21, 2021, the SNCF (Societé Nationale des chemins de Fer) which stands for France’s National State-Owned Railway Company announced the reopening of the night train travel. In this blog post, I will tell you a bit more about France’s night train and what this news means for Parisians like myself and tourists like you visiting Paris.
A bit of info about France night train travel
The night train was born in France in 1850. From that time until 1981, the train with bed wagon was a phenomenal success with more than 500 trains stations served around the country. Around the same year, the TGV or high speed train came along reducing time travel by offering a quick and fastest way to travel. As a result, the demand for night train travel decreased. Furthermore, with high competition from low cost airlines and less investments coming in, France night train travel was no longer attracting passengers. in 1996, there were only a few routes left such as the Paris-Briancon, Paris-Rodez-Toulouse-Latour-de-Carol that were deemed essential. However, in a bid to turn things around, on Thursday May 21, 2021, the SNCF announced its intention to give a second life to the night train by adding some new destinations from Paris to encourage people to fly less and use a more ecological approach to travel.
Before I jump into what France night train travel Paris to Nice means for us travelers, I would like to remind you especially if you are new to this space what Frenchyliving is all about. Fwenchyliving was created to highlight travel to France and sharing tips on how you can visit France without a car. If you would like to know more on why I came about this decision, feel free to read my about page here then comeback to this post. Now that you know a bit more about me and why you are here, let’s get into it.
What does that mean for us?
Flying less and using a more ecological approach to travel
-Not having to beg and persuade friends who can drive to go on a road trip
-Going to bed in Paris and waking up in the South of France
-Not having to wory about driving in a foreign country with a foreign driver’s license
-Not being distracted
-Not having to worry about falling asleep at the wheel
-Not being stuck in traffic leaving and returning to Paris
-Not being lost or not knowing local laws
A study conducted by Pines Salomon Injury Lawyers revealed that one of the top causes of car accidents is distraction. In this study, we clearly see that cell phones are one of the major causes of car accidents. In other words, if you know you will be distracted by your phone, perhaps it will be best not to have your phone next to you while driving. When traveling by train, this is something that we don’t have to worry about. We can talk all we want, surf on the internet, send text messages and so forth… You get my point. Now that we covered several reasons why traveling by train is something you should look into especially if you plan on visiting Paris or any other French cities, let’s get into some of the perks to expect on that France night train travel Paris to Nice route. You will get:
- A bed wagon or reclyned seat to sleep
- A train kit including:
- A bottle of water
- A face mask
- Tissue
- Refreshing wipes
- Toothpaste in a tablet and chewable form
A train will leave every day from Gare d’Austerlitz around 8:52 pm to arrive the next day around 9:06 am in Nice. Consequentyl travel time will be around 12 hours considering that it will make a few local stops along the way in cities such as:
- Marseille
- Toulon
- Les Arcs Draguignan
- Saint Raphaël Valescure
- Cannes
- Antibes
- Nice final stop
Does that sound like something that you would like to do? Then let’s continue and take a look at how much it will cost?
Price
From 19 euros for a reclinable seat. Starting from 29 and 39 euros for a bed wagon in second class and in first class.
Best to book off peak seasons to save money on tickets
Where to book? Vist sncf.com
In conclusion, there are many reasons why France night train travel Paris to Nice should be something to consider on your next trip to France. As stated above, some of the main reasons are going to bed in Paris and waking up the next morning in the South of France, not being distracted, flying less and use a more ecological approach to travel within France. Aren’t you excited to pack and unpack your bag to discover the South of France? What are your thoughts on this? Feel free to leave me a comment down below.
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