Amazing Value SLEEPER TRAIN from Paris to The Pyrenees
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Hello and welcome back to France for an amazing value night train!
Today we will be travelling from the capital, Paris, down to Latour-de-Carol in The Pyrenees mountains, on the border with Spain. These services offer great value shared Couchette beds which is one of the most cost-effective to cross France in comfort. So let's go and check them out together!
Many thanks to Ben from @trainlagged for making this video possible. Check his channel out!
Date of Filming: 20/2/23
Camera: GoPro Hero 10 Black
Operator: SNCF (French Railways)
Departure: Paris Austerlitz, France
Arrival: Latour-de-Carol, France
Cost: Second Class Seat from €19 (£16, $21)
6-bed Couchette Seat from €37 (£32, $40)
4-bed Couchette Seat from €68 (£58, $74)
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Loving the mountain scenery. 😍
Looks like a great train journey … but I agree, it would be even better if sleepers and food was available. 👌
Definitely!
3:32 The typical noise of the compressor of the BB and CC (and the TGV PSE) of that time.
8:08, 8:45 If you look closely, you can see the catenary almost horizontal...it's the Midi catenary (Westinghouse by its official name). An attachment point for the catenary and a judicious positioning of the pylons. In curves the catenary is placed horizontally.
Oh man, these couchette trains took me decades ago, years before the tgv.. And the Gisclard bridge view,. Great
😍😍😍
time frame 8:49-50 great view of the S.N.C.F BB locomotive, sparks captured from the pantograph
I wish VIA Rail would bring back couchettes. I remember going to see my grandparents in Montréal in Pullman-style sleepers built in the '50s. I wouldn't mind sharing a room as long as my fellow passengers are pleasant.
A great idea!!
I went back in time to last Monday at about 6:15 PM CEST
P.S: The weather is so hot, 42 degrees Celsius at my location when I'm writing this, but Wednesday will be worse than today, so I decided to go back in time to last Monday to watch this video a little bit fresher than normally
*Btw, from Latour-de-Carol you can transfer into a Renfe Rodalies' Cross-Border, Regional Train down to Barcelona via Puigcerdà, Ripoll & Vic*
I hope the heat is treating you ok PRT! ✌🏻😃
Great to see the 7200s still going strong - especially 7399 at the end, wearing its heritage SNCF plaque. Thanks for the video - fond memories of SNCF couchettes in the 1990s!
Thanks for watching!
Ngl quite good accent
🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷
true do have a great accent
Really missing the french T2 sleepers on these routes. Maybe SNCF can start buying some second-hand sleepers once NightJet get their new stock.
Absolutely!
Love it ❤❤😊😊
What a pleasant surprise! I thought all French night trains had been axed a few years ago.
Far from it, they're actually bringing more routes back too!
Most of them were permanently stopped in the 2010s but they've been gradually coming back in the past couple of years. It's a slow - and so far only partial - movement.
another fantastic episode
Another lovely video. Such adorable background music. Takes me back to my childhood. Can't get enough of it.
Glad you enjoyed it ✌🏻
😂😂 Not with 5 strangers. There is that humor in play. Great video as usual. You have made a train rider out of me in Europe.
That was the plan ✌🏻🤣
This is great.
Great video !!
Thanks!
Oh dear! The thought of several pairs of possibly "fragrant" shoes sitting on a shelf overnight in
the 6-bed compartment while people try to sleep. Good to know the window does in fact open!
It's not for everyone, but a cost effective way of travelling
❤
I enjoy watching your videos, partly because I like travelling by train, and partly because they are subtitled in English, and with your comments in the same language, it helps me to further consolidate my knowledge of English.
Thank you very much!
Thank you very much!
Hello ! Thank you very much for vidéo 😮
No problem 😊
That was a brilliant video and really inexpensive way to travel to the south . Keep up the good work 👍.😊
Thank you so much 😀
Nice video, carefully paced, good audio, thanks!
Glad you liked it!
Excellent video - really enjoyed this.
Glad you enjoyed it 😁
Bellevideohenri
🤩
Nice video there, classic alsthom bo bo electric 7200,arking well in the cold weather,sncf i thought had really got rid of all domestic internal sleepers,then this little gem turns up.European sleeper travel is really on a upward turn,since obb took overnight sleeper train markets round 2016 from db,sbb,fs etc, under nightjet branding,brussels,Amsterdam, paris now connected recently.i
I definitely would like to go to Spain on the train. Including to Madrid and Barcelona. And even to Portugal on the train as well. Awesome train journey. 👍
Mega European trip for you Andrew?!
Mega European trip for you Andrew?!
Great trip. When you mentioned Andorra, I think it's great if you visiting it by public transportation. Sleeping with other 5 strangers on Couchette? Bit weird, but yeah, I prefer Nobi-Nobi seat in Sunrise Express.
It's just normal in much of Europe
I still think it would be good to bring one’s own blanket. Then you could use their blanket for a mattress pad. Much more comfy.
Great! Spent many nights and many thousands of kms in 6 berth couchette compartments - never had a problem and always interesting sharing travel stories with fellow passengers - a great way to travel without the expense of a sleeper.......sadly there's many snobs around nowadays!
I don't think one is a snob simply because one prefers a sleep compartment to oneself. I'm more than happy to have conversations with my fellow passengers, but just prefer not to sleep alongside them
Great to hear!
Yea imagine wanting privacy to sleep or read and not have to talk to a condescending twt like you that thinks people that want privacy and not a room of others body odour are ‘snobs’
@@buzzukfiftythreeagree.
I’m a real introvert- and neurodivergent- and the idea of sharing a room with five strangers fills me with horror.Please, I’m not a snob, it’s just the way I’m made.
Wow!! You blew up I remember watching your vids when you only had a few thousand subs and you used subtitles congrats!!!
Thanks! I hope you like them more now?! 😄
@@NonstopEurotrip I actually became kind of a plane nerd so I don't really watch your vids anymore but I'm happy yours were successful since even with subtitles I liked them
1:25 ist nicht nur Musik, es ist Liebe. 😍
✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻
I seem to remember reading a few years ago that the SNCF was going to re-introduce and improve night train services in France and with its neighbours. New stock was to be purchased (including, hopefully, proper sleeper berths). Not heard any more about it but I think there has been at least one former service re-introduced recently (albeit with the venerable Corail stock).
PS Liked hearing your French!
Thank you for your kind comments! And no, nothing else has been announced about new stock afaik! 😢
Has llegado a esa estación desde Perpignan y desde París. Ahora solo te falta llegar desde Barcelona que también tiene muy buen paisaje.
Indeed yes!
Always enjoyable.
My wife took one look at the 6 bed couchette and said "Er, No!" I thought you'd done this trip before at the time you did Le Petit Train Jaune - maybe it was Simply Railway.. They seem to have been working on Gare Austerlitz for years..
Wasn't me I'm afraid! Would she not do it even with a private cabin?
@@NonstopEurotrip Private sleeper - yes - couchette with strangers - no..
@@markellis6413 while SNCF doesn't have sleepers anymore, only couchette, you can privatise your couchette compartment for a fee. Seat 61 has an explanation on how to.
@@markellis6413worth noting this is very commonplace in the whole of Europe bar the UK, and is extremely safe.
These couchettes look nice! I would love it if you tried the sleeper train Canopus. It even has a Restaurant car from Prague to Leipzig
Thanks for the idea!
....and the tiny plastic water bottle ( 250 ml) is " generous" courtesy of the SNCF company.
In France you can have sleeper trains and High Speed Trains: TGV Paris-Bordeaux, August 22, departure Paris 9:07 am - arrival Bordeaux 11:14 am, journey time 2h07mn for a 570 km travel, priced at 39 euros. (btw TGV holds world speed record on rails: 380 kph (1981), 515 kph (1990), 574 kph (2007)
Something similar exists also in Italy, mainly along the Turin-Milan-Rome-Naples-Salerno corridor: Frecciarossa (about 7 hours) and Intercity Notte (about 12-13 hours)
@@gab_v250 Sorry, I don't want to be picky but 7h to travel 756 km doesn't seem that "fast": average speed 108kph.😳
@@marsupiomarsupi4421 tbf in the cities it comes back on the classic line and makes some frequent stops.
Still a good alternative for who doesn't want to drive
@@gab_v250 OK got it. You're right, still a more relaxing & pleasant travel than a car trip.
Done the 6 bunk couchette thing from Frankfurt to Paris once, not ever again, after always stumped up for 1st class or stuck with seated 2nd class after that.
Must have been a very long time ago!
The future of European travel , a lot less short flights , sleeper trains are coming back big time 😊
Absolutely YES!
From this Station a local train goes to spainbto Barcelona
As mentioned in the video
They could have a food cart with warm breakfast options, would sell well.
I agree!
I agree as well, but the French don't really do much breakfast, it's basically just a coffee and a croissant or a piece of baguette with butter and jam. You'll have to buy it beforehand yourself, I'm afraid.
登録したよ！
?
Excellent video! We’re the other 5 “couchettes” occupied on your trip? Or were some empty?
2 were
An enjoyable train journey, but I'd prefer to take it during the daytime and view the scenery. Plus I've never much fancied sharing a 'bedroom' with 5 friends, never mind complete strangers.
Fair enough!
What both Société Nationale Chemin du Fer Français Infra🇫🇷 and ADIF Spain should have done inside Latour de Carol is putting in a Gauge Changer at that station so that the service can continue straight to Barcelona Sants via the Pyranees. For the final section inside France the Talgo VGA loco must take over from the BB7200 Nez Cassé hauling the Talgo coaches if SNCF decided to order them.
European Sleeper has the intention of bringing back a night train between Barcelona and the north, but their plans are more aiming at getting authorisation to use the HSL to Barcelona, so no need for gauge changers. The old trenhotel from Paris (and Switzerland/Italy) did change gauge, but used the much faster coastal line through Portbou, so that's the much likelier option.
I don't mind the change of train, to be honest (you arrive late enough to want to sit upright, and the couchettes generally stay in night mode), it's an opportunity to stretch your legs, but I do mind that the train to Barcelona simply doesn't exist in most international planners because Renfe doesn't deem it necessary to communicate Rodalies trains timetables... And just completely forget that you can get a through ticket...
@@barvdw Do you mean LGV Perpignan Barcelona? That meant Renfe S252 1.435m Tri voltage version Barcelona to Avignon via Perpignan while an SNCF or SNCB Tri Voltage train runs to the last French stop where a loco swap happens. Remember the Trenhotel Barcelona-Milano uses S252 to Portbou SNCF BB7200 Portbou to Modane or Culoz where an FS E402BF runs Culoz/Modane Milano Centrale.
@@EpicThe112 no, I meant that they could use just any rolling stock that is allowed on the LGV (the LGV Perpignan-Barcelona is technically capable of carrying freight trains, not just TGV and AVE, as the technique behind those gauge changers is quite expensive and difficult to maintain. Unfortunately, Renfe has no intention whatsoever to bring back the Talgo trenhotel rolling stock, so you'd have to buy either new axle-changing trains, or (what European Sleeper prefers to do) rent some older second-hand trains and see if there's a market.
It's not a popular enough route!
@@NonstopEurotrip it's beautiful, sure, but slow as heck and apart from Toulouse and Barcelona, there aren't many big destinations along the way you'd need to go to. There are more people travelling to Figueres, Gerona, Perpignan or Narbonne than probably to all destinations between Toulouse and Barcelona combined. I'm pretty sure this route will remain a niche, which I sincerely hope is maintained, but I don't see it becoming the main through route to Barcelona.
Nice one 👍 did you end up having to share, or were you the sole occupant?
Share but not the whole way
Hi, have you done or considered doing the Andean Explorer trip?
Hopefully next year!!!
Bonito vídeo. Este tren nocturno es un buen exponente de los trenes expreso que circulaban no hace muchos años por España; una lástima que los quitasen todos, pues ofrecían un excelente servicio, comunicando muchísimas pueblos y ciudades en horario nocturno, con lo cual se podía llegar a primera hora de la mañana a destino. Pero el AVE se llevó una buena parte del ferrocarril, a cambio de servicios muy determinados a la competencia con el avión. Una lástima.
Indeed yes, but I miss the Trenhotel 😭
It's too bad they don't have proper sleeper carriages anymore. ☹️
Sad times xx
Indeed. Not having those definitely rules me out for this trip.
Never had save in 1st class but it was very expensive
@@lioneldemun6033 I'm fine paying the price, I'm just not fine with spending the night with (potentially) up to 5 strangers in a bunk bed 🙄
@@paulthiel5145 as an American your standard of living is better than the average Frenchman don't forget it (average monthly salary in France 2.300 $ how much in the US?)
1:25, 1:54 the sncf jingle
😎😎😎😎😎😎😎
nice trip report, thanks for that! One question, the windows can be generally opened, or is there a lock? I heard from someone that the windows are locked and you need a key for that. Cheers.
That very much depends.. sometimes is the best answer lol
So...when you purchase your ticket for the 6 bed coach...do you get to decide which bed you get or is it "first come, first served" ??? Thanks for the tour...beautiful countryside...🚂🚂
you can choose in 1st class on the internet( lower, middle upper bed or you can privatise the whole cabin for an additional cost of 70 euros ). For the 2 class, you have to share your room and can choose your bunk. You also can choose, if your a woman, to be in a cabin with other women.
thanks@@fargedimitri5043
I used the baggage lockers at Austerlitz on our last day in Paris before our flight home. That was in 2018. The renovations were well in progress back then, and this video was recent...? Yikes. During a previous trip in 2008 I had two days in Latour de Carol after taking le petit train jaune. Just one thing to say - you will NOT go hungry in Latour de Carol.
Yes, it's very ongoing lol
how infrequent ARE the Barcelona trains x?
You'll have to check the timetable for the current offerings
Hmm the last piece of instrumental music was what prey? A very popular bollywood hindi song was probably inspired by it or other way round
All the music information is in the description
Hello, can you please tell me how you purchased sleeper train tickets? I'm on the SNCF website and app but they don't show a sleeper train option.
All the information can be found here:
www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/intercites-de-nuit.htm
how full was the train?
Mostly
Bom dia lindo trem cama muito bom
how do you book the whole cabin to yourself? do they serve breakfast on the train?
You can't I'm afraid, unless you book all the beds!
Not sure in 2nd, but you can privatise a cabin in 1st (Espace Privatif). Seat 61 has an explanation on how to. The supplement (on top of a 1st class ticket) is €70, or €50 if you share with a friend, €40 with 2 friends (each with their own 1st class ticket, of course).
Lovely video amigo. Wondered what the sound level was like inside the couchette? I guess not as quiet as a TGV? Also how much would a 4-berth be with an interrail I wonder?
I maybe able to get from Berlin to Paris, have a meal with OUAT, then head on to the south, and see who wants to join :)
They're good coaches tbh, you should definitely try on your next migration Ian ✌🏻
4-berth couchette is considered 1st class by SNCF, so you'd need a 1st class Interrail pass. But the supplement is about €20, which is very reasonable. I have heard (but not tested) that you can buy a 1st class couchette reservation with a 1nd class Interrail pass for a small supplement, but can't find that info, so that's something to test out phoning SNCF telesales (neither Interrail nor SNCB seem to be able to sell it).
@@barvdwthanks, yeah SNCF's call centre was actually brilliant for interrail. Very efficient, and took maybe 4 minutes to do what I spent ages trying to do online - at the time Barcelona -> Paris TGV. Sorted fast :)
@@IanMossManchester agreed. But for people from outside France, or even the US, an international phone call from say Australia is not really that great. I prefer the Norwegians, tbh, they have a chat function performing basically the same function. You then get a payment link by e-mail, and the tickets/reservations as soon as you've paid. I'm not the only one who's more comfortable typing my question instead of phoning in a language that isn't mine...
@@barvdwSounds like the Norwegian system could be great for any new operator to follow. Possibly less journies in Norway than France though. Unsure on the ideal solution for someone in Australia. Probably spending on a European booker would be a wise investment.
And in age of climate emergency, should we encourage long-haul flights? Probably not tbh.
Il était une fois, une marchande de foie qui vendait du foie dans la ville de Foix.
Fritz Fischer fischt frische Fische
Le petit tran jaune is to the Catalans what the Tour d´Eiffel is to the Parisians.
But much nicer 😍
I was gonna take this for a hiking trip in November but had to cancel for a stupid work thing 😭
😭😭😭
2:27 i think "terminate" in Toulouse is the wrong wording because they shall go to Hendaye/ Cerbere
Oh 🙃
soon Indonesia will operate a high speed train, will you try it soon?
Of course 😄
Private sleeper ? A quick seat 61 search suggests it's possible to buy something called Espace Privatif but it's not cheap (150E 2nd class or 180E 1st class)
Not available on this service
@@NonstopEurotrip Doesn't work if it's quite full 😅
What was in the amenities kit?
Ear plugs, eye mask, wet wipe
@@NonstopEurotrip cheers! Thank you for your great videos!
I tried to book this train, but it was sold out months before my planned departure from Latour-de-Carol.
More likely was it probably hadn't gone on sale yet....
@@NonstopEurotrip I tried it through dutch railways' NS-International, who said that this and other night trains are fully booked very early. I tried 2 months before the planned departure.
Maybe our wish to have a 2-persons cabin made it more difficult.
@@KoenMeier check the SNCF website or app. They can be funny
Kann man die Decke und Bettwäsche behalten?
No 😂
Is it known if any of the bombadier loco's there came from the dutch intercity train lines? Or were these to old to be put into other services?
No idea sorry
@@NonstopEurotrip no problem
is it safe for a mother and a son ? especially the nice-paris austerlitz one ?
Pretty secure. While you will likely share your compartment with strangers, they are in the same boat, they have to be able to trust you, too, so there's an implied level of mutual trust. You can close your compartment to outsiders, so it's only your fellow passengers, reducing risk even further. And because French Intercités de Nuit doesn't stop at night (to guarantee an uninterrupted sleep between roughly midnight and 6), it's very unlikely a thief would come on board along the way...
That said, of course don't show off all of your bling, while theft is not rampant, it can happen; you might feel a bit safer in first class (that's the couchette with 4 beds in stead of 6), and you can privatise your compartment for a fee.
@@barvdw thanks i really want to do it but i cant seem to convince
I've never had any problems on a sleeper train but you can buy the whole compartment in First Class
@@NonstopEurotrip Women can also tick the "Women only" box during booking and only share their compartment with other women and their children up to 12 for no additional fee.
Hello mate..what is the maximum speed of this train?
160km/h
No mention of handicapped accessibility on this one?
Sorry 😟
Did you get breakfast or just jump on the yellow train.
Both 😁
While the ride quality of these Corail coaches is excellent, they are in dire need of some new carriages. These date back from the 70s and 80s last century! There's only so much you can do with a refurbishment...
Still, I'm happy they have halted the decline (for now), bringing back night trains from Lille, Luxembourg, Strasbourg and Nantes should be the next step.
Night trains = back to 100 years ago.😂😡
@@lioneldemun6033 these aren't the trains from 100 years ago, though. And if you have a look at what ÖBB is purchasing for their new Nightjets, or when you see the Mk5 carriages on the Caledonian sleeper, you'll quickly notice a lot more comfort and amenities. En-suite showers, comfy beds, etc.
Night trains still serve a purpose. As an example, I can board the Nightjet to Vienna after work and a quick dinner (or a picnic on the train), sleep the whole night, and arrive refreshed in Vienna after breakfast, ready for the day. If I'd travel by train during the day, I'd be out for at least 10 hours, arriving well after I could do anything productive. If I'd drive, it'd be even longer. Flying then? Either I leave at the same time and have to pay for a hotel upon arrival, or I'd have to get up in the middle of the night to arrive shortly after when the train has pulled into Vienna main station.
I agree with you ☺️
Do they serve breakfast?
No catering, as mentioned
I'm french and unfortunately WE haven't any services in our trains. If you want drink or eat Something, you'll be buy food and Drinks in a shop
@@guillaumekoch604 Thank you for your kind reply.
@@hemaccabe4292 You're Welcome ;) Honestly, make a trip in an Intercités is Like to trip with a Soviet train 😂 All Wagon were build in the 80's. If you want to be in modern time, Take the TGV 😊
How come you got a bed? Every French night train I try to book, there is no bed option. It’s just seats. 🤔
Because I booked one
@@NonstopEurotrip But on the official Rail Europe site it doesn’t offer that option. 🤔
@@NonstopEurotrip Update: my bad! I’ve found the couchette bit. Just one thing: did you _honestly_ pay just €35 for the trip? Every price I see is at least double that.
@@titteryenot4524 yes
@@NonstopEurotrip Wow! Ty for the short but sweet replies. 👍
For €37 a bed, I'd purchase all 6 so I can have the entire room for myself.
You could do that 😅
Nothing says 'romantic' about sharing a cabin with 5 strangers.. at all..... More like sleepless night..
I keep meaning to comment that I really like the fact that you frequently mention accessibility options in your videos. I think that's super important as so many times it's a guessing game..
Not really different from a hostel in that way, at least I personally never had an issue with that
Glad you like it 😁
@@gefitrop3496I wouldn’t stay at a hostel. You know it doesn’t make you a better person sleeping in a train dorm listening to others snoring or farting.
I feel sorry for you...
Y r European trains having less coaches. Because yr population is less. But in India we hv i think 23 /24 coaches per train - long trains.
But most trains run every hour or two, so they don't need to be longer
You would need to pay me to share that space with strangers
How much?
Surprising lack of information. Noise levels, food on board, arrival time?
No food on board, as mentioned. The ride and noise levels are good and we arrived on time! Sorry!
Sharing a cabin with three or five strangers? No thanks. So dangerous especially for women.
First of all, each one has different preferences and you can certainly decide that it's not for you but maybe you should try to refrain from stating things about something you've never tried. Next time, instead of stating something, like that it's unsafe, try asking first.
As for the specifics, when booking you can ask for a women only area and you'll share the cabin with other women.
Nope, it's just normal.
true
В России такого позора,как 6-местные купе нет и никогда не было! Это как же надо не уважать своих граждан,чтобы возить их в такой тесноте! Тьфу!
In France there's no such thing as disgraceful Platzkart
@@NonstopEurotripВ плацкарте,по крайней мере,можно нормально сидеть и нормально дышать.
@@NonstopEurotrip you Russophobic scum
No need for this toxicity, плацкарт has more space and breathing room, 6-bed couchettes have lockabke compartments and kinda more privacy.
Both are fine, why put one down?
My Lithuanian relatives remember when they were deported in cattle trucks by Russians so don't get all superior.