 Poster: A snowHead
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Has anyone done the Eurostar night train from London to BstM?
(Not the disco train!)
How comfy is it?
Is it worth paying for 1st class?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Boredsurfing, Yep, on my day trip earlier this year. It ws fine, but I was on my own and had a double seat and the carriage was half empty. In first class you will have more space and it'll be quieter, but travelling alone risks getting allocated one of the single seats (but better than sharing a double I suppose). depends how much extra 1st is, i probably wouldn't pay it, but i can sleep anywhere.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Boredsurfing, I have a few times and it came as a bit of a surprise that the seats in steerage dont recline, plus they leave the lights on all night. bring eye shades and upgrade if you have the means... (i never have so cant comment) 
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Euro star night train..??? isn't that a bit overkill....? the train gets there in 4 hrs from Paris so you'll likely lay up in a siding for eons or dawdle down there which would be waste of the train, wouldn't it..?
Unless it leaves London at about 23:00, I can't see the point on them using such a train...
Anyway, haven't done it..only the normal overnight service
The key is not getting a carriage too close to the buffet bar...if it is open...as you'll get passers through every 5 mins and destroy/upset/wake-up the journey
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I haven't used the Eurostar overnight service, however I have used an overnight (non-sleeper) service in Spain. It wasn't a great experience I have to say. I got a bit of sleep, but it wasn't terribly comfortable. I'd definitely go with first class if you can.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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JT, Apparently it leaves Ashford around 9.30 on Friday night and gets to Bourg around 6/7 am. Saturday. Theres no Saturday day availablity train on the date I want 
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| Boredsurfing wrote: |
| Has anyone done the Eurostar night train from London to BstM? |
Yes.
Very uncomfortable in 2nd class.
| Quote: |
| Is it worth paying for 1st class? |
If I were forced to take that train again I would.
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The whole point of the train is speed so you aren't in the chair for too long.
Overnight, I would think the train would have to 'bleed' time...so I would go for the normal overnighter either from Paris or London if it suited better.
As least in the couchette you stand a chance of getting some sleep if you room-mates are condusive, and you will be lying down.
I can doze anywhere but the lights and the comings and goings in the carriage would put me right off the idea. Daytime..? best way to travel, IMV
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Boredsurfing, we've done it... twice.
Cattle class - 2 seats, aisle, 2 seats. No food/drink. No recliners.
First class - 1 seat, aisle, 2 seats. Champagne, meal with wine provided, eyeshades etc too. Definitely worth the extra IMHO. Try and make sure that you are in the middle of a carriage as the pneumatic doors at each end of the carriage are noisey and seem to have people (mainly crew  ) traipsing through them all night.
Although I've done it twice, not sure I would again as the amount of sleep was not huge. I preferred going via Paris and having couchettes (1st class again possibly worth the upgrade as cabins then have four beds not six)
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Nick L, Are the 1st seats clustered around a table?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Boredsurfing wrote: |
| Nick L, Are the 1st seats clustered around a table? |
Yes.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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get on, drink bottle of wine, go to sleep, wake up, ski
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Nick L, i take it the 1st class recline?
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You know it makes sense.
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I've never done the ski route, but I'm a veteran of going London to the Med by train - and couchette is immensely more comfortable than even first class Eurostar/TGV. If you're travelling mostly by day then First Class Eurostar would be my choice - but overnight the Snow Train has got to be the winner.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| skimottaret wrote: |
| i take it the 1st class recline? |
A little bit. About the same amount as a typical economy seat on a plane.
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Poster: A snowHead
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rob@rar, perhaps of interest to the debate i booked MrsSkimottaret on Eurostar from London and then the slower night train from Paris and the First class restricted fare was cheaper than an open 2nd class and a few Euros more that the budget fare... and much cheaper than the Eurostar direct...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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skimottaret, did you book that direct or through an agent?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Direct but it did involve a bit of hassle. there are numerous sites that all purport to do the same thing but all have different prices and availability. SNCF .fr and .co.uk, voyages, raileurope and tgv-europe.
If you use a french one and click on the english button it will sometime send you somewhere else. Only one gave me all the options, stupidly i cant remember which site gave me the most options.
i think it was http://www.voyages-sncf.com but in french langueage that was the best one...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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skimottaret, thanks. Shame it is so complicated to book - really puts me off traveling by train.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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The french overnight train from Gare D'Austerlitz is much more comfortable than the cranky old snow train. Climate controlled cabins, softer couchettes and better pillows/blankets etc. However, no 'disco carriage' for those that want to party and you do have to trek across Paris for it (although with the money you'll save from not doing the snow train or direct Eurostar probably very cost effective to take a cab). If there is a group of you it is worthwhile buying a SNCF railcard - it gives discount to the holder plus a whole load of others travelling with them. We were 6 and all saved 20% on the fare.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Overnight in Thailand is the best, if only they could bring that service to Europe.
Big pair of seats facing each other during the day, at about 7 pm 'your man' appears with a menu, produces brilliant freshly cooked food and ice cold beer from nowhere, clears it all up and then asks you to kindly let him set up your beds for you. Pulls them out, makes them with clean sheets and blankets. All he doesn't do is tuck you in and read a bedside story....all for about the cost of the train from Bristol to Cardiff (albeit 7 years ago)....imagine that on the disco train (or carnage carriage as we named it)...
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| skimottaret wrote: |
| Boredsurfing, I have a few times and it came as a bit of a surprise that the seats in steerage dont recline, plus they leave the lights on all night. bring eye shades and upgrade if you have the means... (i never have so cant comment) |
My sentiments entirely. I've done it once and once was enough for me, and that was when you could hook onto Eurorstar @ Waterloo. Now you have to go to ashford or st.P then it's useless for a south of a river guy.
I'd rather be stuck in a traffic jam at a peaage around lyon than take the overnight train again
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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[quote="skisimon"]
| sarep wrote: |
| The french overnight train from Gare D'Austerlitz is much more comfortable than the cranky old snow train. Climate controlled cabins, softer couchettes and better pillows/blankets etc. However, no 'disco carriage' for those that want to party and you do have to trek across Paris for it (although with the money you'll save from not doing the snow train or direct Eurostar probably very cost effective to take a cab). |
I'm doing the overnight to Chamonix at Xmas, using a couchette from Gare D'Austerlitz.
Is the bedding provided comfortable enough without taking your own?
and How secure is your luggage whilst your're asleep?
Hoping to get a reasonable night's sleep and get on the slopes mid-morning on arrival 
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BrightonSki, I hope you have a great time in Chamonix. The couchettes come with airline style blankets that are stitched on 2.5 sides to make a kind of sleeping bag thingy - plenty warm enough to climb into with comfy clothes on so no need to take sleeping bags.
You store most of your luggage with you in the cabin - there's a luggage rack over the doorway that extends across the passageway outside and more under the bottom couchette. I would avoid bringing anything too bulky or case like as the space under these couchettes are slimmer than those on the old ski train. although a medium sized duffle bag and a boot bag will fit above the door or at the bottom of your bunk. Not sure about the ski lockers as don't have my own skis. I hope you get a great night's sleep, although found my excitement / first day ski nerves got the better of me on the way out but I slept like a baby on the way home.
Try red wine and night nurse (not a medical recommendation you understand  ).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Brightonski, the only time that storing your baggage really becomes a problem is if you are a group of six skiers sharing a cabin with all your ski gear. That was a wee bit of a squeeze.
The bedding is quite adequate, even in second class. I got a decent night of sleep, though spending a lot of time on yachts and ships has made me exceptionally amenable to being rocked to sleep (and also made me less concerned about the size of the cabin).
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I did the Eurostar 1st class allthe way, I tried to get info on how far the chairs reclined but to no avail. The recline in so far as the bit you sit on moves three inches forward and the back follows you. If you can sleep in a normal armchair, you will be fine. I cannot and so dosed up on the free champagne all night and arrived stiff from trying to sleep under the seats and quite drunk!
I always preferred the eurostar to Paris and then Change from GdN to Austerlitz for the latest sleeper, a little more but you have a nice meal in paris and wake up in Bourg fairly refreshed. It suited me.
Bonne chance 
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Boredsurfing, Done it. Hated it. Never again.
it is uncomfortable and expensive. Only for rich masochists.
If you want to train to the Alps, take the Eurostar to Paris, then the night train (or day train) down to the alps.
You get a bed to sleep on with the night train. Much more comfortable, and cheaper.
See this thread.
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You know it makes sense.
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Did the day train back in 2000. The awkward bit was getting to Waterloo, which meant dragging gear halfway across London from St Pancras. Now I believe the Eurostar train actually leaves from St Pancras so someone obviously heard my whinging then. Snigger...
Apart from that it was great. Took about 9 hours, which bearing in mind some coach transfers from airports take 3-4 hours, I think it probably saves time for people that live in or near London. Now that there are more flights from other parts of the country (driving to Gatwick was always my worst nightmare!), it probably doesn't make as much sense for us provincials...
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Done the snow train and the Friday direct overnighter several times and had more sleep on the overnighter. The couchette on the snow train was freezing despite the fact that we'd indulged in healthy amounts of alcohol. Also had to swap trains at Paris. On the direct overnighter, seats are more comfy in 'leisure direct' and there's always a table between them. You get a good 3 course meal, as much wine as you can drink and can play shithead with your mates till you doze off. Cheapie seats are not bad but they're no frills and not as good to sleep on.
The great advantage of the overnighter is that you can arrive in resort early Saturday morning and leave the following Saturday night. You get the whole day on the slopes when you arrive and same when you leave - the 2 days which are normally a bit of a washout.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
couchette is immensely more comfortable than even first class Eurostar/TGV.
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Sitting up all night is OK if your primary objective is to save money but it sucks. I've spent many hours on "business class" flights longing to be able to lie down in the aisle. It is a triumph of some kind of marketing guru that Eurostar have managed to sell sitting up all night as some kind of premium way to travel, whereas everyone sneers at an overnight coach (which drops you outside your chalet). I've only done the ordinary overnighter from Paris, but that was fine; get on after a civilized evening meal in a bistro, and up into La Plagne by breakfast time. I wouldn't go on the disco train if I could help it.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Boredsurfing,
isn't it easier to fly ?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Perfect for dwarven insomniacs.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| helena57 wrote: |
Boredsurfing,
isn't it easier to fly ? |
Carbon footprint, global warming!
But actually I can possibly get the four of us there and back for free in April, but at the mo It's out overnight and back daytime, from the above I'm going to see of I can swing FOC 1st class tickets, if not we'll rethink
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Just found out that my 'free' first class return trip was going to cost £88.00 per person in booking fees and then compulsory insurance! Easy jet for all 4 of us £175.00 + car 135.00. or I might drive down as usual
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Boredsurfing, when is this for?
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Mouth, Just sent you a pm! 
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