A night on the rails with Beate Kubitz

If you’ve ever wondered how to reduce your carbon footprint when you travel, or just what to do when Perpignan airport flights get dialled down for the winter, you might have looked at the train time table – and spotted that there’s a regular night train from Perpignan to Paris.

For those of you who are night train curious, I’m going to look at how our night here in France trains stack up internationally (and what you should never do!).

The SNCF relaunched its night trains programme in 2020 – so you can get on a train in Perpignan and wake up in Paris. Even more romantic, you can get on in Paris and alight in Latour-de-Carol – surrounded by mountains.

In June I had a trip to Scotland for work. I took three very different night trains – a cabin on the Caledonian Sleeper, a seat to return and a couchette on our own SNCF.

My first journey started in Perpignan at 1pm and I was in St Pancras by 9.30pm, I wandered through the summer dark to Euston and arrived on the far platform that houses the Caledonian Express just as the advanced bording commenced. Which gave me time for a brief snoop at the club lounge but no time to grab a cup of tea as the kettles were already off.

I was pretty tired by the time I got to my room, which was compact and pleasant. The dual purpose shower and toilet made me smile – not palatial but practical and I was keen to turn up feeling showered and nicely turned out for my workshop. After handing my breakfast survey in I was ready to sleep – and sleep I did. The bunks are quite narrow which may not suit those who prefer to sprawl but this is not an issue for me. I felt well rested and getting up and ready for the day was straightforward even in the bijoux space.

I did like the general feel of the crisp white sheets but I feel slightly awkward about the luxe feeling. I guess for those on holiday the ‘hotel on wheels’ is part of the experience – it was a bit OTT for a work trip.

This was definitely the spendiest option of the three – £260 for a trip of just over 400 miles and about 8 hours on the train. Boarding starts at 2230, the train departs at 2330 and arrives at 0715. It included a full Scottish breakfast (various alternatives on offer) delivered to your door.

For the return trip I decided to try the budget option – a £56 seat on the return train, again 400+ miles and around 8 hours of travel. These are supposedly sleeper seats and the most charitable description I can think of is ‘stingy’. It made long haul flight seats feel positively luxurious. Plus, despite having sweltered in a Glasgow June heatwave during the day, I was actually cold in the carriage for most of the night (even wearing a jacket), as well as uncomfortable. By the morning I was adding this experience to my definition of ‘false economy’.

I had a couple of days in London before continuing on to Paris on the Eurostar – and thence the SNCF Train de Nuit to Latour-de-Carol.

I booked a first class berth in a shared (women only) cabin for €72. This trip is over 500 miles and takes just under 12 hours. The train departs at 2213 and arrives the next day at 1010 in the tiny mountain station of Latour-de-Carol – Entveitg.

My first class couchette – distinguished by having 4 berths rather than 6 (second class) proved to be on one of the older trains, in use in the 90s at the time the service was withdrawn. I remember them from my first ever wagon lit experience. SNCF has renovated many of the night trains since relaunching in 2020. I went to sleep wondering where they had stored this carriage for its 20 year retirement before hauling it back into use. It was immaculate so I imagine there must be a vast SNCF warehouse somewhere full of ‘trains we may need again some day’.

Each bunk has a pillow and a very particular SNCF style ‘sleeping bag’ which has a summer side and a winter side. These are all freshly laundered in a sealed bag on arrival. There’s a comfort pack (sleep mask, earplugs etc) with every place and water.

The SNCF trains are much more ‘shared travel’ with normal train toilets and separate little ‘changing rooms’ for those who want to change their clothes in privacy. Newer trains have individual charging sockets, better lighting and generally a better quality feel. They all have WiFi.

The trains de nuit tend to be very affordable – although prices vary with the season.

THE VERDICT

Whilst it’s easy to give a subjective verdict on the night trains, I decided to give the relatively impartial job to my Apple Watch.

Find out whether cost and sleep actually correlate below:

Caledonian Sleeper – Club Cabin

£260

Sleep verdict is sound – there’s everything I normally do in a night there. Deep sleep, some lighter sleep and I do have a habit of waking up in the night, particularly in the small hours of the morning.

Sleep length is a bit shorter than usual. I usually go to sleep well before midnight but that was a bit of a stretch with the boarding time – even though the people sleeping in cabins got to board first.

Value

3/5 rising to 4/5 if you take into account the savings on a night in a Glasgow hotel

Caledonian Sleeper – Seat

£56

Sleep verdict – poor all round

What can I say? This was a very bad night whether you ask me to give a subjective view or checked the stats on my watch. The seats are hard, they barely recline and the carriage just doesn’t feel dark enough. Even with an eye mask and using my bag and a Fold+Rºll for neck support I was only able to doze briefly. I moved position regularly as my feet got pins and needles or I felt I’d leant too long in one direction.

Value

1/5 Whilst it got me from A to B and might have been superficially cost effective, my sleep account was bankrupted.

SNCF Train de Nuit

€72 / £62

Sleep verdict – sound.

This was a good night’s sleep – about average for me. It has all the usual components including some deep sleep, enough REM and core plus unfortunately habitual wakefulness. Nothing unusual.

Sleep length – average.

This was a longer sleep because the train trip is longer and I woke up between 7 and 8am.

Value

5/5 I slept well and for less than the cost of a night in a Paris hotel – all whilst travelling over 500 miles.

On reaching home, I realised that the night on the SNCF train was almost the same price as the cheap seat on the Caledonian Sleeper – but what a difference in quality of experience. There were no frills on the SNCF, but nice bedding and a roomy bunk.

Whilst I enjoyed the Caledonian cabin it’s not something I can always justify. It was very much sold as a luxury experience – and sometimes that’s what’s in order. The contrast with the seat was also a bit stark. Did it really have to be quite so uncomfortable? It felt like a punishment for trying to be frugal.

As an aside, I’ve had a few friends accidentally book seats on the SNCF night trains rather than berths. Whilst they’re still not something I’d recommend, they say they’re much comfier than those on the Caledonian Express.

So, for getting from A to B in good shape but without silver service, I have to give the SNCF the best marks. Vive la France.

Tips

• Book directly through the SNCF (station, app or website) so that you can add all your preferences (eg specifying a women only carriage, your preferred position bunk etc). This seems to be much harder to do through third party apps (eg Trainline).
• Book early, particularly if you’re looking at summer trips – trains get busy and more expensive. If you live between Perpignan and Latour-de-Carol it often pays to check both routes.
• First class is a bit more spacious and gives you access to excellent showers at the Gare d’Austerlitz on arrival in Paris.
• You don’t need to sleep in your clothes! Take some PJs and you’ll feel much better in the morning.
• Whilst bedding, water and a comfort pack with an eye mask, earplugs etc is provided, breakfast has been a bit hit and miss. If you need breakfast before you arrive, pick up a croissant on your way and you’re sorted.
  

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  DON’T GET YOUR KNICKERS IN A TWIST
  The Fold+Rºll is a clever compact way to pack an overnight bag – keeping clothes rolled so they don’t wrinkle. A full roll (about 3l) fits comfortably into an under seat bag for the minimalist voyager or into a backpack or cycle pannier for those who like to run or cycle to work.

  A couple can also be paired up for longer trips – and will still fit in the most budget airline under seat carry on bag dimensions (40 x 25 x 20cm).

  Organic cotton + made in France

  Fold+Rºlls are £30 / €36 available from www.foldnroll.com in the UK and www.foldnroll.fr in Europe.