Artesia Night train

This was an adventure not to be forgotten!!! our trip started at 5:30am
with a train trip From Portsmouth, England to London, London to Paris via the Eurostar then the Artesia night train then train from Rome to Formia then cab to Gaeta, Total Travel time was 21 hours but what a delight!!!

We had a wonderfull trip the train was right on time and we were greeted at the car entrance and shown to our 1st class cabin. The cabin was somewhat small but had clean towels lenin etc. It had plenty baggage area but it was up high. Both the bunks were down low the cabin was just for 2 people! We ate at the early time and were seated with a French couple who spoke no English and we spoke no French. The food was just terrific MMMMMMMMMMMM and we enjoyed the meal traveling through the French country side. After supper we returned to our cabin and the conducter had already put down our beds and was all set it was a nice evening so we opened up the cabin windows to enjoy the Fresh air but it was abit noisy. We (*&*% all evning showing our *&^(% to the French country side but I doubt anyone saw anything as we were really zipping along pretty fast. In the morning we had coffee an snacks before ariving to Rome just right on time. Yes the cars are a little old but everything was in order and in great shape.



The basic costs depends on if you have a railpass or not
Routes:
Four (4) different routes:
Paris-Firenze (via Modane): "Galilei"
Paris-Milano (via Modane): "Stendhal"
Paris-Roma (via Modane): "Palatino"
Paris-Venezia (via Vallorbe/Iselle): "Rialto"
· Travel Times:
Paris-Roma: 14h 30 min; Paris-Firenze: 13h 15 min;
Paris-Milano: 10h 30 min; Paris-Venezia: 12h 30 min
Features
· Accommodations:
· Sleepers: (Each car features one shared wash cabin
and a toilet)
– Single* (class of service L): one berth-cabin
– Double/T2 (class of service N/P): 2 berth-cabin – 4
Coaches available
Artesia Night trains operate between Paris and the
Italian cities of Milan, Turin, Venice, Florence and
Rome.
– T3 (class of service Q): 3 berth-cabin – 1
Coach available.
· Comfort: (2 cars: one with 8 cabins and service
cabin or one with 9 cabins. Each car has a wash
cabin and a toilet on either end)
– T4 (class of service C): 4 berth-cabin (1st
class) not gender specific. 6 Coaches available.
· Couchettes:
– T6 (class of service D): 6 berth-cabin (2nd
class) - 3 Coaches available.

My wife and I had an interesting experience traveling on the Artesia Night Train between Venice and Paris. We had only ever been on a night train once before this (from Paris to Vienna) and it was a great experience, so we were looking forward to doing it again. It wasn't exactly the same experience.

To begin with, the Artesia cars themselves are showing their age, especially when compared to the EuroNacht train we took from Munich a week later (very nice). But what confounded us the most was the actual configuration of the sleeper cabins which, to my knowledge, is unique to this line. When looking down the corridor you can see that every even doorway is at floor level and every other doorway requires a step up into the cabin. Why? Because the layout for each alternating cabin is different. The cabins "interlock" in a way and it allows more cabins in the same space as a conventional car. For example, if you are booked into cabin #1, the doorway is at floor level. Inside the cabin is the classic configuration of an upper and lower bunk, the lower bunk can double as a double seat while the upper bunk is folded away. But then we get to cabin #2, the one we were assigned to. These cabins require about a six-inch step up into them. Inside one realizes a couple of things 1) how claustrophobic they are and 2)they have a very strange and uncomfortable layout. Against one wall is a narrow, two seated sofa. Where are the berths? Look up...look waaayyyy up. They are both upper berths, one on either side of the cabin. And they are not just upper, they are at the very top of the cabin. Anyone who has ever slept on the top bunk of a trailer or motor home and banged their head on the ceiling will know what I mean. Both of us had to use the single (long) ladder that was provided.

Now I have to emphasize that I am not hard to please; I really don't think I was being too picky. But if your idea of a night train experience is getting all cozy and romantic, maybe save it for a different service.