Night Train from Paris to Munich

As I was planning our two-city trip to Europe, I was trying to find a way not to spend all or most of a day getting from Paris to Munich. By the time one checks out of the Paris hotel, gets out to Charles de Gaulle airport in time for all the security checks, zips over to Munich, then takes the train into town, most if not all of the day is gone. So why not take an overnight train? Part (but only part) of the cost is offset by one less hotel night to be paid for.

So my wife and I went over to Gare du Nord (Paris has multiple train stations, so be sure you go to the correct one for any destination outside Paris) and purchased two second-class overnight berths on a train to Munich leaving at around 11pm, arriving in Munich at about 8am the next morning. Knowing there were multiple bunks in a second-class compartment, we inquired about compartment assignments for married couples. Fortunately, we were assigned to the same compartment.

We arrived at Gare du Nord in time to get settled. Second-class sleeping accommodations consist of a small compartment with two sets of bunks, stacked three high, and no place for luggage the size we were hauling about. Since we had four spare bunks, it was no problem. Below is a photo taken before we stowed the luggage, showing just how small the compartment is. The ladder took up an annoying amount of space.

There was a group of students assigned to our car. Judging by the chatter and laughs, they were having a grand old time. Being students on deeply discounted tickets, they were assigned six to a single-gender compartment, requiring storage of their gear on their bunks -- a challenge for any student who over-packed.

Getting settled into our train-supplied bedding, we each wiggled ourselves into a pair of narrow sheets sewn together halfway up, then covered up with a blanket not much larger than a postage stamp. And off we went, with rails clicking, lights flashing, and compartment swaying. It was a scene straight out of the movies, as the roadway crossing lights traced a horizontal pattern on the opposite compartment wall while the warning bells changed pitch as we passed in perfect harmony with the laws of physics.

We came prepared with earplugs and eyeshades, but it was not a restful night. You see, another physical law came into play. The coefficient of friction between the aforementioned sheet sandwich and the ice-cold leatherette bunk was very close to zero. So, with every curve negotiated by the speeding train, I slid gently but surely to one end of the bunk, then back to the other end as the rails straightened out. I envisioned a missed opportunity by Abbott and Costello or Martin and Lewis to build a hilarious movie around this train ride. All this aside, we did arrive at Munich’s Hauptbanhof promptly and safely if not well rested.

Would we do it again? I’m not so sure. It certainly offers major trade-offs. It is much simpler and easier to take a taxi to the train station on departure, followed by a quick walk to our hotel near the Hauptbanhof in Munich, than all we’d have to go through flying there. But that overnight ride is not easy or restful. If you have a lot of luggage, forget the train, because you’re on your own transporting it on and off. Our luggage was not meant to be doing that (something we overlooked), so we did the luggage thing with some difficulty. Being retired, we’d probably fly, adding an extra day to the trip to make up for the day lost changing cities. But if you have a keen sense of adventure and are prepared for it…