Night trains are officially back – with more and more European routes opening up (Paris-Vienna is also available this summer) it’s an increasingly popular way to travel for people who are either concerned about the planet or simply prefer to enjoy a more relaxed travel experience.

Where

SNCF is running 8 Intercité services this summer, they depart from Paris and go to;

• Toulouse – aka la ville rose, the lively university town in south west France
• Nice – the night train to the Riviera resort evokes (some of) the glamour of France’s famous train bleu
• Briançon – perched in the Alps, this is France’s highest city
• Albi – world heritage site and birthplace of painter Toulouse-Lautrec, Albi is situated in south-west France
• Argeles-sur-Mer – another seaside resort, this is in the Pyrénées-Orientales
• Ax-les-Thermes – the spa resort in Haut-Ariège still offers water ‘cures’
• Cannes – the Riviera’s glitziest destination
• Lourdes – if you’re going on a pilgrimage, why not travel in style?

Journey time

The night train is slow – deliberately so, nobody wants to be woken up in the middle of the night because you have arrived at your destination.

It uses the slower Intercité routes rather than the high-speed TGV.

The journey from Paris to Nice takes more than 12 hours (compared to 6 hours if you take the daytime TGV), setting off from Paris Austerlitz at around 8.48pm and arriving the following morning in the Mediterranean city at 9.25am – but travellers can sleep through most of the journey that’s more environmentally friendly, cheaper and arguably more relaxing than a flight.

Accommodation

Travellers can book seats with a footrest and adjustable headrest, with a personal night light from €19; the cost of a “couchette” bed, from €29, comes with use of a duvet and pillow, as well as bottle of water, cleaning wipes, earplugs and tissues.

The standard couchette has either four or six bunk beds to a compartment, but if you don’t fancy the idea of sharing with strangers, SNCF also offers the option of hiring out an entire four or six-berth sleeping compartment in first or standard class. All you have to do is mention the “Private Space” service. This service costs from €45 on top of the cost of the couchettes and is not available during busy periods.

Women travelling by themselves can book a berth in a compartment for women only. Tick “Espace Dame Seul” when booking online or mention it when booking tickets at the station or SNCF shop.

All compartments are equipped with locks and there are few or no intermediate stops between 12 midnight and 5.30am.

Showers are available to first-class passengers arriving at Paris Austerlitz and Toulouse Matabiau stations.

Booking

You can book night trains via the usual SNCF website or app, or at station travel centres.

When booking a ticket via SNCF Connect, and after selecting your destination and date of travel, click on Types de Train and select the Intercités des Nuits option.

A guest appearance from Hercule Poirot cannot be guaranteed.