Stopped since 2017, the French railways SNCF are relaunching with great fanfare this Thursday evening the Paris-Nice night train. And to mark the event, a famous passenger will take place in one of the carriages of the Intercités 5773: French Prime Minister will be on the trip. Like all the travellers who have boarded this train, Jean Castex will leave the Gare d’Austerlitz at 20:52 to arrive the next day at 09:11 on the Côte d’Azur.
Castex will sleep in a bunk, which is seen as first-class, a service offered to from 39 €. This Paris-Nice sleeper, a distant heir to the legendary Blue Train, also offers second-class berths (from € 29) and reclining seats (from € 19) to spend the 12 hours of the journey.
The inaugural train is sold out. For the more motivated, a few places are still available for this Friday. This train runs every day and in both directions between Paris-Austerlitz and Nice-Ville. Six stops are planned including Marseille, Toulon and Cannes.
At present, only two night train lines were still operated in France: the Paris-Briançon (but currently closed for works) and another one to Cerbère and Latour-de-Carol in the Pyrénées-Orientales, serving several destinations (including Toulouse).
The French railway company had ceased the operation of Paris-Nice in December 2017, deeming it unprofitable. For its big comeback, this train will use wagons that normally go to Briançon.
Vous en rêviez. Nous l’avons fait. pic.twitter.com/JrpZCpb4I5
— Jean-Baptiste Djebbari (@Djebbari_JB) May 20, 2021
Source: Euronews
Schedule
- Paris Austerlitz, 20h52
- Marseille Blancarde, 6h29
- Toulon, 7h17
- Les Arcs Draguignan, 7h58
- Saint Raphaël Valescure, 8h15
- Cannes, 8h36
- Antibes, 8h50
- Nice, 9h06
Return to Paris :
- Nice, 19h16
- Antibes, 19h38
- Cannes, 19h59
- Saint Raphaël Valescure, 20h15
- Les Arcs Draguignan, 20h33
- Toulon, 21h11
- Marseille Blancarde, 21h57
- Paris Austerlitz, 6h55
