Night trains in France – the Intercités de Nuit

Fall asleep in the metropolis of Paris, wake up in the wild Pyrenees. The Intercités de Nuit make it possible.

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France has a long tradition of night trains, but for years, the service was systematically scaled back. Now, with growing interest in climate-friendly travel, the night train is making a comeback in La Grande Nation. Admittedly, the route network is (still) manageable and mainly serves the regions south of Paris. But it includes exciting destinations like Toulouse, Dax, Marseille, and Nice. Travelling by night train in France is a real experience; you save time and, depending on your choice and budget, can travel very comfortably.

The return of night trains in France

Just a few years ago, the night train had all but disappeared in France. Many routes were discontinued, the remaining connections were operated with outdated trains, and the timetables were unappealing. The turning point came in 2021 when the government began to reinvest specifically in expanding night train services, aiming to improve the rail network beyond the main TGV lines and thereby strengthen less well-connected regions.

Currently, the French national railway company, SNCF, operates several lines of the so-called Intercités de Nuit, which connect Paris overnight with the southern and southwestern regions of France. They all depart from the centrally located Paris Austerlitz station. On these night trains, you can travel in your sleep to Provence, L'Occitanie, or destinations in the Rhône-Alpes region. By the way, more new connections are in the pipeline.

View of the Pyrenees from the night train. — Shortly after Toulouse, a night train to *Latour-de-Carol* reaches the Pyrenees.

Current connections (as of 2026)

The SNCF Intercités de nuit run on the following lines:

Map of the Intercités de nuit network in France. — The *Intercités de nuit* network. Easily accessible from Switzerland, Germany, the Benelux countries, and London.

Paris Austerlitz – Briançon (and back): Ideal for trips to the Alps.
Paris Austerlitz – Rodez (and back) / Albi (and back): Two destinations reachable by night train from the south.
Paris Austerlitz – Latour-de-Carol (and back) / Cerbère (and back): A connection to the eastern Pyrenees, including a link to Catalan local trains and thus to Barcelona. The train also runs via Toulouse (and back)
Paris Austerlitz – Lourdes (and back) / Tarbes (and back): Convenient for pilgrimages or holidays in the western Pyrenees.
Paris Austerlitz – Nice (and back): Off to the sunny south.
Paris Austerlitz – Aurillac (and back): Perfect for a hiking holiday in the Auvergne.

To be honest, we're still a bit baffled by the French timetabling ourselves (and we haven't found a definitive overview anywhere). Depending on the season, the trains sometimes run on all weekdays, then not at all, then only on weekends, and so on. Thanks to the handy calendar view on nightride.com, you can see at a glance when a train is running (and when it's cheapest – more on that below).

The Austerlitz station is centrally located and easy to reach directly by Métro from the other Paris stations. From Gare de Lyon, the arrival station for TGV connections from Switzerland, it's even within walking distance (about a 10-minute walk).

A view of the Gare d'Austerlitz at night. — All *Intercités de nuit* trains depart from Paris *Austerlitz* station.

Comfort and amenities

The night trains of the national railway company SNCF offer various service levels:

Seating car: cheap, but rather uncomfortable for the long haul.
Couchette car (Couchettes): with 4- or 6-berth compartments – functional, but cramped.

For several years now, sleeping cars have no longer been offered in France; instead, SNCF sells couchettes in first and second class. In first class, a maximum of four beds are occupied per compartment, while in second class there are up to six. The first-class compartments are also slightly larger, and the beds are wider than in second class. First-class compartments can be booked for private use (1-4 people, Interrail excluded). Additionally, free Wi-Fi is available on the trains. The concept's main appeal is its simplicity.

There are no showers on board, and the toilets are located at the ends of each carriage. There are also washbasins for brushing your teeth in small, lockable alcoves.

Overall, the comfort is much more basic than on the ÖBB Nightjets, for example, and there is no on-board catering. The refurbished carriages are clean and functional, and the compartments have enough storage space, reading lights, and plenty of power sockets. In addition, a small travel kit with essentials (sleep mask, earplugs, and refreshing wipes) is provided on every bed.

A look down a brightly lit corridor of a night train in France. — The functional and bright atmosphere inside the *Intercités de nuit*.

Just a stone's throw from Switzerland and Germany

Paris is quick, direct, and comfortable to reach by TGV from Switzerland (from Geneva, Zurich, or Basel), and connections to the night trains are often seamless with minimal waiting times. From Germany, there are direct connections to Paris from Berlin, Cologne, and Frankfurt, including on the Eurostar. And – if you want to string several night train journeys together – there's also the European Sleeper from Berlin or Hamburg, of course.

At the final destinations, there are also attractive options for onward travel to other places in the south of France. For those wanting to continue their journey to Spain by train, the Intercités de nuit are an excellent way to cross France overnight. The route from Paris via Toulouse to Latour-de-Carol is a particularly scenic experience. From there, a connection on a very beautiful scenic route takes you to Barcelona without having to change trains.

View from the window of the local train from Latour-de-Carol to Barcelona. — A view of the wild Pyrenees from the window of the regional train to Barcelona. From *Latour-de-Carol*, Barcelona can be reached by a local train without any changes.

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Our recommendation: Admittedly, this tip from the authors is one for train nerds – but not only for them: The Latour-de-Carol Enveitg station is unique in Europe from a railway engineering perspective: this rather unassuming mountain station boasts three different track gauges – the European standard gauge (1435mm), the Spanish broad gauge (1668mm), and the narrow/metre gauge (1000mm). On the latter, you can travel with the Petit Train Jaune (the little yellow train) to Villefranche-de-Conflent. From there, you have the option to continue your journey to Perpignan. On this narrow-gauge line, the little yellow train winds its way through the wild and beautiful landscapes of the Pyrenees, so nature lovers will get their money's worth here too. The two authors, who usually travel by night train through the wild landscapes of the North, therefore warmly recommend the night train to Latour-de-Carol in the Pyrenees.

Two yellow trains of the Petit Train Jaune. — From *Latour-de-Carol*, the *Petit Train Jaune* runs to *Villefranche-de-Conflent* through the wild Pyrenees.

Booking tips

You can find your connections right here on Night Ride. For booking, we'll redirect you to www.sncf-connect.com. This is the website of the French national railway company, SNCF, where you can buy tickets and reservations.

The prices for the Intercités de nuit are highly dynamic. Sometimes you can find couchette berths for under 50 euros – which is a real bargain. Using the right filters on nightride.com (e.g., only with a bed, or private), you'll quickly find a great deal:

If you're travelling with an Interrail or Eurail Pass, you can also make your ticket and reservation purchases directly at www.interrail.eu. The best place to buy your Interrail or Eurail Pass is right here on Night Ride:

Travel through Europe with an Interrail Pass

We wish you lots of fun on your next night train journey in France – bon voyage et dormez bien!