Night train with a baby: On the Treno Notte to Bari
We are currently on a slow travel trip through Europe. From Amsterdam via Germany to Switzerland; then to southern Italy, continuing by (overnight) ferry to Montenegro and Croatia, our journey takes us through Slovakia and from there back to the Netherlands. What makes it special is that we are travelling with our three-month-old son.
While our own parents advised us against it (too stressful, too hot, too dangerous, etc.), all of our friends with children encouraged us to do it. They said now was the best time for it, and that later it would only get more complicated (until it became easier again at some point).
At first, it made sense to us: the little one doesn't need much more than love, food (which we always have with us for free) and a dry nappy from time to time. Travelling on night trains seemed particularly suitable – after all, that's when he mainly sleeps, and the gentle rocking of the train does its part.
The journey via Germany (ICE with a change in Frankfurt) and Switzerland (direct train from Olten to Milan) went relatively well. Of course, several hours on a crowded train mean a lot of new impressions for a baby. Our son therefore found it noticeably difficult to fall asleep. That's why we put him in our baby sling, especially towards the end of the journey, and walked with him through the train – it works better than any sleeping pill (not that we would need such a thing...). Also cool: most modern express trains have a toilet compartment with a changing table. But we're not really talking about normal trains here, but rather...
Night trains! For our first night train adventure with our son, we chose the connection from Milan to Bari. It was important to us that we could book a private compartment so that we wouldn't disturb other passengers if he started crying. Children usually travel free on night trains if they don't need their own bed. As our son currently still sleeps in our bed, this is not necessary. We also have a kind of mini pop-up tent with a mattress with us. There would be just enough space for it next to the bed in the compartment. Tip: Incidentally, a mattress like this can also be placed on the tables in express trains – ergonomic, if junior needs to lie down for a while.
We booked the express train from Olten to Milan and the night train to Bari in the nightride.com shop. Total cost for both connections: just under 410 euros. We travelled in a private 2-person sleeper cabin (at Trenitalia, this is somewhat awkwardly called ‘Vagone Letto Relax Doppia - Cabina Intera’, see our translation guide). These compartments are located in the carriages marked ‘Deluxe’ on the outside. The couchette cars, on the other hand, are listed under “Comfort”, and the seating cars under ‘Base’.
At 9:30 p.m., the night train welcomes us at Milano Centrale. A friendly steward helps us settle into our compartment. Ticket inspection, no lengthy explanations, just the one important question: Caffè o tè? For breakfast. A certain anticipation spreads.
The first thing that catches our eye are the four generous bottles of water, two with gas and two without. There is also a goodie bag with items such as sleep masks and even toothbrushes.
This is our first time travelling on a night train in Italy, and we are pleasantly surprised by the sleeping compartments, which are certainly getting on in years but are well maintained and inviting.
We are also delighted with the spacious beds, which are already made up. There is plenty of room for Junior to sleep next to one of his parents. It is important to mention at this point that you should already be familiar with sleeping with your child in the same bed and know the necessary safety precautions (including no blankets near the head, breastfeeding as the main source of nutrition, no alcohol or drug consumption). If the baby is lying on the wall side, there is no danger of them falling out.
For our son, the night on the train feels just like any other. At least, he doesn't seem unusually restless or anything like that. We also sleep pretty well. At around 6:30 a.m., our natural alarm clock goes off and we open our eyes. It's already light outside; the sun has just risen. Every now and then, the blue Adriatic Sea flashes by on the left side of the train (unfortunately not on our side).
A little later, the steward serves the long-awaited breakfast, or rather the long-awaited espresso. The former consists of pre-packaged snacks including jam, the latter is probably unique in Europe. This is because it is (still) made using a real portafilter machine and tastes authentically Italian. Okay, Timo is a coffee snob and he'll stop now.
At 7:40 a.m., we arrive at Bari Centrale right on time. We treat ourselves to a cappuccino at the station café (after all, it's not yet 11 a.m.) and go in search of our hire car, which will take us through the Apulian countryside – unfortunately poorly served by public transport.
Our conclusion about our first night on the train with our child: a great experience that we can recommend to everyone. Especially on Italian night trains (and that's not just because of the espresso...)