5 ms·

Ah, the Ol' Chug-a-Lug. I took the midnight train from Rome to Paris almost 15 years ago on sabbatical in Europe with my wife and largish dog. We had a sleeper

by pnf 4y ago

Ah, the Ol' Chug-a-Lug. I took the midnight train from Rome to Paris almost 15 years ago on sabbatical in Europe with my wife and largish dog. We had a sleeper car. It had a bit of Old World romance but I wouldn't say it was luxurious back then. 14 hours overnight. We were train noobs and didn't know more than a smattering of Italian so were quite confused when we found our compartment. Where were the beds?!?! After an hour sitting uncomfortably on a bench seat, the conductor arrived, schooched us aside, and pulled out two fully-made bunk beds hidden in the wall. He also impatiently demanded we let him take our passports for unknown reasons (Switzerland!). Compared to the wretched discomfort and inconvenience of contemporary, public, red-eye plane travel, it was preferable, and even charming. Would recommend.

tingle 4y ago
The conductor took your passports for the cross-border check, since you'd likely be soundly asleep at the time when it would happen. You can view this as a service.
- jgalt212 4y ago
  Yes, as long as the person is the actual conductor.
  - Pamar 4y ago
    You know, they have: A uniform Special tools to check the tickets and operate locks An ID I don't know where you live but the idea that people would impersonate a conductor(1) to get your passports is something out of a James Bond movie. 1) they would also need to incapacitate the real conductor(s) beforehand.
    - anamax 4y ago
      You don't need to incapacitate real conductors - you merely need to avoid them and bringing attention to yourself until the end of your impersonation.
      - Pamar 4y ago
        Have you ever been on an European train? Especially one crossing borders?
        anamax 4y ago
        Yes, albeit not recently. There were many times when conductors were not observing me. Has that changed?
        Pamar 4y ago
        So now you switched from "the guy who (used to) take your ID on a cross-border night train might have been an imposter" to "when I am on a train I am not constantly under survellaince by a controller". Your fantasy scenario conveniently omits the part where on a night train where you have booked a special compartment with beds and you are crossing borders you can put up a uniform, access the locked wagon-lits cars of the trains, get my passport, get back to the rest of the train, change back, drop off at the next station. (Hint: the cars with bed compartments are separated by the ones with seats, you access these by showing the tickets to the same uniformed guy who would get your passports and wake you up later, and also night trains do not stop anywhere for hours - stops at the border are as short as possible, and passengers are not allowed to leave the train: for wagon lits the controller will take care of the passports, while people in the normal cars will be checked by the police) The whole point of taking your passports at the start is to save you being wakened by the border police, so you can sleep for the whole trip. And for the same reason, wagon lits are locked so that regular passengers cannot get there and disturb you, or try to evade police at the border.
- hugs 4y ago
  That happened to me years ago when I took an overnight train from Paris to Zurich. Problem was I didn't speak French and I didn't understand why he took my passport. Because I didn't know when I would get it back (eventually I did many hours later a few minutes before my final stop), I didn't sleep at all that night because I was worried about not getting it back. Wish I had done a little more research beforehand (and spoke French!).
- maratc 4y ago
  It also makes sure you don’t hop off before your destination — a problem that mostly does not happen with air travel.
  - chrismcb 4y ago
    Why is hoping off an issue? They've already paid. They have their luggage. I've never been on a train that cared if you got off early.
    - maratc 4y ago
      For a train that crosses country borders it can be an issue, if someone hops off the train before arriving to the final station (and having their visa and luggage checked there). Apparently that is not a problem in the US or EU.
ulfw 4y ago
Rome to Paris is a 2h flight. No need for red eyes.
- Flashtoo 4y ago
  Travelling by train is more sustainable.
- openstep 4y ago
  2 hourflight but you have to get to the airport early. Then you have to go from charles de gaulle to the city center. It's really much more than 2 hours. Also, in my opinion, it's a lot more stress. I'd prefer to hop on a train from city-center Rome and get dropped off in city-center Paris. Way easier. Also, trains have bar cars. Those are fun. Midnight Trains: sign me up!
- chrismcb 4y ago
  For long distances, a flight is quicker. But for most of Europe, the distances aren't far enough to warrant a flight (over you add in the pre arrival time and waiting for checked luggage, and as someone else pointed out getting to and from the airports.) I did that one year, traveled all over Europe by plane. By train is much more comfortable. And for the most part not much slower

by pnf 4y ago

tingle 4y ago

The conductor took your passports for the cross-border check, since you'd likely be soundly asleep at the time when it would happen. You can view this as a service.

jgalt212 4y ago
Yes, as long as the person is the actual conductor.
- Pamar 4y ago
  You know, they have: A uniform Special tools to check the tickets and operate locks An ID I don't know where you live but the idea that people would impersonate a conductor(1) to get your passports is something out of a James Bond movie. 1) they would also need to incapacitate the real conductor(s) beforehand.
  - anamax 4y ago
    You don't need to incapacitate real conductors - you merely need to avoid them and bringing attention to yourself until the end of your impersonation.
    - Pamar 4y ago
      Have you ever been on an European train? Especially one crossing borders?
      - anamax 4y ago
        Yes, albeit not recently. There were many times when conductors were not observing me. Has that changed?
        Pamar 4y ago
        So now you switched from "the guy who (used to) take your ID on a cross-border night train might have been an imposter" to "when I am on a train I am not constantly under survellaince by a controller". Your fantasy scenario conveniently omits the part where on a night train where you have booked a special compartment with beds and you are crossing borders you can put up a uniform, access the locked wagon-lits cars of the trains, get my passport, get back to the rest of the train, change back, drop off at the next station. (Hint: the cars with bed compartments are separated by the ones with seats, you access these by showing the tickets to the same uniformed guy who would get your passports and wake you up later, and also night trains do not stop anywhere for hours - stops at the border are as short as possible, and passengers are not allowed to leave the train: for wagon lits the controller will take care of the passports, while people in the normal cars will be checked by the police) The whole point of taking your passports at the start is to save you being wakened by the border police, so you can sleep for the whole trip. And for the same reason, wagon lits are locked so that regular passengers cannot get there and disturb you, or try to evade police at the border.
hugs 4y ago
That happened to me years ago when I took an overnight train from Paris to Zurich. Problem was I didn't speak French and I didn't understand why he took my passport. Because I didn't know when I would get it back (eventually I did many hours later a few minutes before my final stop), I didn't sleep at all that night because I was worried about not getting it back. Wish I had done a little more research beforehand (and spoke French!).
maratc 4y ago
It also makes sure you don’t hop off before your destination — a problem that mostly does not happen with air travel.
- chrismcb 4y ago
  Why is hoping off an issue? They've already paid. They have their luggage. I've never been on a train that cared if you got off early.
  - maratc 4y ago
    For a train that crosses country borders it can be an issue, if someone hops off the train before arriving to the final station (and having their visa and luggage checked there). Apparently that is not a problem in the US or EU.

ulfw 4y ago

Rome to Paris is a 2h flight. No need for red eyes.

Flashtoo 4y ago
Travelling by train is more sustainable.
openstep 4y ago
2 hourflight but you have to get to the airport early. Then you have to go from charles de gaulle to the city center. It's really much more than 2 hours. Also, in my opinion, it's a lot more stress. I'd prefer to hop on a train from city-center Rome and get dropped off in city-center Paris. Way easier. Also, trains have bar cars. Those are fun. Midnight Trains: sign me up!
chrismcb 4y ago
For long distances, a flight is quicker. But for most of Europe, the distances aren't far enough to warrant a flight (over you add in the pre arrival time and waiting for checked luggage, and as someone else pointed out getting to and from the airports.) I did that one year, traveled all over Europe by plane. By train is much more comfortable. And for the most part not much slower