Do Paris - Spain sleeper trains exist?

[Zontar]

Planning a trip next year in the summer, ideally from Paris to Bilbao on a sleeper.

Want to get to North Spanish coast, preferably on a sleeper, anyone have any advice? It would be greatly received.

 

[MarcVD]

Used to but not any more. Closest thing is the Paris to Latour de Carol night train. From there you can catch a Spanish suburban train to Barcelona. I think there is one to Cerbere too. In any case, www.seat61.com has all the details.

 

[30907]

Last summer (July-August) the train also carried a portion for Hendaye on the Basque side, whence you continue your journey on the narrow-gauge system, changing at San Sebastian - after which it is pretty scenic AIUI (I've not been all the way). I would expect that to run for at least that period in 2023.

Note - SNCF doesn't have proper sleepers ATM, but couchettes (ie without a washbasin in the compartment) - you can book a whole compartment if you wish, see seat61.com.

 

[Flying Snail]

The SNCF/RENFE cooperation is ending for the TGV service so some changes may be on the way, a resumption of the sleeper looks very unlikely though as SNCF don't seem particularly keen on expanding them and RENFE have been actively hostile to sleepers.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Some years ago, I did Paris to Hendaye/Irun on a TGV afternoon train, before changing there to the Sud Express to Portugal. That train had one old Wagon Lits Sleeper and a couple of Couchettes along with a Buffet car and some seating carriages. Not even sure if that runs now. It did used to go all the way from Paris to Spain ? (Portugal.)

 

[30907]

Some years ago, I did Paris to Hendaye/Irun on a TGV afternoon train, before changing there to the Sud Express to Portugal. That train had one old Wagon Lits Sleeper and a couple of Couchettes along with a Buffet car and some seating carriages. Not even sure if that runs now. It did used to go all the way from Paris to Spain ? (Portugal.)

The Sud Express was withdrawn North of Hendaye a good while ago, and changed to a Talgo operation which itself was a casualty of Covid/RENFE policy (delete as preferred). Portugal has plans to restore a conventional sleeper but nothing obvious is happening unless @Giugiaro knows otherwise.
The Paris-Barcelona and Madrid sleepers (also Talgo) have been gone for pushing 10 years IIRC - soon after the cross-border LGV opened.

 

[Giugiaro]

I haven't heard much about the return of the Sud or the Lusitania.

Both transport ministers of Spain and Portugal met at Innotrans. They discussed the matter, but nothing came out as a result.

CP also wants to replace the Celta with a fully electric train. But the lack of CONVEL (EBICAB 700) computers hinders every plan we come up with.

 

[Austriantrain]

I haven't heard much about the return of the Sud or the Lusitania.

Both transport ministers of Spain and Portugal met at Innotrans. They discussed the matter, but nothing came out as a result.

CP also wants to replace the Celta with a fully electric train. But the lack of CONVEL (EBICAB 700) computers hinders every plan we come up with.

International passenger trains to and from Spain (whether towards France or towards Portugal) are, unfortunately, a very sorry matter.

 

[Dan_Lockton]

Hendaye on the Basque side, whence you continue your journey on the narrow-gauge system, changing at San Sebastian - after which it is pretty scenic AIUI (I've not been all the way).

It is scenic but extremely slow. I did Amsterdam to Bilbao a few months ago, and the last section from Hendaye–San Sebastian, then San Sebastian to Bilbao (Matiko), took from 7pm to 10.25pm, on pretty hard plastic seats clearly not intended for longer-distance use; I think it was worth it, although all the local people I spoke to said I should have just taken a (much quicker) bus.

 

[30907]

It is scenic but extremely slow. I did Amsterdam to Bilbao a few months ago, and the last section from Hendaye–San Sebastian, then San Sebastian to Bilbao (Matiko), took from 7pm to 10.25pm, on pretty hard plastic seats clearly not intended for longer-distance use; I think it was worth it, although all the local people I spoke to said I should have just taken a (much quicker) bus.

Yes, a good hour quicker by coach. I've driven that way and it was a hairy drive in places despite (because?) of being motorway....

 

[61653 HTAFC]

It is scenic but extremely slow. I did Amsterdam to Bilbao a few months ago, and the last section from Hendaye–San Sebastian, then San Sebastian to Bilbao (Matiko), took from 7pm to 10.25pm, on pretty hard plastic seats clearly not intended for longer-distance use; I think it was worth it, although all the local people I spoke to said I should have just taken a (much quicker) bus.

I was going to describe the Latour-de-Carol to Barcelona service as a bit spartan, but sounds like it's positively luxurious by comparison- at least you get reasonably comfortable seats!

Still takes just shy of three hours to get to Barcelona, which will be of little use for the OP with an intended destination of Bilbao. Between Latour-de-Carol and Puigcerda is the remains of a junction which appeared to once have a route that at one time would have got you to Madrid eventually.

 

[rg177]

I did it in the opposite direction from Hendaye to Bilbao (and eventually all the way to Oviedo) on various Euskotren and FEVE trains in 2018.

I ended up on a longitudinal plastic seat the whole way to Bilbao (even with the change in San Sebastian). Not comfortable at all but indeed very scenic.