Travelling on a Thello night train
At a glance
- Night train
- France
- Italy
Overview

© Givaga
The excellent and comfortable Thello night train is the only overnight option for travelling between France and Italy by train. Thello night trains were created as a joint venture between Veolia Transdev, a private transport company, and Trenitalia (Italian Railways).
Thello currently operates just one overnight route: Paris to Venice, two romantic greats. The train leaves Paris every evening and follows a scenic line south-east towards Burgundy, calling at Dijon before heading to Milan, Brescia, Verona, Padua and Venice where it arrives just in time for breakfast.
Although the night train that previously ran from Paris all the way to Rome, serving Bologna and Florence, has now been discontinued, it's still easy to make the journey to Rome with Thello, by travelling to Milan and picking up an onward train to the Italian capital. Comfortable high-speed Frecciarossa and Italo trains run frequently between Milan and Rome, with a journey time of around 3 hrs.
Onboard Thello Night trains, there is a choice of comfortable accommodation, ranging from single and double sleepers to four or six-berth couchettes. The train has various facilities for eating and drinking, including a sit-down restaurant and bar.
For a fun, memorable way of travelling from Paris to northern Italy, taking a Thello Night train is the perfect way to go.
Practical information

©FS Italiane | Photo
Before you board
There are no check-in procedures before travelling on a Thello night train. However, make sure that you board the train at least 2 mins before departure. The friendly train attendants will handle customs procedures once onboard.
Onboard
The Thello restaurant car serves a wide range of tasty treats to suit all tastes, including soups, salads, pasta dishes, and usually a choice of three or four fish or meat dishes.
The Thello bar (located in the restaurant car) serves hot and cold drinks, soups, sandwiches, wraps, light snacks and cakes.
Booking and printing options
Thello night train tickets are open for bookings 180 days in advance.
Advance reservation is mandatory when travelling on a Thello night train.
Get the lowest prices on Thello night trains by booking early and don’t wait until the last minute as cheaper seats sell out quickly.
Classes of service
Thello night trains provide two main types of comfortable accommodation: Couchettes and Sleepers.
Thello night train Sleeper
Compartments in Thello sleeping cars can be booked for triple, double or single occupancy. Each comfortable compartment has a washbasin. Toilets are at the end of the corridor. A simple yet delicious breakfast, served in the Thello restaurant car, is included in the fare.
Thello night train Couchette
Couchettes on Thello night trains are cheap, cheerful and wonderfully comfortable. Couchettes come in four and six-berth varieties. With space at a premium, paying for the slightly pricier four-berth makes sense. You’ll get a sheet, pillow and simple duvet, everything to make you feel right at home as you roll from one great city to the next.
Featured journeys
- Paris to Milan from $33.67
- Paris to Rome from $76.92
- Paris to Florence from $45.85
- London to Rome from $107.16
- Venice to Paris from $35.45
- Paris to Verona from $33.67
- London to Venice from $646.11
- London to Florence from $107.16
- London to Milan from $98.68
- London to Bologna from $124.82