European trains - sleeper service

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scragend
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Re: European trains - sleeper service

Post by scragend »

I'm on the daytime crossing Harwich-HvH next Thursday - the day that the Sleeper service starts, as it happens. The ferry's arrival time is slated at 17.15.

The European Sleeper, on the days that it runs, is timed 21.21 from Rotterdam and 22.34 from Amsterdam so, provided you could get to Harwich early enough to get the ferry, it would definitely be feasible to make the connection at the Dutch end.

Whether it would make financial sense is another matter.
mattheus
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Re: European trains - sleeper service

Post by mattheus »

bohrsatom wrote: 12 May 2023, 10:41pm
Jdsk wrote: 12 May 2023, 8:17pm The Good Night Train starts on 25 May:
https://www.europeansleeper.eu/en/the-train

Does it carry bikes?
Looks like it - the site allows you to add a bike to your booking.

With bikes currently banned on London-Brussels Eurostars I do wonder how useful this service would be for cyclists. To take your bike you’d probably be best catching the overnight Harwich-HvH ferry, and if you do that you’re better off getting the daytime Amsterdam-Berlin train rather than waiting in Rotterdam all day to catch the sleeper.

The sleeper might mean you can avoid spending on a hotel room but in my research a hotel for two in Berlin would be considerably cheaper than two tickets in a shared bunk on a train.
True ... but you'd have the option of a day riding/sightseeing round the Netherlands. :)
Jdsk
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Re: European trains - sleeper service

Post by Jdsk »

mattheus wrote: 15 May 2023, 12:45pm
bohrsatom wrote: 12 May 2023, 10:41pm
Jdsk wrote: 12 May 2023, 8:17pm The Good Night Train starts on 25 May:
https://www.europeansleeper.eu/en/the-train

Does it carry bikes?
Looks like it - the site allows you to add a bike to your booking.

With bikes currently banned on London-Brussels Eurostars I do wonder how useful this service would be for cyclists. To take your bike you’d probably be best catching the overnight Harwich-HvH ferry, and if you do that you’re better off getting the daytime Amsterdam-Berlin train rather than waiting in Rotterdam all day to catch the sleeper.

The sleeper might mean you can avoid spending on a hotel room but in my research a hotel for two in Berlin would be considerably cheaper than two tickets in a shared bunk on a train.
True ... but you'd have the option of a day riding/sightseeing round the Netherlands.
And it can be boarded at Rotterdam, the Hague and Amsterdam.

Jonathan
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MrsHJ
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Re: European trains - sleeper service

Post by MrsHJ »

Is Harwich that more appealing that Dover to dunkerque? Then a local train to Brussels etc? I wouldn’t claim to know other than either route being a pain from SW England.
Jdsk
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Re: European trains - sleeper service

Post by Jdsk »

Getting home from Harwich was the worst part of our Rhine trip. Beware.

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mjr
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Re: European trains - sleeper service

Post by mjr »

MrsHJ wrote: 15 May 2023, 5:06pm Is Harwich that more appealing that Dover to dunkerque? Then a local train to Brussels etc? I wouldn’t claim to know other than either route being a pain from SW England.
From NE of London, the Harwich crossing is obviously more appealing, depending on the times and stops of the train you want to catch. If you can use the trains from Cambridge, they're pretty nice now.

If you have to or choose to cross London, there's probably not much to choose between them. If you're west enough to use GWR into Paddington, then Elizabeth Line to Stratford and Greater Anglia slow trains to Harwich is maybe slightly worse than taking a fast train to Dover.

But on the other side of the crossing, riding 20 miles from the Hook of Holland gets you to Rotterdam to meet the train, whereas riding 20 from Dunkerque port only gets you to a train station where, most days, you need two trains to get to Brussels. I think you'd have to ride another 22 (so 42 total) to Oostende to get a direct train.
Jdsk wrote: 15 May 2023, 5:09pm Getting home from Harwich was the worst part of our Rhine trip. Beware.
As in viewtopic.php?p=1663708#p1663708 - I'm sorry you had a bad time and were given duff information, but there are facilities in the town and some fun roads to other train connections. The London peak bike bans are the same for most cross-London journeys, so not really Harwich's fault IMO.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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Jdsk
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Re: European trains - sleeper service

Post by Jdsk »

"The Munich-Venice/Zagreb/Budapest sleeper has been extended to start in Stuttgart since the December timetable change.":
https://www.seat61.com/news.htm

Jonathan
Will
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Re: European trains - sleeper service

Post by Will »

Jdsk wrote: 15 May 2023, 6:09pm "The Munich-Venice/Zagreb/Budapest sleeper has been extended to start in Stuttgart since the December timetable change.":
https://www.seat61.com/news.htm

Jonathan
That service currently does not have any bike spaces: https://www.vagonweb.cz/razeni/vlak.php ... =&rok=2023

Will
Jdsk
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Re: European trains - sleeper service

Post by Jdsk »

Thankyou

Jonathan
scragend
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Re: European trains - sleeper service

Post by scragend »

mjr wrote: 15 May 2023, 6:07pm But on the other side of the crossing, riding 20 miles from the Hook of Holland gets you to Rotterdam to meet the train, whereas riding 20 from Dunkerque port only gets you to a train station where, most days, you need two trains to get to Brussels. I think you'd have to ride another 22 (so 42 total) to Oostende to get a direct train.
Exactly this. Dunkerque port is pretty much in the middle of nowhere when it comes to rail connections to Belgium and beyond. If you're headed to France then you can catch a train from Dunkerque town (which in itself is an hour's ride from the port) - but if you wanted to do that it would make far more sense just to get the ferry to Calais.

To get into Belgium you'd need to ride another hour or so past Dunkerque town to Adinkerke/De Panne from where, as mjr correctly says, you would need two trains to get to Brussels.

Added to that, the timing can be awkward. Dover-Dunkerque is obviously a shorter crossing than Harwich-Hoek, but that can leave you struggling to get there in time for an early ferry, or only getting to Dunkerque without much time to get an onward connection to anywhere meaningful. The overnight ferry from Harwich gives you a full day to get there on this side, and the whole day on the other side to get to wherever it is you are going.

I sailed Dover-Dunkerque at Easter, bound for Gent, and as I was coming from the North West I had to stay overnight in Dover on both outward and return legs to make the whole thing work.
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MrsHJ
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Re: European trains - sleeper service

Post by MrsHJ »

Makes sense- I get the overnight ferry from Plymouth (as I can rock up after work- and that’s what I’m doing on Friday). It’s pricey though especially now the train from roscof is out of action. I don’t mind riding 30km to Morlaix but like the Dunkerque option it has a time impact. Once at Morlaix though - it isn’t a busy station but there are usually several TGV services a day that take bikes into a Paris etc. to make my timing work this time I’m getting a taxi from roscoff to Morlaix which is annoying (and more cash). I’ll be in the south of france by the evening though.

I obviously would be able to cycle it but the ferry gets in at 8 then you have to disembark and the train I’m booked on with a bike spot reserved leaves at 11- it’s a bit lumpy and last time I got a puncture and had to learn how to change the tyre with a Rohlof. All of the bike spots are now reserved that day except for the 6am train so I definitely want to catch the one with my reservation!
Will
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Re: European trains - sleeper service

Post by Will »

There are some videos already on YouTube for the start of the European Sleeper service:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsnni3rxJME

You can see the (8) bike spaces at the 2:27 mark. It does not look like they are using the RegioJet carriages after all - the deal probably fell through due to delays in getting the service started.

Will
Jdsk
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Re: European trains - sleeper service

Post by Jdsk »

Thanks for that.

Screenshot 2023-05-26 at 13.05.52.png

Jonathan
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Re: European trains - sleeper service

Post by pal »

The 'Man in Seat 61' is on the maiden voyage (is that the right word for trains..?) of the Brussels-Berlin sleeper and has just posted a picture of the cycle carriage -- so it really exists! https://twitter.com/seatsixtyone/status ... 96931?s=20
Jdsk
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Re: European trains - sleeper service

Post by Jdsk »

pal wrote: 26 May 2023, 6:43pm The 'Man in Seat 61' is on the maiden voyage (is that the right word for trains..?)...
I think so... and virgin could lead to confusion!

: - )

Jonathan
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