France · Sleeper · Scenic
SNCF's Intercités de Nuit leaves Paris Gare d'Austerlitz in the evening and reaches Nice-Ville the following morning, running via the Rhône valley, Marseille and the Var coast in roughly eleven to twelve hours.
Paris → Nice
Sleeper · Scenic
Why go overnight
You go to sleep in Paris and wake up with the Mediterranean out of the window on the run in along the Var coast, which is the whole argument for night trains in one sentence.
Aboard overnight
It is not a luxury train (couchettes are shared, four or six to a compartment, unless you book a whole one) but it saves a hotel night and delivers you into the middle of Nice in time for breakfast.
Through the night
French night services have been unstable in recent years, so check that your date is on sale before planning around it.
The published route runs from Paris to Nice via Dijon-Ville, Lyon-Perrache, Valence-Ville, Avignon Centre, Marseille-Saint-Charles, Toulon.
Key stops
Paris Gare d'AusterlitzDijon-VilleValence-VilleAvignon CentreToulonNice-Ville
Paris Gare d'Austerlitz
France
Dijon-Ville
France
Lyon-Perrache
France
Valence-Ville
France
Avignon Centre
France
Marseille-Saint-Charles
France
Toulon
France
Nice-Ville
France
Sleeper / night
01
SNCF's Intercités de Nuit leaves Paris Gare d'Austerlitz in the evening and reaches Nice-Ville the following morning, running via the Rhône valley, Marseille and the Var coast in roughly eleven to twelve hours. Accommodation is in couchette compartments with a reservation compulsory for every passenger. The overnight Paris–Riviera link descends from the celebrated Train Bleu of 1886.
02
Paris Gare d'Austerlitz to Nice-Ville via Dijon-Ville, Lyon-Perrache, Valence-Ville, Avignon Centre, Marseille-Saint-Charles, Toulon
03
Reservation: required. Direct online booking is recorded. Pricing is recorded as dynamic. Every berth is reserved; whole compartments can be booked privately, and summer dates sell out early.
Verified 2026-09-28
Plan the ride
Use the verified journey, booking, season and onboard facts below to decide how to take this experience. Unknowns stay explicit.
This guide does not imply a product variant unless a separate comparison decision is published.
Evidence on demand
Route, onboard, season, fit and booking detail remain available without interrupting the journey above. Unknowns stay visible.
11h 30m
The published route runs from Paris to Nice via Dijon-Ville, Lyon-Perrache, Valence-Ville, Avignon Centre, Marseille-Saint-Charles, Toulon.
Key stops
Paris Gare d'AusterlitzDijon-VilleValence-VilleAvignon CentreToulonNice-Ville
Paris Gare d'Austerlitz
France
Dijon-Ville
France
Lyon-Perrache
France
Valence-Ville
France
Avignon Centre
France
Marseille-Saint-Charles
France
Toulon
France
Nice-Ville
France
Jan: Operates year-round, though French night-train timetables change from season to season.
These months show when the train runs, which is a service fact. How good each month is for the experience has not been rated yet, so no month is presented as better than another.
Slow travellers
Especially good
A long journey where the time on board is the point.
Couples
Good fit
An overnight or set-piece journey that suits travelling as a pair.
You sleep on board
An overnight service, not a daytime sightseeing run.
You cannot just turn up
A reservation is required for this journey.
Our current editorial assessment, for comparing journeys, a considered judgement, not a measurement.
More subjective
Not rated yet: value for money, food & drink, seat quality, onboard service, slow travel quality, remoteness.
Step-free access and assistance are set out with the practical detail further down rather than reduced to a score.
Prices quoted SNCF prices night-train berths dynamically, so the fare depends on the date and how far ahead you book.
Not yet verified: rail pass validity. We leave these blank rather than guess.
This is the operator's own reservation entry point. Fares and availability are confirmed there, not here. Journey length: 11h 30m. Checked 12 Sep 2026 · SNCF Voyageurs · Intercités overnight.
The detailed source record remains at the end of this guide. Review the evidence.
Your next step
Every berth is reserved; whole compartments can be booked privately, and summer dates sell out early.
Check availability with SNCF Voyageurs (opens in a new tab)This is the operator's own reservation entry point. Fares and availability are confirmed there, not here.
Far by Rail is a discovery guide, not a live timetable or booking service. Confirm times, fares and availability with the operator.
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Journey information is reviewed against published material and maintained as sources change.
Last reviewed 12 Sep 2026.
Official sources
Checked 12 Sep 2026