Sud Express

Sud Express is the name of a famous night train connection originally between Paris and Lisbon, but now covering only the southern part of the traditional route. The trip used to take two nights.

History

In its first days of existence at the beginning of the 20th century Sud Express formed, together with Nord Express, a direct link between Saint Petersburg, Russia and Lisbon, Portugal with connecting ships to South America and North America.

For many years a branch of the Sud Express reached Madrid too, actually gathering more passengers than the Lisbon one.

The service today

With the opening of the LGV Atlantique, the direct service was discontinued in favour of a (faster) combination of two different trains. The original connection from and to Paris is made with a TGV to Irun and from Hendaye (the twin border towns on opposite sides of the French/Spanish border). The continuing Sud Express then runs as a night train from Irun at the French/Spanish border to Lisbon and from Lisbon to Hendaye. Facilities exist for 3rd class seated accommodation, 2nd class accommodation in couchette cars, and 1st class private sleeping compartments. Passengers in 1st class compartments traditionally find a bar of chocolate and a small bottle of port in their compartments upon boarding the train. Dinner is served in a well-appointed dining and bar car, which also serves a continental breakfast the following morning.

See also

*Famous trains