French Motorail

[Polly and Steve]

Having recently made the journey from Narbonne to Calais, and shortly to take the return trip, it was interesting to read last week's article in the Telegraph about a reader's recent experience www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe. While we were fairly pleased with our trip I do agree that the rolling stock is shabby (not even shabby chic) and at times during the night when the train had picked up speed it was definitely rock and roll in our little couchettes. The separate toilet and wash-room compartments at either end of each carriage were clean and quite spacious and the bar section in the middle of the train made a welcome change from the rather claustrophobic 4-berth compartment - although only tea, coffee and hot chocolate and small bottles of wine were available and nothing to eat as far as I could tell. Again, you are told to bring food for the journey. There was much hanging about in Calais waiting for the cars to be off-loaded, although in fairness you are warned about this, but meanwhile we were served a reasonably OK complimentary breakfast.

My main complaint was that having been reassured three times by Rail Europe staff in the UK that our tickets would be faxed through to Narbonne for collection at check-in (we'd booked the trip ten days prior to flying out to France, not enough time apparently for them to post the tickets to our home address or even to our French address) we arrived only to find that no such thing had happened. The SNCF staff were singularly unhelpful and refused to make a phone call to Rail Europe's Kent number to request the tickets to be faxed, which I then ended up doing on my mobile phone. After waiting in a call queue for around 7 minutes I finally got through and the offending paperwork was duly faxed, but I was very unimpressed. Thank goodness we were travelling at a time when the offices were open - the SNCF staff were adamant that we could not board without the tickets, despite evidence on my invoice of a booking reference and the fact that I had paid in full. On making my reservation for the return leg the tickets miraculously arrived the following morning!!

Both journeys will have been a means to an end, with costs equating pretty much to a two day road trip with an overnight, but I honestly don't think I could give it a wholehearted recommendation. Fingers crossed that all goes smoothly next month!

[john]

You very briefly touch on costs,Polly,but could you be a bit more specific. For example,what sort of deals are available,and are they,like the airlines(and most ordinary train services these days!) dependent on how many months you book in advance? How does it stack up with using Ryanair and booking a hire car at the other end?

It's easy to forget that (with the possible exception of the very high season) the BIG advantage of driving yourself and using the ferry,is you've got complete flexibility as to where and when you stop/go/stay,vis a vis time,budget etc.

[polremy]

I was interested in reading that telegraph article but it was not available!

We had a very poor overnight trip from Narbonne to Calais in June of last year.
I think we paid almost £400. (two of us )
A couple of days before our trip they were offering a fantastic deal = £199 I think.
It was essential that we travelled on the date specified so we had to book quite early, just in case. A bit galling though.

Just after we set off from Narbonne all the power in our carriage went off.
It was a very hot day/night and extremely uncomfortable without any climatisation. There were also no lights - a bit tricky for a midnight trip to the toilets.

We complained the next morning in Calais and were given a form to fill in.
It took ages for them to answer with one company blaming the other - (french and british rail people)

Eventually they sent us a £25 voucher.
I returned this saying that I did not anticipate ever travelling on Motorail again.
They then (about a month later) credited my bank account with the same amount.

I don't give up easily but it really was a battle and I ended up with a miserly amount of compensation.

Now you see why I would have liked to have read that article.

[Polly and Steve]

I'm sure it wouldn't hold up against any of the things you mention John. As I said, for me it was a means to an end (frail, elderly Mum and a frail, elderly car to get back all in one piece; not sure about the rationale for the return trip - the frail elderly Mum will be a component part and I guess I didn't want to have the worry of being the sole driver) but you're right, it's relatively expensive. Deals can be done, but they tend to happen only a couple of weeks before the travel date (hence my probs with the tickets last time) and then prices are reduced only to the tune of about £100 discount off, say, a £430 ticket. This price includes the car, natch, and four passengers (or six if there are children who would then need to be 'top and tailed' on the lower bunks) in a couchette compartment for your sole use.

Trains run to and from Narbonne only twice a week during the season (May to September) although there is another service called the Autotrain which is year round and which runs from Lille (allegedly) or Paris Bercy. Passengers travel on a regular rail service and the car is transported separately. Not much on Rail Europe's website - you're asked to ring reservations for info.

Again, I'd say that this service is only worthwhile if you fancy something a bit different when the only practical way to travel is by car (transporting lots of stuff, say) or if you're faced with a potentially difficult road trip - or if you're a notoriously wimpish driver like me!

[Polly and Steve]

Yes, sorry, when I tried the link it failed too. I then just Googled on to Daily Telegraph, went to the Travel section and typed in Motorail in their search box. Good, interesting (and scary) comments follow the article! Am I tempting fate????.........

[polremy]

Thanks for the guidance - I have now read the article and letters from readers.
I believe every word.
I wouldn't do that journey again unless I had absolutely no option.
When we travelled (from Narbonne) last year we were leaving the car in England and flying back.
We were also hosting a big birthday bash in England so had the car full of precious liquids purchased in Spain!
I suppose we should consider ourselves lucky that it wasn't stolen en route.

[Roger O]

Think it's this article?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/desti ... track.html
Enough to put one off for life - except for one "positive" comment from someone who seems to have a (motorail?) axe to grind!

[polremy]

yep.
that link works.
same article i got when i googled telegraph/ travel /motorail. (as advised)
thanks, oh wise ones.

[Sav]

Yep thanks Roger

The price is total pants at £500+ !!!!!
So how anyone can then have the audacity to give shoddy service, is un-fathomable

Cheers Sav

[Roger O]

Someone suggested the Deutsche Bahn German service was excellent, though, I guess more 'roundabout'?
http://www.bahn.de/db_uk/view/products/autozug.shtml
Specifically
http://www.bahn.de/db_uk/view/info/trav ... many.shtml

For onward tickets from ports such as Amsterdam (IJmuiden), Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Calais, Dunkerque or Ostend please contact the DB UK Booking Centre.

For onward travel by car, the DB Autozug (motorail) is a good alternative to avoid traffic jams and a stressful journey. The nearest DB Autozug terminal would be in Düsseldorf where overnight motorail services depart to Munich in Germany, Bolzano, Verona and Alessandria in Italy, Innsbruck, Villach, Vienna and Salzburg in Austria and Avignon and Narbonne in France. For more information or DB Autozug tickets please contact the Deutsche Bahn UK Booking Centre or check the website at www.dbautozug.de (also available in English).

Worth looking into, at least!

[john]

Someone suggested the Deutsche Bahn German service was excellent, though, I guess more 'roundabout'?
http://www.bahn.de/db_uk/view/products/autozug.shtml
Specifically
http://www.bahn.de/db_uk/view/info/trav ... many.shtml

For onward tickets from ports such as Amsterdam (IJmuiden), Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Calais, Dunkerque or Ostend please contact the DB UK Booking Centre.

For onward travel by car, the DB Autozug (motorail) is a good alternative to avoid traffic jams and a stressful journey. The nearest DB Autozug terminal would be in Düsseldorf where overnight motorail services depart to Munich in Germany, Bolzano, Verona and Alessandria in Italy, Innsbruck, Villach, Vienna and Salzburg in Austria and Avignon and Narbonne in France. For more information or DB Autozug tickets please contact the Deutsche Bahn UK Booking Centre or check the website at www.dbautozug.de (also available in English).

Worth looking into, at least!

Seems an extremely circuitous way of getting from Ceret to Newmarket Roger!

[Roger O]

John, I saw it here
http://the-languedoc-page.com/phpBB2/vi ... tsche+bahn
so I thought it might be worth looking at for some people - no personal interest!!

[Sav]

Hi all

I read this in the paper this morning

Quote: A family spoke of their ordeal yesterday at the hands of robbers who they believe drugged them as they slept on an overnight train through France.

Iain Macaskill, 43, was travelling on a sleeper service from Paris to the Mediterranean resort of Argeles when he and his wife Anita, 44, were targeted.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... train.html

Cheers Sav

[polremy]

Hi all

I read this in the paper this morning

Quote: A family spoke of their ordeal yesterday at the hands of robbers who they believe drugged them as they slept on an overnight train through France.

Iain Macaskill, 43, was travelling on a sleeper service from Paris to the Mediterranean resort of Argeles when he and his wife Anita, 44, were targeted.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... train.html

Cheers Sav

You'd need to be drugged to get any sleep on that train!
Never again for us.