Paris - Madrid (Elipsos TrainHotel Sleeper Train)

The overnight train journey between Paris and Madrid is made onboard the 'Francisco de Goya" sleeper train. This Elipsos Train Hotel is effectively a hotel on rails, with a full restaurant and bar. There are a range of seating and sleeping options, which you can tailor to your budget. The Elipsos website offers a virtual tour of the train so that you can get a better idea of what to expect.

In the middle of the night, the train pauses at Hendaye to switch gauge. This process doesn't involve passengers getting off the train (unlike some daytime alternative routes), but the wheels are changed with passengers on-board.

As with any night train, it can be difficult to get to sleep if you are a light sleeper. If you are worried that you might get woken up, take a pair of earplugs, which should help. We recommend paying for a couchette or sleeping berth, rather than trying to sleep in a reclining chair. Berths are significantly more civilised, offering greater security, comfort and overall level of service. Surprisingly, they can also be cheaper than reclining chairs, as the operator offers special reduced rates on berths, but not for reclining seats (view the pricing section for more information).

Elipsos Trainhotel

The Elipsos Trainhotel is an overnight sleeper train service that links France, Switzerland, Italyand Spain. In total, there are four routes which are operated by Elipsos; Paris to Madrid, Paris to Barcelona, Zurich to Barcelona and Milan to Barcelona. If you are taking the Elipsos Trainhotel, remember to board 45 minutes before departure (for origin stations).

Onboard the train, there is a restaurant car, serving dinner and breakfast (both meals included in the fare for Gran Class passengers, breakfast included for Club Class passengers). The food is a fine quality of Mediterranean and international dishes, accompanied by regional wines.

Passengers are permitted to bring two items of hand luggage onboard with them (max. dimensions 70x55x25cm each). Bicycles are permitted if an entire cabin has been bought, and must be folded and in a bike bag. Similarly, domestic animals may be brought into a cabin if it has been bought as a whole. There is an additional cost for animals (approximately £37.50), except for guide dogs.  

There are four accommodation options available for your journey: Gran Class, Club Class, Tourist Class and Reclining Seats.

Gran Class:

Gran Class, the most luxurious of the fares available, offers passengers a mini suite, with shower, toilet and sink. One or two beds are available in a Gran Class room. Complimentary toiletries and travel kits are included. Passengers receive a welcome drink, as well as an A la Carte dinner, and Continental Breakfast in the restaurant car. Free magazines and newspapers are also available.

Club Class:

Club Class rooms include a washbasin and one or two beds. Toiletries and travel kits are provided for free, as is a Continental Breakfast served in the restaurant car. Free magazines and newspapers are also available.

Tourist Class:

Tourist Class rooms host four beds/couchettes, and a shared sink. Toiletries are provided for free, as are some magazines.

Reclining Seats:

If you are happy to try and sleep in a chair, you can opt for a super reclining seat (20 per train). Each seat has its own reading lamp and footrest, and passengers are given earplugs, water and magazines.

The Francisco de Goya sleeper train between Madrid and Paris operates daily between April and October. For the rest of the year, services run for 5 days a week. Also, passengers should check with the operator, Elipsos, for engineering works on their day of travel.

If this train doesn't suit your needs, there is an alternative sleeper train, the Corail Lunea that travels between Hendaye, on the French/Spanish border and Paris. That service works well if you are travelling into Portugal, rather than Spain.

If you are looking for the cheapest way to travel between Madrid and Paris by train, you will need to look for special offers on couchettes or berths, rather than reclining seats. Special offers are available for families, couples, groups and a range of others. So it is worth checking to see if you can get one of those fares before considering alternatives. Prices can be as low as €72 pp.

As with most other overnight rail services, it actually works out cheaper to buy a point-to-point ticket for this route rather than use a railpass. The railpass supplement can actually be the same as some special fares for space in a 4-berth compartment. If you have a railpass, you will also be unable to pay for the 'reservation' (seat/bed booking, paid for on top of the ticket price) online. Instead you would need to book through a rail agent (who may charge you a booking fee) or on the day at the station (which may be too late as the train could be fully booked).

So our advice for this route would be to book using the links below or the SNCF website, trying to find the cheapest point-to-point fare available.

The prices below are in GBP, and are the standard rates.

Low Season: