The SUD EXPRESS - Hendaye to Lisbon Gran Clase review

[@Paul_Lucas]

Have a great Friday with an unexpected bonus video 😊

[@laurencehawkins6613]

U inspired me to try the ultimate sleeper train...xining to lhasa in Tibet 22 hours and oxygen provided. Cant wait

[@dadidi108]

Love it.. and indeed inspiring!

[@captainsinclair7954]

One of these days, I’m going to take the Deerstalker sleeper in England. Also, something tells me that a coming episode is going to be your ride on the new sleeper cars for the Deerstalker

[@6yjjk]

Nice one! Any plans to do the Finnish sleeper service? The en-suites upstairs are particularly nice.

[@AndreasP07]

So you pay alot for first class and still need to pay for dinner?

[@rhodriowen7135]

seeing a notification that paul just uploaded and immediately clicking on it is a tradition for me now

[@abhig7622]

I love these train videos more than the flight ones

[@andysedgley]

Same here, I think it's the combination of relative affordability and the length of time you can make a sleeper cabin "your own". Would I rather travel once in a "residence" in the sky, seeing nothing on the way, or tens of times in first class sleeper train, with much more to experience before and after bedtime?

[@toycat]

at 7:00 your debit card is visible, both the 3 numbers on the back and a hard to read indented version of the numbers on the front. Just commenting to let you know you can blur this with the KZbin editor! Great video, btw.

[@Paul_Lucas]

It’s expired, no need to worry!

[@kokilagunasinghe2186]

Hi ibxtoycat!

[@christopherorourke3568]

Omg the real ibxtoycat!

[@oliverjh1281]

ibxtoycat How the heck did you spot that ? Were you watching frame by frame 😜

[@patrickoudejans]

@@oliverjh1281 ibxtoycat can watch as fast as he talks... ;-)

[@Z50000]

Your video is awesome ! These Talgo V trains weren't refurbished since decades, however you should try the Barcelona to Vigo TrenHotel, as there is a brand new Talgo VII stock running on this line for approximately 15 hours thoughout the night. It is even cheaper than your journey from Hendaye to Lisboa : prices start from less than 100€ ! Thanks for all your work, I absolutely love your channel !!

[@IntaminFanboy]

Very sad to hear that this train might not be coming back, but I’d love it if it did! I’d love to ride it with my special someone as a “gateway to Europe” trip from Lisboa.

[@thefareplayer2254]

9:35 CALLED IT! As soon as I saw the single shared axles I KNEW it was gonna be a rough ride.

[@ErDeivid47]

Nice video Paul, my father works on that train. He wasn’t the man trying to fix your door on that day but it could have been 😉😉. Really old trains but they’ve always had something special about them.

[@dirkusmaximus9268]

DAVID SÁNCHEZ for that price, locks need to work 😀, the price for the couchettes is very ok.

[@bryonthor]

if the doesn't work you have no lock.

[@AnkitMishra-qc7dq]

You would not wanna return from there

[@bernardbriant6699]

I used to do this journey often. Seeing this film brings back very happy memories. I used to travel from Brighton in Sussex to Lisbon.....wonderful ride through the Pyrenees in the early evening sunshine.....and the restaurant car.

[@lifeisgreen9233]

I have done this trip except from lisbon san Sebastian., me and my family of 4. It was unique and will keep in our memorys. Thank you.

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Take the train from Beijing to Pyongyang, it’s a cool experience

[@JackSparrow-hh2lh]

But what about the return trip?

[@CityWhisperer]

@@JackSparrow-hh2lh LOL 😂😂

[@a4yster]

@@JackSparrow-hh2lh you wouldn't want to leave the best country on Earth, ruled by the greatest leader, right? So quit asking dumb questions.

[@samtrak1204]

In 2011 I rodeTrans-Mongolian/Siberian trains from Beijing to Moscow/St.Petersburg with stopovers along the way in Mongolia, Lake Baikal, Old Believers Village and more.

[@bxcsf9408]

But what about from Moscow?

[@durselegion3297]

Love your videos man. Keep doing what your doing. 👍

[@dcrom]

i took this trip in '97. June. My sleeping car was all walnut and stainless steel. A great dinner. Unforgettably beautiful. Does not look so good these days

[@rhodesianwojak2095]

is this what it looked like? www.railfaneurope.net/pix/pt/car/night/UH/1004295jo1.jpg

[@robertgriffith8857]

This brought back fond memories! When I lived in the south of Spain I would make a couple of trips back to the U.K. by train as an alternative to flying as I’m not a great fan of aircraft and all the hassle that goes with it. I alternated between Madrid - Paris and Barcelona- Paris then onwards by Eurostar to London. Like you I traveled Preferente and the fare included a three course dinner in the restaurant car adjacent to the bar/cafeteria as well as breakfast. With the expansion of the AVE high speed network in Spain the Trenhotel sleepers between Madrid/Barcelona- Paris were withdrawn. The end of an era as I believe the Trenhotel you travelled on is the only service remaining in Spain!

[@rhodesianwojak2095]

rip

[@michaelpillingnow]

Way back in 1990, I caught the Catalina Talgo from Genève to Carcassonne. Early morning peak hour departure and such great memories. After I alighted, the train continued on through Toulouse to Madrid. The other big memory of that day were my wonderful hosts and them stopping in to get some petrol and the petrolist filling the car while smoking.

[@narabdela]

Great video Paul. Keep 'em coming!

[@Paul_Lucas]

narabdela Thank you!

[@madhaviraut2890]

One more outstanding Train Video..! Very Informative as well

[@HenriquPereir]

I'm from Portugal, and I love the Sud Express!

[@NaveenCha]

Is this non stop train to Paris from Lisboa?

[@HenriquPereir]

@@NaveenCha No, this is a Lisbon-Hendaye service. In Hendaye it connects with the TGV to Paris Montparnasse. The Sud Expresso has 22 stops in Portugal and Spain.

[@jeffpape6519]

Wonderful as always Paul.

[@PlanesTrainsEverything]

Your comment about the swaying and noise was on the mark. I caught this train last year, but in the opposite direction. I thought it was the very curvy route of the Portuguese track that was keeping me awake. Once we passed into Spain, the swaying seemed to reduce enough to allow me to fall asleep.

[@TheChefDeadManInc]

Great stuff! Always good to have a sleeper train with an en-suite toilet & shower.

[@divinespiritztacogirlmessa7608]

Nice too see you do other reviews other than planes nice video mate

[@Rockingham76]

Love your train videos Paul! I don't know of anyone else on KZbin doing these like you!

[@DanielsUKT]

Wow a sleeper train from France to Portugal must have been very interesting been enjoying your trip reports

[@VPB1970]

Enjoying your videos and subscribing were my most intense activities today. Well worth it, and surely a very good find, I normally travel on motorcycles but love to travel independent of means of transportation. Train is also a very nice way to travel.

[@myplace848]

Once again Paul. Your channel is a blessed, welcome part of my life mate. The experience I have watching your reports puts me right there with you, always. I wish you all the best and success with your life and what you enjoy doing. I think it brings many of us joy. It certainly does me.

[@realhawaii5o]

I've taken this train before, last year. What a sleepless night.

[@kevinchan9936]

Spot on. Always get the most expensive class on sleeper! Well worth the money. Consider you can be paying thousands more for the same duration to get a few more inches on a plane. A couple of hundreds more to get your own suite and bathroom is amazing value.

[@mikhailtykos77g74]

Just love them old timer trains 🤩 thanks for the thoughful reviews, Paul!

[@folksinger2100]

Good to se that it now starts in France, when I did it in early 2018 we had to travel on the meter gauge to Irun. First class meal at the bar as it was that early in the season there was no restaurant car. Travelled in a 2 berth cabin - nor Grande - but did not sleep that well at all, but the trip into Lisbon is fantastic. .

[@ruebotzaris]

I quite agree with you Paul night train also from Lisbon is one hell of a noisy and shaky ride. I travelled Lisbon to Madrid and never ever again. No sleep. The sleeper compartment itself was pleasant enough - very nice fellow passengers.

[@willneverforgets3341]

I used to do sleepers a lot when I was little, from Andalucía to Barcelona... Nice memories. Today they cover the distance in 4-5hrs with High Speed trains.

[@alexandergrube6437]

Amtrak uses these unique talgo trainsets in the Pacific northwest on the Cascades train service from Portland to Vancouver.

[@rhodesianwojak2095]

do you have any links on this?

[@a4yster]

Gotta back this up m8.

[@marcwolfie]

@@rhodesianwojak2095 Actually if you watch the video Paul made about the coastliner to Seattle, he mentions this fact as well.

[@rhodesianwojak2095]

@@marcwolfie ty

[@sthitadhibasu]

As usual your trip reports on the trains are great to watch!

[@noahb3700]

What a nice surprise! I'm moving to Spain in 2 months so this is a nice travel inspiration for me. Great video as usual!

[@pjobpjobpjob]

Hey Paul. Another great train video! Thanks.

[@iansmith2549]

Excellent video, never knew this line existed. Must take a trip and thank you for all your good advice.

[@TigersTimelessTreasures]

I originally subscribed to your channel for the flight reviews, but you are seriously selling me train travel! Your reviews really make me want to book trips on trains to explore Europe in particular! Thank you.

[@AntonioSantosGarcia]

Very precise and honest review of the trip and train. I love that route. Renfe cafe cars accepting only cash is really inconvenient. And they are expensive!

[@jeangrice5462]

Another brilliant video, Paul.

[@csifan90]

Great video!! Can’t wait for the next one!

[@Disneythroughourveins]

we were lucky enough to travel on the overnight train from Paris to Barcelona before they got rid of it - xx thanks for sharing - I enjoyed watching x

[@paulneville7154]

Another great vid Paul. As ever very practical and informative. To your continued success and happy traveling.

[@BLUEsurf63]

Remember doing this route back in about 1976, for £43 return with Transalpino, it took 2 days from London Victoria to Lisbon, i always remember, part of the journey across spain in August boy was it hot, and when the train crossed in to Portugal, and the ticket inspector demanded suplemente, suplemente..i was 18 yrs old then now i'm 63...

[@RexyH267]

Nice one Paul always like your train videos.

[@Watfordherts1971]

Very enjoyable and different video . I personally love the way you mix it up now and again and what a lovely Journey . Cheers 👍

[@diegocifrian4432]

Hi Paul! Yes, there is a power socket a bit hidden next to the bottom bed’s phone (which doesn’t work)

[@bobjennings6673]

Gotta add that train to my bucket list!!!

[@fidelcastro9579]

Awesome work mate. The backstory shows how much effort you put into every video. 👍

[@ryanfrisby7389]

Awesome trip report as always! This made my Friday!

[@JohnSmith-tb6km]

Great trip report Paul one for my list too thanks

[@subwayexpress465]

The wheel arrangement is also seen on the Amtrak Cascades carriage sets fitted with tilting technology

[@Yunoooo]

guess what, those carriage sets are also made by Talgo

[@frankeeirish04]

Great video as always!! You said it would be economical to share with strangers, if it's that enclosed I wouldn't, I would gladly pay the fare and be on my own to be honest!! Keep your videos coming!!

[@tammypearson4500]

I love traveling by train! A beautiful trip was from Berlin to Prague! Gorgeous in late September early October.

[@craigwillis3372]

Good stuff again Paul...really enjoy your train and plane rides!! The cabin did look a bit dated but seemed to be quite comfortable!! Well done mate and looking forward to your next adventure !!

[@jpjackson4982]

Hey Paul in the late 70s I traveled on the Sud express from Paris to Lisboa and went through the wheel changing shed it was a proper train then

[@amtrakharry]

Just what I was wishing for ! A video of the "Sud Express !!! This is definitely on my bucket list !!! Thank you for sharing Paul!!! :):):)

[@TuurboSpiicer5]

Great video, as usual, keep it up!

[@rhodesianwojak2095]

hm

[@maximus8746]

low speed in Spain kinda suck if you're going long distances, if you really want to experience good service try out going on the high speed train service in Spain (AVE). plus, in April the service of AVLO (the low cost high speed service) between madrid-barcelona

[@highnoon9333]

That light switch looks really satisfying

[@tutrainfanfavorito9691]

Wow! I live in Spain and a I have only seen Trenhotel services at night stopping at mi local station (Zaragoza Delicias), the only TrenHotel that USED to go down the Mediterranean corridor was the Estrella Costa Brava, which I believe went from Madrid Chamartin up to Girona without entering the HSL which made the trip a whopping 9 hours, the train was commercially branded as TrenHotel but most of its services were scheduled at daylight, that was until AVE started running the Madrid - Barcelona line via HSL, that had a massive effect on the whole corridor, the intercity, TrenHotel, Talgo, Regional Express and regional lost it’s frequent passengers. Now we have a very small amount of TrenHotel.

[@assortedvideosofstuff]

Totally agree that it’s a very special train. Fantastic crew and comfy bed...just a shame about the bumpy ride.

[@twobins2060]

Great video. These train reviews set you apart. Everyone seems to be doing aircraft business class reviews on KZbin and frankly im getting bored of them.

[@sodapopcurtis2528]

Was that man trying to fix the door lock with a butter knife? No wonder he couldn't get it to work, that is clearly a job for an oyster fork.

[@alanstuart4646]

@ Soda Pop Curtis That is one of the funniest comments on KZbin!!! :-)

[@roadweary5252]

😂

[@jadedavis822]

😂😂😂

[@KEITHGEE1000]

Nice report as always. Love that door key! Brings back memories of the first key card security key/door systems in places such as hotels. They replaced the traditionally old fashioned hard key. I think the company that made them first was called Vingard?

[@torgeirbrandsnes1916]

Great as always! I want to do a Med from A to B, Atlantic to the Black sea.

[@neeleycorcoran3238]

Hey Paul, great video. I took this train back in 2017 where you're absolutely right in saying that the service only did start at Irun. BUT it is important to note that during this period connecting TGVs from Paris and Bordeaux ran all the way to Irun, effectively crossing the border. (two guages of track cross the bridge) I seem to remember the connection being much more convenient, where changing trains only involved a cross platform transfer. Anyway, great video as always!

[@normanschlongdongovic4124]

Reminds me of a friend who is a train enthusiast met his wife on a long journey train trip

[@ganapatihegde1024]

Nice vlog! All your vlogs are well made. As I am train enthusiast, always look forward to watch your vlogs. Please keep up the good work.

[@SuperSkullSplitter]

I love your train journey videos 👍

[@pblic8_269]

I found you by James Jones's subscriptions. GREAT VIDEO! very descriptive and useful. Notifications on

[@jonarnel.nygaard7598]

Great video as always and as per usual very informative. Only thing I would wish is that you would included some images of the other types of sleeper cabins. I do relise that it might not have been availeble for you to film though. All in all a very good revue!

[@roadweary5252]

Yes! Another train report 🍺

[@martinc.720]

I have used a sleeper train from Amsterdam to Berlin (discontinued service, from what I understand). I must say I really enjoyed the experience!

[@philipchambers5410]

You have the best and most detailed vids...well done.... always looking forward to vids...Phil...Eire.

[@holdenafart5241]

Ahhh nice Sunday came early this week

[@pedrobarros6463]

Very good review! Just one note, Talgo trains have a unique passive tilting suspension. That might be responsible to the sway you felt.

[@kiwitrains]

Excellent video enjoyed it a lot

[@amath-dr7uk]

in 1974 SNCG/Renfe operated a Talgo train from Gare du Lyon to Barcelona..and also a Catalan Talgo TEE-train from Geneva to Barcelona..

[@emilkarpo]

Same interior that the much newer Russian Talgo's have. The ribbed side paneling is even more grim in person that it is in these videos. Just too much shiny white plastic material. Each Tango generation seems to be an improvement over the last. Very good travel report as always!

[@uncinarynin]

Pastel colours such as that light pink were in fashion in the 1980s when the train was built (the original outside paint was dark blue and ivory). Actually it is composed of different generations of Talgo Pendular; as you can see from outside, the older carriages have larger windows and doors opening to the inside. These were replaced in the 1990s/2000s by smaller windows and sliding-plugging doors as the newer generations have airtight bodies. There are newer Trenhotel sets (Talgo 7) but those will be rebuilt to daytime trains because Renfe needs them on their high speed lines and is (like many others) reducing the number of overnight trains. So the breakfast was not brought to the compartment but you had to buy it at the bar car (for cheap)? I guess that works if it is not too crowded there. Actually Talgo used to include a restaurant car with chairs and tables next to the café bar in the Trenhotel but these might have been omitted for whatever cost-cutting reason ....

[@kathlynterry8196]

unci narynin I remember it well Mauve and teal!

[@nviewroyroyce]

Before Dec 2017 some TGVs from Paris continued to Irun, and Sud Expresso to Lisbon started from Irun... After SNCF discontinued the night train Paris-Hendaye(Intercités de nuit) I've done a few times the earliest TGV Paris-Hendaye the morning then Euskotren to Donostia/San Sebastián to spend a half afternoon there, and on Sud Expresso to Salamanca or Lisbon at evening.

[@nviewroyroyce]

The Sud Expresso coming from Lisbon always continue to Hendaye to let people change for TGV to Paris(not only after Dec 2017).

[@DivineDart]

Been waiting for this review!

[@surprisinghorizons4779]

Those are the same weird key cards that VR use in their night trains to Lapland from Helsinki in Finland. Mine worked though! I like the Sud Express cabins more though, I enjoy having comfy seats which then collapse into beds.

[@MalteSpieltYT]

a video on friday! thank you paul

[@lysistrata35]

Another great video! Would love to see a future video on the Via Rail Canadian prestige class from Vancouver to Toronto.

[@TaylorBowling1]

I love your channel! Thank you!

[@Sootycork]

Paul, I have been on the Talgo Trenhotels a few times going back to the 80s and they have not changed. In those days you could book going out at Victoria station but you had to send a postcard to book the return. That pink decor and the seating arrangement has been the same since they were incepted. They are well made and refurbishment has been "light" hence there are no electric sockets. The bar car is brilliant if you can get a seat and the food is good. There was a restaurant car in the Paris-Madrid Talgo where our tickets included a superb 3 course meal with wine. The Paris Madrid train goes at pretty high speeds and you certainly rock and roll in the top bunk. But I loved it and would do it again but sadly the Paris to Madrid and Barcelona Trenhotels no longer exist.

[@MrThunderPanda]

I took the Trenhotel Lusitania with my girlfriend about a month ago (same kind of train, but Madrid to Lisbon). Usually you'd need a 1st class Interrail pass to access the Preferente/Gran Clase sleepers, but we got upgraded for some reason, even though our passes were 2nd class. Really enjoyed it, the beds were comfortable and the ride was a lot less bumpy than the Intercités de Nuit we took from Paris to Latour de Carol a couple days earlier. Only minor downside was the border guards that came banging at the door at 3AM, interesting experience nonetheless!

[@WDH59510]

Another thing to do in Hendaye if you have the time is take a trip on the narrow-gauge (1 metre) Metro Donostialdea train (part of Eusko Tren). The Metro Donostialdea station in Hendaye is right beside the main station and takes seconds to enter Spain as you did on the Talgo. It's the best way to get to San Sebastian.

[@andrewwalsh5136]

Did the entire trip in 1987 Paris to Lisbon, 25 hours. Personally, I loved it

[@Group51]

Took a Spanish sleeper from Barcelona to Bilbao years ago. Didn’t sleep much at all! Very rickety ride. Older than a Talgo IIRC.

[@hellfiregrowler]

Great video. I recently did a sleeper train from Moscow to Saint Petersburg on the famous 'Red Arrow' which was great fun, maybe you could do a review on that one? As an aside both Lenin and Stalin used to travel on that service although not on the same carriages I had!

[@willford8475]

A few months ago Michael Portillo, BBC, took a ride up to the French/Spanish border station. Apparently they could run a train through an engineering shed and change the rail gauge in a few minutes.

[@michaellawrence7714]

you are going to love lisbon i was there last year what a nice city

[@ricardonunes3633]

I did Lisboa - Paris in the Sud-Express, just to experience a journey that lots of portuguese emigrants did in the sixties and seventies. I only changed at Irún (Spain) to Hendaye (France) because the railway gauge is different (from Iberian to european). And it was my first time traveling in a TGV. An it took almost 12 hours...

[@peterlisyak5396]

Paul, you like sleeper trains, you should try the Indian Pacific from Sydney to Perth, Australia

[@TravelblogJoyDellaVita]

Nice Video, quite sad (but of course important) Coronavirus has postponed travel so much, cant wait to experience this journey myself!

[@Leyland1989Net]

Great video as always, If you like unique vantage sleeper trains, you should definitely check out Canada Via Rail's Ocean/The Canadian Service. The Renaissance rail cars running on the Ocean (Montreal - Halifax) was meant for the Nightstar service for the channel tunnels, the interior remained largely from the early 1990's, reassemble a lot of the early Eurostar interior design. These cars are near their end of life and will possibly be phased out in the next few years due to corrosion issues and their poor reliability record in winter. The Budd HEP cars running on the Canadian (Toronto - Vancouver) and occasionally the Ocean are another classic, the were built in the 1950s (some were even in the late 1940s), they are still in active service, and some are even running on the mainline service (the Windsor-Quebec corridor). The interiors were reimbursed but it will still make "The Sud Express" feel like something from the future. Canada has a terribly underfunded, rundown passenger railway service, but at least the low budget forces them to keep their "heritage fleet" alive :), it's quite an experience. Oh, I haven't mentioned that the Canadian often breaks down in the middle of nowhere or stuck in freight rail traffic, it often turns your 4 days journey into a whole week! What amazing value....

[@RogEdwardsTV]

Great video. A better en-suite design than on the new Cally Sleeper by the looks of things.