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Welcome on board Midnight Trains, a company where every moment counts

Here at Midnight Trains, we’re aiming to better connect the great European cities – with ‘hotels on rails’ that freshen up the good old-fashioned sleeper train. But while we wait to really welcome you on board, every Friday at midnight the Midnight Weekly newsletter will explain just how the night train could change your life. We’ll also be providing some travel inspiration, and this week we’ll be giving you the inside track on Marseille, France’s enthralling second city.

The holidays are over, and while you may be finding some joy in catching up with all your pals, we’re in no doubt you’re already feeling like taking off again. Panic not. In this latest edition of Midnight Weekly, we’ve dug up a fascinating slice of history that is sure to distract you from your wanderlust.

Did you know that each year, people in France have the right to savings of between 25 to 50 percent on a return train in France for them, their partner and their children? This fortunate state of affairs is known as the billet populaire de congé annuel and has been in place for more than 85 years. So let’s go back in time to discover where it came from – and why.

In 1936, France was going through a time of great social upheaval, and largely for good. This was the time of the Front Populaire, led by Léon Blum, who presided over a political union that became synonymous with social progress. In just a few weeks of government, and following an unprecedented general strike, salaries were raised, the working week was capped at 40 hours and union rights were recognised. Thanks to the introduction of two weeks of paid annual leave, it was also the beginning of the grandes vacances France still cherishes to this day.

That might not seem that amazing in 2021, but this particular advancement changed the lives of all French people, who could now look forward to a well-deserved break every year – an opportunity to recharge their batteries and spend time with family. However, many still lacked the means to travel outside of their immediate vicinity.

So, at the start of August 1936, Léo Lagrange, Under-Secretary of State for Sports and the Organisation of Leisure, decided to launch a complementary initiative that would make all the difference: one paid train ticket per year. The newspapers were all over it. Le Populaire, for example, wrote that this ticket would allow ‘anyone with paid leave, whether travelling alone or accompanied by their wife, to obtain a reduction of 40 percent on a third-class ticket on a journey over a minimum of 200 kilometres, as well as half price for children aged between three and seven’.

It may seem like a mere gesture nowadays, but that was a big deal back then. At the time, cars were still the reserve of the rich and trains were the only means of transport that would really allow the law on annual leave to have some effect (in encouraging people to actually travel, rather than just stay put). Predictably, the programme was a hit from the start: 600,000 workers signed up, making trains not just the domain of the elite. Some richer people even started using congés payés as a dismissive term for those making the most of the scheme.

Without necessarily heading to the other end of France, workers discovered the joys of the summer break. Many Parisian workers would content themselves with a break by the Seine or Marne, while others would go a little further and try camping in Normandy. It was also around this time that seaside resort towns became summer destinations for a large number of people, thanks to their train stations. Among them: Deauville, Saint-Malo, Cabourg, Nice and Biarritz.

Things were made a little difficult because many of the train companies – all private at the time – weren’t entirely on board with the idea. Léon Blum even threatened to nationalise them in his efforts to get them to put the new annual ticket offer in place. The irony of the story? The unexpected influx of travellers allowed all those businesses to be in credit for the first time since 1928.

Today, the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF) doesn’t shout about this initiative all that much. But if you wanted to prolong your summer holidays and plan a trip for later in the year, it’s still yours for the taking. Here is all the information you need – and don’t forget that you can do it every year after that too.

Throughout September, we’re introducing you to the various talents who have come together to make Midnight Trains a success. One of them is Odile Fagot, one of our four advisers, whose role is to aid our co-founders, Adrien Aumont and Romain Payet, on their strategic decisions – ones that should allow you to climb aboard our trains from 2024.

Does the railway world still hold any secrets for Odile Fagot? Very few, if any. Odile is very well known in the industry and has deployed her expertise on many big projects that have been launched in recent decades.

Notably, she was responsible for setting up France’s Intercités trains in the 2000s. During this time, the SNCF strove to make trains the transport of choice for the French, improving high-speed connections between the country’s biggest cities. The Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV) became the greatest ambassador for this change, while the TER (Trains Express Régionaux) were revived on a more local level.

And while the TGV allowed for much faster connections between France’s biggest cities, it was impossible to let it stop everywhere for obvious technical reasons: the more stops there are on a journey, the less fast the train will be. That’s where the TER came in, connecting a much wider network of towns and villages throughout the country. But initially, this had limits: connections between regions weren’t keeping up with demand. And that’s when Odile Fagot entered the picture: her aim was to fix the issue.

While the French (and our many, many tourists) were keener than ever to move around the country, she set out to work out precisely how many potential travellers were out there, with the support of regions across the country. That preparatory step was essential: it allowed her to figure out exactly how many trains were needed for her brand-new network. In 2006, Intercités officially launched: Odile Fagot had created a service used by millions, which still today has nine lines serving more than 150 destinations.

In her 25 years at SNCF, Odile Fagot has achieved much else besides. Over the following years, she presided over the development and management of the railways in the Île-de-France and Nord-Pas-de-Calais regions, before becoming one of the key figures in charge of financial strategy at the firm.

When Midnight Trains launched, it seemed entirely logical that she should join us as an adviser, a role she had already played within Eurostar. In her eyes, Midnight Trains stands out from other operators, as its founders consider their sleeper train to be a completely different beast from the night services of yore: instead of aiming to simply revive this historic mode of transport, their approach is to reinvent it entirely.

In her latest mission, Odile sees something truly fascinating, as she’s always been interested in the wants and needs of travellers. And in this case, she has been tasked with helping create new sleeper trains, far removed from all those that have tried and failed to take off in the past.

In light of her experience, Odile Fagot is convinced that success is on the way for Midnight Trains, its ambition to make travelling something to savour (and find pleasure in) being one thing that will make it really stand out – an approach entirely opposed to that of low-cost airlines. The other factor Fagot thinks could play a part in our success is the fact that we’re looking to strike a balance between conviviality and personal space on board: another thing you will rarely find on a flight.

No doubt the expert advice of Odile Fagot will allow us to welcome you on board our trains, and make us an even greater success story. And when we asked her where she’d like Midnight to take her, Odile said that right now, she could see herself stepping onto a platform somewhere in Italy. As summer comes to an end, we can totally sympathise.

In our travel section this week, we’re heading off to yet another incredible Mediterranean city. Marseille is a city of contrasts, and to really get a feel for it, it’s best to properly spend some time there – an extended holiday, say, rather than a flying visit. You may have seen a number of friends post photos from their trips there this summer, so if you’re feeling a little envious, we’ve taken the opportunity to share some of our favourite lesser-known things to see, eat and do in the city.

Before that, however, let’s start with the classics. You won’t want to miss Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde: a Roman-Byzantine basilica that looks over the city from atop a hill. The views are invincible, and the history fascinating: just in front of the basilica, you’ll find a tank that reminds visitors that this was a store of strategic attacks that preceded the liberation of the city in 1944.

There are two other truly unmissable sights. There’s La Major, a jewel of neo-Byzantine architecture – as majestic from afar as it is up close. And much more modern is the Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée (Mucem): on top of excellent permanent and temporary exhibitions, this museum was designed by Rudy Ricciotti and its iconic concrete shell is a knowing wink to the moving reflections of sunlight on the ocean floor.

So next up, go and see what we’re on about by taking the plunge. The Parc national des Calanques, a haven of biodiversity, has been overwhelmed by visitors this summer, so we’re inclined to recommend you other options. Fortunately, there’s no lack of pristine beaches and coves in these parts. Try the Îles du Frioul or lay down your towel on the Catalans, Prophète or Prado beaches. The latter is where Marseille will host the sailing competitions at the Paris Olympics 2024: an unprecedented collaboration between two cities united by little else.

‘Swim! Dip your head into the wave rolling towards you, that hits you and rolls you too.’ If like poet Paul Valéry – who lived in Marseille in a house not far from the Abbaye Saint-Victor – you like swimming in open water – coincide your trip with one of the next editions of the Défi de Monte-Cristo. This is quite simply one of the biggest European competitions of its kind, with participants tasked with making it to the Prado beach from the Château d’If. Several races feature, many with prizes, and the biggest of all comprises a 5km-long stretch.

More into your hikes? The Balcons de la Méditerranée route kicks off at La Madrague, and you can eye it up from a distance thanks to the 62km-long Grand Sentier de la Côte Bleue, to the city’s east. There are several other good options near Marseille: a few kilometres from Aix-en-Provence, Sainte-Victoire is worth a climb, while the route up the Sainte-Baume massif reaches 1,149 metres into the air and offers unforgettable views over surrounding Provence.

No doubt that by now you will have worked out some appetite, so it’s fortunate Marseille abounds with brilliant restaurants. Try one of these: Limmat, Ourea, L’Abri, Le Bec du Coq and La Cantine de Nour d’Egypte – from entrées to desserts, they’re sure to keep you happy.

In fact, the colours of the setting sun at the end of the day may make you want to picnic somewhere instead, so plan a tour of the local food shops to stock up ahead of time.

Start with the truly marvellous Laiterie Marseillaise, where cheesemakers Madeleine and Audrey produce an amazing variety of sumptuous cheese and yoghurts. Then head to Maison Payany, the city’s finest butcher, whose charcuterie and pâtés are always a delight. And finally, fill up the rest of your basket at La Fabriquerie, a natural wine cave, much like the ones you’ll find on board our trains.

We couldn’t stop off in Marseille without honouring one of its greatest chefs. As brilliant as he is modest, Christian Qui was the winner of the Fooding’s ‘Meilleure Table’ prize in 2021. And it was in Goudes, a part of Marseille that looks uncannily like a Corsican village, that he made his name. You can book a meal both at his house and on his sailing boat (if you want a truly unique experience). His plates will blow you away, and you should definitely make sure to have a few conversations while you’re there – he’s a real fountain of knowledge.

One of his favourite topics is sustainable fishing: Christian Qui, in fact, is France’s finest chef in this field. This marine cuisine expert works in line with scientists from the Parc National des Calanques and fishermen from the city. For him, the important thing is not to fish threatened species, and that’s notably given birth to his bouillabaisse du turfu recipe, which changes with the seasons and has allowed him to introduce Marseillais to new kinds of fish. This week, the recipe we’re sharing is no exception from his general vision: it centres on blackspot seabream, little fish that you’ll find on stalls surrounding Marseille’s Vieux-Port.

Ingredients:

  • 3 or 4 blackspot seabream

  • One rosemary stem

  • Potatoes

  • Two egg yolks

  • Four garlic cloves

  • Five black garlic cloves

  • 10 basil leaves

  • Olive oil

  • Fish sauce

  • Pepper

  • Pink peppercorns

Prep:

Cover the bottom of a colander with fig leaves, place three of four fish (gutted but not scaled).

In the middle, place the branch of rosemary, a good lug of olive oil, a few drops of fish sauce and some roughly-ground pepper.

Cover with a lid and place on a pan of boiling water, leaving it to cook for around 10 to 15 minutes. See if it’s cooked by placing your finger on the fleshy part of the fish’s back (which should come apart if so). Once cooked, remove the fish skin.

Lay out the slices of potato (which you could boil while cooking the fish) on your serving plates.

In a small bowl, make a quick aioli with the egg yolks, garlic cloves and basil leaves, plus some olive oil. Pour on the potatoes.

Reuse the bowl and mix four or five black garlic cloves, an egg yolk and finally some olive oil. Add a few pink peppercorns. This emulsion should taste more sugary than spicy, and the colour should be black.

Pour it on the fish and tuck in. Bon appétit!

All that time down by the Med has got us hoping for an Indian summer. So when it comes to sharing a tune from the Midnight Trains playlist, we thought we’d stick with that theme. And in actual fact, we picked out Aline, a dreamy pop rock group from Marseille. Les copains is the kind of tune that encourages you to close your eyes and dream of faraway lands. Every time, it’s an immediate remedy for our melancholy and whisks us straight off to the south of France.

Last week, Emmanuel Macron was in Marseille to lay out a new plan of attack against trafficking, which has for many years constituted this city’s dark side. Because even if Marseille has changed a lot in recent times, this scourge continues to blight the city. It’s also the background to this film we’d very much recommend (and which won five Oscars in its time, including ‘best film’ and ‘best script’). William Friedkin’s action movie follows two American police officers as they hunt down a criminal network from Marseille – and it’s worth watching as much for its historical insight as for its car chases. Its title, French Connection, has since become a common term to refer to the Marseillais criminal underworld.

Bon week-end!

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