What takes 53 hours, stops at 22 stations and was once the favoured transport of the Russian Imperial family?

The answer: The Nice to Moscow railway.

Now Rail Plus in Australia is hopping onboard the newly restored weekly sleeper train service between the two cities.

Priced from $552 per adult, the Nice-Moscow service has returned after almost a century.

From the end of the 19th century till the First World War, trains travelled regularly from Moscow to southern France, taking wealthy Russians and members of the Imperial House to the popular French resort.

Nikolai Gogol, Fyodor Tyutchev and Anton Chekhov were enchanted by Nice.

The city has hosted numerous Russian culture festivals and exhibitions as part of the Year of Russia in France and the Year of France in Russia.

The train departs from Nice on Sundays and from Moscow on Thursdays and takes around 53 hours, stopping at 22 stations across Europe.

It offers deluxe (3 carriages), first (6 carriages) and second class (1 carriage) levels of service with restaurant carriages serving Russian and European cuisine.

The ticket cost includes accommodation in a spacious and modern sleeper and luggage of up to 35 kg for each adult, and 15 kg per ticket for children under 12.

Snacks and meals can be purchased in the two on-board restaurants.

PS for Train Buffs: The 22 stations on the route are Vyazma – Smolensk – Orsha – Minsk – Brest – Terespol – Warsaw – Katowice – Zebrzydowice – Bohumin – BÅ™eclav – Vienna – Linz – Innsbruck – Bolzano – Verona- Milan – Genoa – San Remo – Bordighera – Ventimiglia – Menton – Nice.

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