The verdant countryside of Brittany’s Morbihan department is home not only to the delightful commune of Guiscriff, but also to its former railway station, now surrounded by trees.
La gare de Guiscriff welcomed rail passengers from 1896 to 1967. It lay empty for many years after, but was later acquired by the Ar Marc'h Du association and now operates as a small visitor centre that includes some rather unusual on-site accommodation.
Step behind the old station building and you will see a delightful burgundy-and-black train carriage that celebrates its centenary this year.
This refurbished railway compartment welcomes overnight guests and can sleep up to 11 people at a time, offering one triple compartment and four double or twin compartments, with the option of using two of the compartments as a four-person family suite thanks to a connecting door.
Though the rooms are not en-suite, there are two shower rooms and two toilets, as well as a charming dining room overlooking the surrounding greenery. The carriage is also now fully insulated and heated.
While the scenery might be static these days, there remain countless period features that will fascinate history buffs.
“The corner hand basins are all original”, says Solenn Le Ferrec, who welcomes visitors to the site, “as are the overhead luggage racks, which have been restored – the netting has been replaced so that it looks as it did back in the day.
“The little reading lights are still in place, and you’ll see original radiators, too, with instructions in different languages.
“The wood panelling is sycamore, and in the first-class compartments, all of the original mother-of-pearl and mahogany marquetry has been restored. You can also see that there’s a surprising number of ashtrays, because back when it was built many passengers used to smoke.”
Walking along the narrow corridor, it is easy to imagine the gentle rocking motion of the train as it wound its way through the landscape.
While the dimensions might seem modest to modern tastes, there are several luxurious touches throughout – in its heyday, this sleeping carriage was classed as ‘presidential’.
Originally, it was designed with fewer bedrooms and each had its own small salon or seating area, in addition to a practical handbasin neatly tucked in the corner for daily ablutions.
Carriage corridorDAVIS
There was a toilet compartment at each end of the carriage, although there were no further bathroom facilities for passengers.
At the far end of the carriage is a small kitchen for preparing simple meals, and the bright dining area with a number of eye-catching curiosities.
Here you can still see a fold-out bed designed to stow away in the ceiling, which allowed a member of staff to catch some shut-eye, alongside cupboards concealed in the woodwork as wine storage.
Even as it nears its 100th birthday, this sleeper car has a warmth and charm with timeless appeal.
The carriage can be rented for photoshoots and events, or hired exclusively for up to 11 guests to enjoy a private overnight celebration.
If you wish to make the most of your time here, there is an on-site railway museum, Le Musée du Réseau Breton, plus the option of a railway-themed escape game.
A bike-hire service is also ideally located here for the Voie Verte no 7 traffic-free path that runs between Concarneau and Roscoff, used by cyclists, walkers and horseriders.
Built from wood in 1926, the railway carriage was later refurbished by the Lyon-based company Horme et Buire, becoming one of the very first carriages to use sheet metal with visible rivets.
Of the 14 that were built, only two examples of this carriage remain: the second is currently on display at the Cité du Train railways museum in Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin).
It was known as a couchette because of its sleeping compartments, and referred to as a PLM because it made regular journeys on the Paris-Lyon-Mediterranean line.
This particular carriage, number 567, had the honour of serving as a base camp during World War Two for Marshal De Lattre de Tassigny, who was chief of staff of the French Army.
Later, the carriage was used as accommodation for railway workers on various SNCF construction sites throughout the country, before being brought to Guiscriff in 2021 and refurbished for its current use.
