KC255

Has anyone taken the train from London to Nice? Is it a trip that can be accomplished easily in a day? Anything an individual should know before taking the trip? I have 3-4 days prior to meeting another party in Paris and was thinking about heading to southern France .
Any thoughts on that? This is in early May and thought the weather in Southern France would be better than heading to Switzerland etc. What do you think???

scatcat

I think you could fly cheaper. Have you checked Easy Jet? Otherwise, train to Paris and change trains. Maybe total time on trains 8-9 hours.

alihutch

Check out http://www.seat61.com Great train travel info. WOuld be a fun trip

historytraveler

I have done the trip just not in one day. I suppose with a very early start from London you might be able to do it in a day. It's about 2 1/2 hours from London to Paris, then you'll have to change train stations to get the TGV to Nice. I believe that trip is about six hours. There'll be an hour's time difference between London and Paris that you'll have to allow for. Doable? Yes, but I wouldn't want to try it.

Man_in_seat_61

I did it both ways for a conference in Nice back in November.

It's a lovely journey, a real chance to chill out. Take a bottle of wine, a good book, and your iPod.

Early start? No! The 10:25 Eurostar from London St Pancras gets you to Paris Gare du Nord at 13:47 even allowing for the time difference, in plenty of time to catch the 15:46 TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon arrives Nice 21:46. Or there are earlier options.

But how about taking the earlier 08:55 Eurostar and having lunch at the amazing Train Bleu restaurant in the Gare de Lyon?

London-Paris starts at £39 one-way, £69 return, Paris-Nice start at 25 euros each way if you pre-book at www.tgv-europe.com (US residents should select 'Canada', NOT USA). I went in 1st class luxury for 76 euros outward Paris-Nice, and just 40 euros on the way back!!

The 15:46 from Paris to Nice is a double-deck 'TGV Duplex' - book a top-deck seat for great views along the Rhone Valley past pretty French villages, picturesque churches, the odd ruined chateau, crossing and recrossing the River Rhone. You'll glimpse the famous Palais des papes as you cross the Rhone at Avignon on a huge viaduct. Beyond Toulon, you'll run along the coastline past rocky headlands, millionaire's villas and yacht-filled harbours.

Fly? No thanks!

KC255

Thank you Man_in_seat_61 your summary is exactly what I was looking for. If anyone has additional information on this trip please let me know. I am really looking for an excursion to Southern France and am open for suggestions.
Again Thank you

PalenQ

Well I would first take the Eurostar not to Paris but to Lille-Europe station and then hook up with TGV train south to Nice via Lyon - changing stations in Paris to me is a complete hassle and you have to build lots of fudge time into the change to be sure you make your booked Paris to Nice train. So investigate the changing at Lille off Eurostar onto French TGV trains IMO. For lots on French trains check out these sites - www.ricksteves.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and man in seat 61, who posted great advice above, his commercial site - www.seat61.com.

PalenQ

There is a direct TGV train from Lille-Europa to Nice that leaves Lille at 10:30am daily - so if you left London say by 8am you could easily switch in Lille and avoid the complete hassle of changing stations with luggage and perhaps unfamiliarity with how to do so - and then you'd be in Nice by 6pm. To me this would be the way to go, if you can get up and start fairly early. I'd rather get to Nic at 6pn than 9:30pm.

nytraveler

Train is 9 to 9.5 hours including 1 or 2 changes. And the train from London to Paris is the Eurostar - so you have to arrive in advance and check in - as for a plane.


You may want to look into flight options - for timing and cost.

Man_in_seat_61

Yes, you can go via Lille but the one daily 10:30 through train means a very early start from London, at 06-something. Too early for me to get into London to catch, in fact, even though I'm only 45 miles out in commuterland. Other options via Lille involve a second change in Marseille, and I find there are a wider choice of departures, often with cheaper prices, via Paris.

So if you were going from London to Lyon or even Marseille, I'd definitely say go via Lille, but if you've no mobility problems and are going all the way to Nice, I'd say going via Paris is fine. Lunch at the Train Bleu restaurant swings it, too, did that on my way to Nice in November!

PalenQ

A problem with going via Paris is that you have to build so much fudge factor time in between trains - simply because yes Eurostar trains IME can indeed limp into Gare du Nord late and if not familiar with Paris metro is may take a while to figure out the route to Gare de Lyon and even queues at taxis lines by Eurostar exit can be very long IME - so if you especially have a non-changeable ticket you must build IMO at least 3 hours into arriving in Paris and taking off - I guess if you do a lunch at Train Blue, which could well cost a lot more than the train fare to Nice then something like that planned OK otherwise you may be twiddling your thumbs.

I do not see why you have to rise at 6 to get to Lille by 10:15 or so - Lille is about an hour from London now and yes you do lose an hour on the clock but if you left London around 8am... I guess still early for some but I would avoid the change in Paris if possible.

flanneruk

The only train that gets you into Lille in time for a 1030 train leaves London at 0619 - for which you have to check in by 0549.

All others are too late

chartley

Pal, you never argue with a Brit who knows about trains. And the man in seat 61 is the Brit who knows more about trains, especially European train journeys, than any other Brit.

Have a look at the Eurostar timetable. Trains from London to Lille leave on weekday mornings at 06.19, 08.27 and 10.57. Only the 06.19 makes a connection with the train to Nice. The 08.27 arrives in Lille at 10.54.

When you get it wrong, it devalues all the other advice you give.

You should stick to watching Corrie.

KC255

Your feedback is terrific, thank you so much. I think based on your comments I actually may go London to Paris spend a couple of days in Paris and then head to Nice for 4-5 days. This seems like a great way to spend a couple of days in Paris and then go South to Nice. Any suggestions on the Train to Nice and thoughts on 4-5 days in Nice. Any must sees while we are there? Weather in mid May????

PalenQ

chartley - that still don't eliminate the Lille to Lyon trains where with one easy transfer in Lyon you negate the hassle of changing train stations in Paris. Man in Seat 61 is great which is why if you note I constantly recommend his commercial site dozens and dozens of time - but he is no train God and I sincerely believe that if you can avoid changing stations in Paris it is priceless.

mjs

I would fly. Much less time and reasonable in price on Easyjet.

PalenQ

08.27 arrives in Lille at 10.54.

When you get it wrong, it devalues all the other advice you give>

would you say the same to Man in Seat 61 who on another current thread about changeability and refundability of discounted Trenitalia tickets got it ALL wrong and was corrected by a Fodorite quoting right off Trenitalia? To judge on one slip up.... well throwing the baby out with the bathwater. And yes Man 61 is not the pope and thus not infallible as proven on the Italian thread.

PalenQ

And another option - take the overnight train from Paris to Nice and spend the day in Paris or even in London.

PalenQ

Well I would consider if it were moi taking the 12:05 TGV from Lille-Europe direct to Marseilles, making a simple change there to a regional train, arriving in Nice at 20:52. An hour earlier than Man in Seat 61's route involving the often hectic change in Paris - the change may seem easy for veteran travelrs but could be perplexing for novices - even once you get to Gare de Lyon there are three parts to the station and it may take some time to find the right section where you train will be. And there is an hour between trains in Marseilles - and by that time you will want to stretch your legs perhaps.

For novice travelers if you can avoid the change of stations in Paris I would do it. and that is my advice, Chartley.

Man_in_seat_61

Yup, none of us can get everything right all the time!

And yes, with heavy luggage or kids in tow I'd opt to go via Lille too, even with an extra change in Marseille, but when you're solo with relatively light luggage, seeing a 30 euro fare Paris-Nice versus a 80 euro fare Lille-Nice soon swings it! Not that you can't get 30 euro fares from Lille too, but in my experience there's usually lots of cheapies from Paris as there's lots of trains and capacity, but less of the cheapies from Lille going south.

The set menu at the Train Bleu restaurant is 51 euros incuding a half bottle of wine, not exactly a McD's burger meal price, but it's a real Parisian experience if you ancy a splurge. Like dining at Versailles!