Hello everyone, need your advice, please. I'm headed to Beaune in September for 4 days and am traveling alone. I don't want to rent a car for several reasons, primarily because I can't drive and navigate at the same time and I plan to drink more than my fair share of red wine.

Does anyone know if there is a way to get to Beaune from CDG airport without having to go into Paris? I'm guessing that there isn't and that I'll have to train into Paris and then change trains to Dijon and again from Dijon to Beaune but figured it couldn't hurt to ask.

thank you.
Pat.

Well from Beaune you could take a train to Lyon, not too far away and then hop direct TGV trains to CDG airport from Lyon - these run every few hours. Well worth the effort so you don't have to change stations in Paris and then pay to get out to CDG.

For example leave Beaune most days around 11:30 change in Lyon and be in the airport around 3:30pm - for easiest schedules go to the German Rail web site - good for all of Europe and put in Beaune then via Lyon to Paris aeroport CDG - an easy way to reach the English schedule page of the German site (www.bahn.de) is to go to: www.budgeteuropetravel.com and on their home page click on the link "All European Railroad Schedules" (or some such wording) and instantly pops up the English schedule page where you put in Beaune and Paris CDG and click on the via link to put in via Lyon - the home page i've referenced also gives lots of tips on using the fantastic bahn site.
You can also get schedules and pricing off the www.sncf.com or French rail site but in my experience the German site is best to use for schedules - easiest to use for me.

PalQ, thanks so much. I was looking at the French rail website but wasn't getting the schedules that I wanted. Will try your other suggested links.

thanks again,
Pat.

I wouldn't like to spend between 3h30 and more than 5h in the train to go to Beaune. (Dijon is 1h40 only from gare de Lyon)
In case you arrive in late afternoon, there is a direct TGV from CDG to Dijon at 7.25pm arr 9.20pm and then jump into a TER at 9.35pm to Beaune (25min from Dijon)
Have a great trip!
coco

You are so right, Coco. I arrive at CDG on a Sunday morning at 9:20 a.m. and it will take about 4 hours and 3 train changes to get to Beaune. So, I think I'm going to spend the day in Paris instead and head to Beaune Monday morning. Will lose a day in Beaune but would be dog tired trekking from CDG to Beaune anyway.

thank you, PalQ and Coco, for your help. The German rail website was awesome and I've bookmarked it for future reference.

cher Coco de Dijon: time is not always the only factor - especially for perhaps novice rail travelers carrying around potentially too much luggage - one change of train from platform to platform in Lyon would be well worth the extra hour it takes via Lyon versus the average time Beaune-Dijon-Gare Lyon in Paris, transfer to RER to airport (or pay mucho bucks for a taxi)
Some links Beaune-Dijon-Paris-CDG take nearly the same 5 hours as the route via Lyon according to the bahn site though there are some that take only 3:15 hours. (It depends on how much time the regional Beaune train to Dijon causes you to wait for the TGV from Dijon.

Hi All, I have more questions! I was looking at the rail site today to get an idea of what time of day I'd likely travel from Paris Gare de Lyon to Beaune and noticed that I can buy a r/t train ticket now for Euro 72. This is a 2nd class seat Paris-Beaune and 1st class on the return, which is a TGV from Beaune to Paris.

Is there much difference between 2nd and 1st class seats on the trains? Should I care what type of seat I have (e.g. single window, aisle, double window?)

thanks,
Pat.

1st class coaches have fewer seats and a different configuration so there is more leg room.

I entered some arbitrary September dates at sncf.com and found PREM'S (discount) tickets for E25 each way (2nd class). There are some tricks to booking on the SNCF site, particularly for PREM'S tickets which you print yourself. If you find those fares for your dates, ask and I--or others--will give you the booking details.

Thank you, Tim, I did find my dates with PREM's fares offered. 18 Sept at 10:30 outgoing, 21 Sept at 13x returning and tried to book but kept getting an opportunity to add my French address for delivery of the tickets instead of the opportunity to print tickets.

Did I miss checking the "online delivery" box somewhere? I'm ready for tricks now, please!

thanks!!

On the page above where you key in your name and e-mail there's a choice: "confirm your order by paying online and choose to"

The first option is to print, it's the default for a Prems too. I used it last week just fine.

The second option is receive your ticket by post.

One more thing, the outgoing train arrives in Dijon at 12:11 and then I take a bus that leaves at 12:23 to Beaune. I can move quickly when I have to and will have only one bag but am concerned that 10 minutes or so might not be enough time to find my bus.

Does the bus leave from the train station or do I have to find a bus depot? Presumably the bus will be well marked but I don't want to take that for granted.

Any advice? thanks again, Pat.

Here are the tricks. Book and print each ticket separately. Do NOT choose cancellation insurance or you won't be allowed to print the tickets. Fill in the fields for name and e-mail address, but do NOT fill in the postal mailing address fields.

I entered your departure time from Paris two different times. Once I was given the TGV-bus routing. (You wouldn't be allowed to print that ticket because it involves a bus as well as the train.) The second time I was given a direct TGV route to Beaune with a PREM'S price of E20. I don't know why the two routes appeared for the same departure time, but obviously you should choose the direct TGV route.

Okay, this morning the only route was TGV to Dijon and bus to Beaune. I suggest you do one of two things:
(1)Book Paris-Dijon to get the PREM'S fare and print the ticket. Then buy the bus ticket at Gare de Lyon rather than waiting until you get to Dijon since your transfer time is short.
(2) Choose the full fare option for Paris-Beaune (including the bus) and choose the option of picking up your ticket at a station or SNCF boutique.

Pat don't worry, the bus station is just next to the railway station near the covered car park. No road to cross.

Thank you both for your help. I ended up buying the Paris to Dijon PREM's fare and the return PREM from Beaune to Paris.

Instead of jumping on the coach that I would have 10 minutes to get to I'm going to store my bag in a locker and see a bit of Dijon! There's a regional train to Beaune every couple of hours.

thanks again, Pat.

Pat, I like your plan to see a bit of Dijon before moving on to Beaune.

Hi, I also had a problem to print out the tickets at SNCF site and it is good to know the tricks. But can I use the printed tickets even I am a resident of Canada? Term and conditions said that "Only residents of countries listed may book the tickets" and Canada is not in the list. Do I have to show my ID when I use the printed tickets in France? If anybody knows about this, let me know. Thank you.

<Pat, I like your plan to see a bit of Dijon before moving on to Beaune.>
What a good idea!
Lila you can use printed tickets, they won't ask you your ID