We will be overnighting at CDG then want to go to Ashford International to pick up a cruise at the Dover Terminal. Is the Paris Nord station luggage friendly? Are there trolleys, luggage aides and elevators? We'll have 2 large pieces of luggage and 2 roly suitcases between the 2 of us. Would we be better off at CDG, taking the TGV to Lille then board the EuroStar to Ashford Internat'l? I would really appreciate any input... thank you.

On both ends of your train journey, you will have to schlepp your bags. There are trolleys - but they cannot go on the trains - only on the platforms. And there are few or no porters. You will have to be able to lift your bags on to the trains and heft them into the overhead racks or stow them at the end of the car.

It really doesn't matter which route you take - you will have to handle your own bags.

The only advantage of Lille is it is slightly less crowded. But you might have to change stations , does the TGV go to Lille Europe or Lille Flandres ?The eurostar leaves from Lille Europe.

The TGV has trains that go to both Lille stations, but if you want to go directly from CDG you would have to change somewhere to get to Lille Europe anyway to board Eurostar to Ashford. So I would stick with your original plan and change at Paris Nord.

Please consider limiting the amount of baggage you are planning to take.

hi janis, you mentioned "there are trolleys - but they cannot go on the trains - only on the platforms"

i assume it means that if you have the station trolley just before you borad the train, then you'll have to carry your luggage all the way to the luggage area.

if you have you're own trolley or bags with good wheels, should that fix the problem then of carrying it from the train door to the luggage area?

would you know as well how passenegers can check-in their luggages. is it pretty much like in airports where they put all checked in lugagges in a separate train carriage.

Nathan -

Reread Janis' post above. There is no "checked luggage area" on the trains.

As she states, "You will have to be able to lift your bags on to the trains and heft them into the overhead racks or stow them at the end of the car."

Pack light!

I do believe that one can check baggage through to the destination. Have never done this myself, but you might check with the rail company.

This site has baggage info:

http://www.eurorailways.com/info/baggage.htm