How early to arrive at TGV train station
 

We are traveling from Gare de Lyon to Toulon on a Saturday. How early should we arrive at the station to ensure a stress free boarding? Thanks.

May we assume you have tickets in hand and a reserved seat?

I have only popped inside the Gare-- and have seen the sleek monster TGVs sitting 50 metres inside the entrance on a level platform.

At a guess I'd say 10 minutes but more knowledgeable travelers will know more.

If you came 30 minutes early, you could wander up to the restaurant, Le Train Bleu, and see one of the wonders of railway architecture -- famous too as the scene where, in "Travels with my Aunt" (c.1970) the schoolgirl (!!) Maggie Smith meets her lover (played by her real-life husband Sir Robt. Stephen)

If you already have the tickets, I would get to the station at least 15 minutes in advance to find the right platform and car. I sometimes cut it really close and get to the train 1 minute before (I wouldn't do this, but if you're really late, you should be able to catch the train). 15 minutes will give you enough time to board and find your seats. If you haven't picked up your tickets, I would get to the station 25 to 30 minutes before to operate the machines or stand in line.

Having departed from Gare de Lyon several times, I suggest fully 25 minutes, perhaps more. Gare de Lyon is a huge station and, for some reason, I find it confusing. I am no stranger to European train stations either.

If your car is well away from the end of the platform, you might have a long walk. Unless you speak French, it is hard to ask for directions if you have difficulty finding your train.

The first time I went in the place, I felt slightly overwhelmed. Fortunately, I had allowed plenty of time, but I had to ask to find the right place.

Some of the tracks are difficult to locate unless you know in advance where they are.

Others may think it a breeze; I don't.
So my recommendation is to allow the extra time.

When you arrive at the station, look for the huge black boards displaying train numbers and tracks. If your train is the first to leave in the morning, it will be sitting there waiting for you to board. Just look at the diagrams posted along the track to find your car; first-class cars are usually at the far end of the track, which means you will arrive at your destination well in the front of the train.

Trains leaving later in the day pose more of a problem, as tracks are not posted until perhaps 15 to 20 minutes before boarding time. Then you have to find your way to the right area and the right car. Usually trains to the south leave from a section at the far left of the station; so you're probably safe to wait there until the actual track is posted. Then you have to move fairly quickly if your car is at the front of the train.

Good luck!

I agree with those who suggest you should aim to arrive 25-30 minutes before. Any longer and you will be standing around waiting for the platform number to be announced. Leave it later and you might be rushed to get to your train.
The station does have a confusing layout: the underground section does not have the same layout as the track level section. If you arrive by RER or metro you arrive at the underground level - it's easy to access the train platforms from here but it's surprisingly difficult to access the main street-level concourse.

Both levels have newspaper kiosks and snack stands where you can buy sandwiches, coffees, drinks, etc. (cheaper than buying on the TGV!).

I've caught trains from the Gare de Lyon several times over the years, but I still find it a confusing station. Tracks in one section are identified by letters (A, B, C ...) and in another section have numbers. The big display boards do not indicate the exact platform until about 20 minutes before departure, but they indicate which section by a colour code - blue or yellow, but I forget which is which. If you arrive before the exact platform is posted, you can work out which section the train will use, and go to that section where there are further display boards. There are cafés all over the station, so you are never far from refreshments if you have to wait. The streets in front of the station are also lined with cafés and restaurants, so if you get there too early, you do not need to stand around the station.

Hello Elaine:

You may wish to note the possibility of a "double" train when you check the monitors. I commented on this situation in an earler report as follows;

>About the TGV: SCNF sometimes runs TGV trains in tandem as "double trains", each complete with locomotives at both ends. These trains travel as one along common trackage and then, at some point, diverge to separate destinations. My uninformed guess is the that the arrangement offers economy of operation including personnel and electrical energy costs. This makeup of the train, with locomotives joined nose-to-nose in the center, thus preventing the usual free passage along the length of the train during movement, makes it essential on these all-reservation trains that you board the car (or at least the train) assigned to you. Otherwise, you may be one of those souls we saw sprinting from one train to the other at the next stop. Train composition is reported on video monitors on each platform and is required viewing.<

Good luck. Gradyghost

That is a good point about double trains. I encountered that situation going from Gare de Lyon to Switzerland.
The trains to Bern and Lausanne don't divide until Frasne. I walked up to the train, and saw that it was headed for Bern. My reaction, "Where is my train for Lausanne?" Well, it was the next train down as the two were sitting nose to tail on the same track.

Your TGV reservation will have a car number as well as a seat number. If you have the correct track, and it is a long train, keep looking.

That first time, I got a little antsy.
But my wife stood by the luggage while I walked as fast as I could along this long, long train. I soon saw the second set of locomotives and then I saw that the first car had a different number.

So you need to allow for contingencies until you know the game. I was sure happy I had allowed 40 minutes. I think I had about 10 minutes to put up my luggage and settle in my seat before the train left. And when that baby starts rolling, you have indeed missed your train. It is not about to stop for the anybody, except perhaps Jacques Chirac.

One thing about a TGV, when it gets out of the station and into open country, the speed is incredible. You need to look well away from the near foreground to see anything except a blur. When your train meets another going the opposite way, there is a definite shift in air pressure with a big whooooosh.

TGVs are normally ten-coach trains and regularly leave Paris coupled together to give a twenty-coach train. If your reserved seat is in the 20th carriage, then you need plenty of time to walk along the platform. Each train is streamlined at each end, which means than there is no corridor connection between the two, which is why each set of ten carriages has a refreshment bar in the middle.
I once booked on a TGV from Paris to Rennes around Christmas and was at first puzzled that the train was shown as leaving from two adjacent platforms. When I looked at my ticket, I saw that I was in coach no.40. There were two trains, each comprising two ten-coach trains, leaving one after the other.
On the line from Paris to Marseille, they often use double-decker TGVs, indicated on tickets as "duplex". If you're travelling on the lower deck, the sensation of speed is greater as you're closer to the track. On these, you go upstairs to walk through the train to get to the bar.

Just to be pedantic, the TGVs actually have eight coaches.

Coaches numbered 1, 2, 3 (or 11, 12, 13 if it's a double train) are first class, 4 (14) is the bar, 5 (15) used to be the (second class) smoking carriage though I think these have been done away with now, and 6 (16), 7 (17) and 8 (18) are second class.

If you are on a double TGV, the numbers may not run consecutively from the nose to the tail of the train - you might find coach 8 at one end and 18 at the other, with the first class coaches in the middle. This is why it's handy to check the train configuration diagram on the platform.

Note that every TGV has a number which will be shown on your ticket, on the digital panels on the carriages, and on the departures board in the station. "Double" TGVs have two separate TGV numbers.

Basically I agree with hanl. The TGV coaches are 1-8 (+ often 11-18). A bit of precision is V.(voiture)4 is half bar and half 2nd cls.passenger car. Also I took a TGV last year from Lyon to Marseille. I had V.6 and my surprise was that was the end of the train, no V.7 nor V.8. So you never know. Also in the case Gare de Lyon, 1st cls cars are usually at the beginning of the platform but sometimes SNCF does funny things and I found 2nd cls.car first and 1st cls.ones at the further end. Speaking of never know, I would try to be at least 30 minutes before the train departure especially if it is a big station as Gare de Lyon and IF I HAD NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE. You might need more time to find your way to your car than you expect.

There are different variants of TGV. The Atlantique TGVs operating to Brittany and the west coast certainly have ten coaches. They include a ghastly section at the end of the train with seats facing inwards, as on a London Underground train.
If you're travelling on a TGV for the first time, you don't need to worry about the configuration of the train, but you do need to make sure that when you go to board the train, you know which number carriage to look for, and be prepared to walk beside a long train till you find your carriage.

I had to have a chuckle at the above postings, as almost ALL of them have applied to me in the last couple of years.
Now...I live on the continent, and I consider myself a seasoned European traveller :hohoho: ...BUT...there's something about the Gare de Lyon that turns me into a gibbling, useless idiot, unable to find his way from the bar to the toilet without a map and torch.
I've travelled the last couple of years on holiday to Perpignan by TGV ...my list of calamities/mistakes/confusions ? Leesten carefooooly, aye zall zay zees onlee vonce...
- entering station by wrong door. If your travelling south, I'd heartily recommend you go through the 'downstairs' entrances.
- unable to find platform.
- realise that they only announce platform 20 mins before departure. Stupid me !
- 20 mins to go..platform announced. Still can't find platform.
- Find platform..wey hey. Realise that in front of me are 3.000 French holidaymakers with (in no particular order), cases, bicycles, grandparents, grandchildren,dogs,cats, and even larger cases.
- Get to front of thong...find I have to stamp ticket in machine.
- STAMP WRONG TICKET ! (This is a new one on above)...aaaaaagh. I've stamped the return ticket. Idiot...I'm senile. Conductor notices mistake and sends me to back of throng to stamp correct ticket. In the meantime he takes my return ticket away to cancel the mistaken stamping...8 mins till train leaves.
- Await nervously, as Mrs MacSporran and little MacSporrans pour abuse upon me for being an arrogant, hopeless, klutz.
- Guard returns, sneering at hopeless foreigner, but with valid ticket.
Phew !
- to platform, with reservations for carriage number 1. Train is at least 17 miles long, and we arrive in middle of platform at carriage number 14....numbero uno is obviuosly further up.
- But no ! After walking halfway to Perpignan, we find the last carriage of train is number 11. Aaaagh again !
- Ask guard who has whistle and flag in obvious preparation of imminent departure where number 1 is. Back there he says, pointing to a dot in the distance, which is the first carriage of the second, joined on train !
Run, you idiot !
Much screeching of bags and cases later, the Macs pile on train 15 secs. before the doors close....obviously rested and looking forward to a stress free holiday.

So after all that....my advice ? Get to the Gare de Lyon at least 12 hours before departure, camp out, and prepare to have all your wits about you just to get the correct seat on the correct train.
And I won't even start on one of my journey's from Marseille....

Bon Chance !

We already have our tickets. I printed them from the Internet. We are in first class. The ticket reads:

Classe 1 IDZAP
Voiture 12
Haut Place 112

I'm assuming 112 is the seat number. Is Voiture 12, the car?

yes, voiture means car. Place means seat, and I believe haut place means that you have one of those TGV trains with two levels -- upper and lower -- and you have the upper level.

Reading the above postings was good for my self esteem. I had similar experiences in Gare de Lyon, but I thought it was my ignorance. Now I find that I am at least most of normal.

Each time I have arrived at Gare de Lyon, the taxi driver has deposited us at a different place. The one time I came by bus for a day trip to Fontainebleau was different still. I have never walked in the place and thought I knew where I was.

In Munich, which is no little place, is quite orderly by contrast.
Track 12 is to the far left and easy to find.

Thanks for all of the help. We'll be returning a rent car to Gare de Lyon, so I think we'll arrive 1 1/2 hours early, just to be safe.

You don't want to get to the station too early! There's not much in the way of seating aside from a busy café and (if it's still there) a small first-class waiting room. There are some seats over on the left-hand side of the station as you face the tracks, but they're often filled with other people waiting. You don't really need more than half an hour to 45 minutes to get your bearings. And don't forget to stamp your ticket in the "composte" machine before you get on the train!

GeoffHamer, I stand corrected. I've just remembered a horrid journey from Paris to La Rochelle in one of those awful London Underground style carriages.

Elaine123, as Christina says, it sounds like you are on the upper level of the train, coach 12, seat 112.