I have a logistical problem in CDG-
 

I need help to think this time line through- Four of us will be arriving at CDG, on a Wed. in April at 10am. We would like to catch a TGV at 11:20. Is this possible. Lets assume the plane gets in on time, I know we come in on Terminal 1,we would need get our bag, take shuttle to Terminal 2 and locate the TGV train terminal, all by 11:20? Am I kidding myself. I would like to buy resevations before we leave the States. Has anyone done this. Thank you in advance--

It will be close and depend on your plane getting in on time. You need to have your seat reservations also. You will almost certainly need to buy through RailEurope (paying a big premium for the tickets and res.) rather than SCNF because I don't think you will have time to pick up your tickets at the station. There is also the need to find your place on the platform for your reserved car. I think it is too close.

I do not mean to sound pessimistic either, but the facts of life are against you in this case. Here is hoping your flight will be early. <BR><BR>At T1, last summer, we walked and walked to get to the customs/passport control gate. Then we went through the process of being admitted. From there it was on to baggage claim, which was confusing to find. Somewhere in there I remember a long, long escalator ride. <BR><BR>The wait to get through passport control never really mattered because our luggage was not yet on the carousel when we got to baggage claim. <BR><BR>Then you have to wait for the bus.<BR>T1 is a circular place and it seems to me that everybody is just milling about in confusion. I wish I could remember more details, but I was hell bent on getting out of that place so I could find the van to take me to my hotel.<BR><BR><BR><BR>One thing about the TGV, if you are running close to departure time, get on the first car you come to. Then you can find your assigned place later on. You can connect from one car to the other because the bar car is always accessible until the train leaves France.<BR><BR>That is better than being left behind!<BR>

1:20 is enough time if you don't have checked luggage. Can you bring only the essentials and buy a few shirts there? Even ordinary clothing is more expensive there, but not outrageously so. <BR><BR>It would be helpful if you have Euros but currency exchange is usually quick.<BR><BR>French trains usually leave on time to the second. British trains are at least 1-2 minutes late, if not more.

My experience in CDG is that the wait for luggage can be much longer than in most airports. We once waited over an hour for luggage and 45 minutes seems to be the norm. The TGV trains are frequent so I would recommend reserving a later train.

I was trying to avoid multiple connections. The first train was straight to Provence. The others that follow have one or two changes. I was trying to keep it as simple as I could. But you all have brought me back down to earth. I will give up this over ambious idea. Thank you all so much.

Trying to avoid &quot;changes&quot; or &quot;stops&quot;? We went to Avignon and had a choice of times leaving about every hour or so near mid-day. For example, I think we caught the 11:20AM but the next train was about 1PM.

Lu, as much as I dislike changing trains, I think you have made the less anxiety provoking choice. I dislike having to hurry through unfamiliar, confusing territory even more, particularly when there is a high risk factor.<BR><BR>It is possible that everything could develop in your favor. Your flight could come in a few minutes early. There might be no backup at passport control. Your luggage might be on the carousel by the time you get there. You might find the bus stop easy, and the bus might just come right away and take you directly to the TGV terminal.<BR><BR>If everything went right, you would make your train. But, in my experience, nothing at CDG ever works quite like it is supposed to. <BR><BR>For those reasons, I think changing trains later on will be simpler than navigating frantically through the crowds and the maze of CDG with a major inconvenience at stake. <BR><BR>If you have a little extra time, there are several places in the airport complex where you can relax and enjoy something to eat and/or drink.<BR><BR>If you were landing in Munich I would not be as pessimistic. But each time I have tried to reach an objective hastily in CDG 1 and 2 there always seems to be some glitch.

Plus you'll have time to buy sandwiches and water for the train trip. (I prefer that to counting on the bar car--once, out of many trips, the bar car was broken and there was nothing from Avignon to Paris!)

Very good points... Since I am not counting on making the 11:20 train, how difficult will it be to make a resev. when we get there? Has anyone run into a problem making seat resevations in CDG a few hours before the train departs? <BR>We do have railpasses, it will be in the middle of the week and early afternoon. You all are better than any ol' travel book. Thanks-

Hello, Lu. Since you have pretty much given up on making the 11:24 TGV from CDG to Avignon, and I think that is probably wise, there is one other option you might consider. The next train leaving CDG is at 13:11, requires the change in Lyon and arrives in Avignon TGV at 16:43 or Avignon Centre at 17:47. The SNCF site is showing only full fare tickets for that at 69.30 euros or 72.20 euros pp. The other option would be to take a taxi from CDG terminal 1 to the Gare de Lyon (I'd estimate time at 45 minutes, cost 40 euros+/-). There is a direct train from Gare de Lyon to Avignon TGV at 13:20, arrives Avignon at 15:57 and, as of yesterday, SNCF was showing J30 discount tickets available at 34.00 euros pp. (I used the date of April 9 for ticket prices. If that is not your date, you'll have to check further.) The lower price ticket would more than make up for your taxi fare, you'd get to Avignon sooner with no change of trains, and to me, a taxi ride to the Gare de Lyon would be less of a hassle than trying to get from terminal 1 to the TGV station in terminal 2. Just a thought.

Well done, Betty1. Brava.

Betty- Your terrific, you have taught me to think out of the box---Thank you ever so much-

Aw, shucks, ya'll! I have to admit to a bit of an advantage going in. I already knew about that 13:20 from GdL to Avignon because that's the one I'm planning to take in June. Just wish me luck on getting eight J30's at 34.00E each!

One other tool that might help folks looking at close conections in CDG. If you visit the CDG website you can see what time your flight arrived today and each of the last few days.<BR><BR>It would at least give a feel for how likely you are to be early or late.<BR><BR>http://query.adp.fr/adpv3/gb/pax/hor/index.adp<BR><BR> Keith

Thank you Keith- I didn't get a response to one of my questions so I will put it out there again. Has anyone waited until they arrived at CDG to get seat resevations for the TGV?

One last time-- Has any body out there arrived at CDG and made a seat resevation on a TGV train leaving for Avignon just a few hours out? Help!!!

Yes, I have made the reservations at the ticket window perhaps a half hour before the train left. The TGVs I have taken from CDG have not been full in first class. I hope you have the same luck.

Boots, Thank you very much for your response.

Here's another idea. During our last trip to France, we arrived in CDG and were to catch the TGV at Gare de Lyon (as with Betty1's suggestion, we had a better choice of direct TGV's to our destination from there). We made reservations in advance for a departure time that we felt we could comfortably make from CDG. Everything went well (passport control, luggage pickup, traffic, etc.), and we arrived at Gare de Lyon with plenty of time to make an earlier train. I was easily (even with my fractured French) able to exchange the reservations for the earlier departure time, with a nominal extra charge (something ridiculously cheap like 5 Euros for two of us) and there were plenty of seats available. (Like you, we took a midweek, mid-day train, but in May to Bordeaux.)