We are scheduled to arrive at CDG at 7am Aug. 13 - if the flight is on time - and need to get to the Gare de Lyon for a train to Avignon. I can get "Prem" tickets for a 2:20pm train, which should give us enough time even if the flight is delayed. My question is if we are not delayed, can we check our bags at the train station so that we can go to a cafe or walk around if we have the energy while we are waiting? The alternative would be to get exchangeable tickets (looks like about 100 euro more)and hope that we could get an earlier traim if we get there earlier. Any advice?

There are left luggage facilities at Gare de Lyon - but they can be shut down during times of terrorist alert.

Have you investigated taking the TGV directly from CDG to Avignon? There's a non-stop at 10:10 and another at 11:24.

I don't believe you can check luggage on European trains. There is one restaurant in the station called Le Train Bleu, which is fairly famous (a little bit expensive). The food is decent and there are places to put your luggage while you eat. The platforms are one flight of stairs down from the restaurant. Prem's tickets are not refundable and if you miss the train, you will not be able to use the same ticket; you will have to buy a new one.

Yesterday the SNCF website was showing PREM fares between CDG and Lyon for 25€. Those fares change all the time and may not be available today, but why not investigate taking the train directly from the airport to Lyon?

You may or may not be able to check your luggage, depending on the level of terrorist alert. I wouldn't count on it, though. In my experience, all the cafés and restaurants in train stations in France expect customers to show up with their bags in tow and have space to accommodate them.

Hi cindy,

At www.sncf.com, enter Roissy (95) as your departure station.

That is the TGV station at CDG2.

They still have PREMs tickets at 10:10, 74E for 1cl, and 11:24 for 85E.

The left luggage office at the Gare de Lyon has a scanner and all luggage and people depositing luggage are scanned, so it should stay open whatever terrorist alerts occur.
There are several cafés in the station and the streets outside are lined with cafés and restaurants so, if you just want a snack or a meal, you don't really need to search out the left luggage office.

Thnak you all for the replies. I will look into taking the train directly from CDG. It may be just as well to wait there - if we have to wait - and avoid the trip into Paris.

> .. between CDG and Lyon for 25€ ... why not investigate taking the train directly from the airport to Lyon?

I think StCirq meant taking a train directly to Avinon (i/o Lyon) from CDG (Roissy). Actually there are now:

€70 10:10
€88 11:24
€59 14:03
There also are 1st class offers for 5 -15 € more.

Above are all called Prem's but for a discount ticket that Prem's fare is(the lowest €25), 59 - 70 is disappontingly high but still I might take one of these in order to avoid the hussle of getting inside Paris city and of changing the stations. Or I might buy Roissy-Avinon at full fare so you can change the train reservation on the spot when you get there.

Yes, sorry, I did mean Avignon. I'M buying tickets to Lyon today, and got confused.

> Or I might buy Roissy-Avinon at full fare.

Because the full fare is €88.80 and not much different from this high priced Prem's.

Right now I don't see any Prem fares for the 11:24 but I am going to book the full fare for the additional flexiblity and to avoid the stress of worrying about missing the train if the flight is delayed. Having rethought it based on everyone's replies, the price difference is worth it for me. Thanks again for all the replies.

Do you have any particular reason for not booking the 10:10? Since your flight arrives at 7:00, you will have three full hours of slack to allow for late arrival, luggage retrieval, and customs/immigration. The TGV station is right in Terminal 2.

Plus, if you buy a changeable ticket, what difference does it make?

Of course you are right. For some reason (surely my fault) the screen I was looking at didn't show the 10:10 train. Luckily, my computer claimed there was an "errer" and I couldn't complete the transaction so now I will look for the earlier train.