PalQ

One of the most scenic, and quaint, train rides in France is taking a journey on what is dubbed "Le Petit Train Jaune," or "Little Yellow Train". Running through an idllic valley in the Purenees, near the Spanish border, the Little Yellow Train meanders along a sinuous 40 miles of rails in the non-TGV speed time of nearly three hours! Stopping often at sleepy old stations in small towns, this is no express train. The train, one of three SNCF (French state railways) narrow-gauge trains (along with the St Gervais-chamonix-Swiss border and Salbris-Lucy-le-Male tiny trains) links Villefranche-Vernet-les-Bains, near Perpignan, to La Tour de Carol high in the Pyrenees and a few miles from Spain. In summer most trains convey open-air cars so you kind of feel like riding a magic carpet through the sedating scenery of the Pyrenees - it's not awesomely scenic in the sense of Swiss trains but it's stunning in its own way. And this is not a Glacier Express, a spiffy tourist train where the restaurant has special wine glasses that tilt with the train to prevent spillage. Indeed there is no restaurant car on this very ordinary local train - second class only - one time i rode the toilets were disgustingly plugged up. And thus is part of its lure for me, this very ordinary local toy-like train chugging through the Pyrenees. In future posts i'll give some practical info about this train and describe its route in more detail!
Anyone ridden the Petit Train Jaune? Your comments? Questions?

Michael

You might want to add that from La Tour de Carol one can catch a train down to Foix and Toulouse. IMO it is best to go up the mountain.

PalQ

Yes, thanks Michael: At La Tour de Carol there are frequent enough trains to Toulouse, over a scenic mainline thru the Pyrenees via Foix to Toulouse. There is actually a night train to/from Paris and La Tour de Carol. There are also sporadic trains to Spain and the RENFE Spanish rail system at Puigcerda, just a few km's from La Tour de Carol. Some trains go from La Tour de Carol to Barcelona, again over a scenic mountainous route. (there are no thru services between Spain and France as Spanish tracks are wider than those in France and thus trains can't physically go between the two systems; except with the few Talgo trains with movable wheel bases but these don't run on this route; freight cars are lifted off one bogie for France and onto another for Spain). At the other end of the little yellow train, at Villefranche there is mainline rail service to Perpignan.

PalQ

The scenery: Though not dramatic in the glacier-ful Swiss sense, the train goes thru a wide valley from which slope up rolling mountains on each side. There are several noted ski resorts; in summer there is a series of hiking trails that you can take in conjunction with the train. Villefrance is perhaps the most interesting town as it has an old fort.

Powell

We stayed in Coillure some years ago and drove up to the Le Petit Jaune station nearest. It is a fun ride. We rode in an outside car and that was exhilirating.

Anthony

Scarlett

How did I miss this??
Thank you PalQ! this is very interesting and appealing!

Michael

The Spanish connection is interesting for those traveling without a car, especially if they want to take a small tour starting in Barcelona.

indytravel

I've messed around on the SNCF and TER sites for years and just now found this one:

www.trainstouristiques-ter.com

Velotrain

I had posted a question about this train on another forum and just saw this. We are cycling Barcelona - Lyon in earlt May and will spend a night in Puigcerda. I would be interested in taking the train from Bourg-Madame to Mont-Louis the morning (8-10 AM) we leave Puigcerda for Quillan, but looking at the SNCF site it seems the train doesn't run every day (busses) or goes early in the morning (5-6 AM) or late in the afternoon (4 PM). Is this the case, or am I not reading the schedule correctly? I gether this is a "tourist" train, but the schedule doesn't seem to support tourism. I can only guess that the schedule is tied into long distance trains at the terminus locations?

Charles

indytravel

Velotrain,

I checked the first week in May. Looks like there's a train every week day morning at 8:27am from Bourg-Madame arriving in Mont-Louis about an hour later. I don't see one in the early AM like you mentioned.

If you go on a Saturday or Sunday there's another departing at 9:22am.

There are many more tourists on a weekend then a week day especially in May.

PalQ

Well it's not a tourist train per say. When i took it it served as a school bus from town to town and seemed timed for school hours (thus may not run some Wednesdays when many schools are out) but in summer runs more frequently.

PalQ

sncf site doesn't have schedules, German rail (www.bahn.de) has some for some days: http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/que...0&OK#focus

mermaid_

I became interested in the Little Yellow Train when I saw its picture and a little sidebar article about it in my new edition of DK Eyewitness Travel Guide (page 471 in the Languedoc-Roussillon chapter). I'm gunning for another trip to France in September and <i>I want to take this train!</i> It looks like so much fun and the scenery in that area is truly magnificent.

Thanks for all the notes, PalQ.

PalQ

thank you for the comments. In checking the schedules on the bahn site for April i couldn't come up with any trains some days but did show 3 on a Sunday - September may be the same - more trains on weekends so if want to take the train research schedules and plan on a weekend i guess. this train gets so little ink but it's one of the most darling trains i've taken in 30+ years of traveling Europe by rail.

MorganB

I suggest you get there well in advance to take the train. I tried in June 2003 before school was out in France. We got there 1 hour or so before the train and it was sold out.

Here is the link for the train schedule:

http://www.ter-sncf.com/Images/fiche...tcm22-6210.pdf

indytravel

MorganB do you remember if it was a weekday or weekend that was sold out in June?

Thanks

Velotrain

I had initually used a SNCF site where it asked me for starting poin, destination and travel date. I found a Brit in France who gave me a link to the actual schedule and is checking to see if we can bring our bikes on board. I've found a number of sites and will include the link for one:

http://www.countrycousins.co.uk/yelltren.htm

MorganB

indy, it was a week day. I cant remember what time we were trying to take the train. We were trying to board at Villefranche. I cant remembe what time we got there now but I think it was in the AM. We had other plans after the train so we couldnt take the later one which was still available.

PalQ

i DIDN'T THINK reservations were even possible on this train so am perplexed by being 'sold out' does this mean that there weren't any seats or they do actually reserve seats on this train? has anyone reserved a seat - i guess i could see the train being full at certain peak vacation periods - ski season maybe or July and August?

MorganB

As it was explained to me they sold tickets for a particular time. We were interested in the historic train. Do they run modern trains on the track as well? I found the website somewhat confusing and just ended up calling the train station directly for information. I think you could only buy same day tickets.

Here is what the site says:

• In high season there is limited capacity on the train. Bookings are accepted on a case by case basis. Availability is much better in the mid-seasons (spring and autumn).

Capacities : capacities are limited in high season.
• Maximum train capacity: 287 passengers