Fodor's Travel Talk Forums

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)
-   Europe (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/)
-   -   TGV food (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/tgv-food-216221/)

stan Lepelstat Dec 18th, 2001 07:36 AM

TGV food
 
Do they serve food on the French TGV trains.

Joanne Dec 18th, 2001 07:40 AM

Stan: On our TGV trip from Avignon to Paris last May our seats were in a car next to a snack bar type setup. I don't know if there was a "dining car" on the train or not. Not much help I'm sorry to say, but we did buy some food and drinks that weren't bad, and tided us over until we got to Paris.<BR><BR>j

greg Dec 18th, 2001 08:07 AM

Stan,<BR>All TGV have dining cars. I think they are always cars #4 and #14. The TGV are set up as two groups of trains, you cannot travel between front half of the train to the back half without getting back on the platform.<BR><BR>Now,,, it is more like a snack car. If you want to eat leisurely, you would have to bring the food back to your seat. The food is expensive and they run out of items very quickly! So if you have to buy food in TGV, get there when they open. It is best if you buy the food in the town and bring them on board. Even the food they sell at the stations have more choices and cheaper.<BR><BR>I noticed that seasoned senior travellers bring a basket of food with them on board. While I would have expected a sandwich and a can of soda in US, these senior couples were eating full courses meal out of the basket. We knew we were in France.<BR><BR>On Rennes-Paris section, they were offering in seat dining fixed meal. I thought they were asking for over $30 for lunch, we did not take them.

Tony Dec 18th, 2001 08:46 PM

You can buy snack type food on most TGVs - not Lille to Paris and v.v., and meals on some, usually the international TGVs to Switzerland or Italy etc.<BR>Having said that you are then in the hands of the rostered staff for the day. Will they bother to turn up? Will they arrive at work in time to load the food? They are heavily unionised, and appear to please themselves on these questions with the result that a large percentage of TGVs run with either nothing or maybe some cold drinks.<BR>I have heard that a new catering company has been contracted in an attempt to improve this situation, but cannot update you on whether it has worked.<BR>My advice - buy a good picnic, readily available at most stations, probably because of the problems mentioned above.

Lisa Dec 19th, 2001 05:22 AM

TGV trains will sell the snack type of food as mentioned. But it is not like Thalys of the train across the chunnel where you have a pleasant "flight attendant" type person who serves you a meal.<BR><BR>I also recommend getting baguette style sandwiches or a picnic before you board (preferably not at the station).<BR><BR>Also, be prepared that many French stations do not have escalators.<BR>


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 04:57 PM.