Hi everyone.

Just wondering if anyone out there has taken the reasonably new direct TGV Service that leaves Munich at 6:20am and arrives in Paris 6 hours later?

We've just booked it for early October, because we realised it would be marginally cheaper than flying, and probably not terribly different in timing, considering we're staying across the road from the Train Station that the TGV departs from in Munich.

Just wondering what it's like. We've booked a compartment, and I'm also wondering how different the compartment is to the center aisle cars.

6:14 is amazing, isn't it?

The TGV runs smoothly, you hardly notice that you are on a train.

Compartment means, you are in a little cubicle with 6 persons. It is not as anonymous as the center aisle cars, this means you have to communicate with the other passengers. Can be nice, can be annoying, depending on the other ones.

There is a restaurant on the train, but on the TGV it is not as good as on the ICE (which is, IMO, the nicer train anyway).

There is an ICE-TGV connection at 6:25 which is even faster, but with a change of trains in Stuttgart.

The direct train at 6:20 is certainly the better choice.

Yes, that was a sticking point with my husband. He prefers the compartment, but I felt that sitting in the centre aisle car would probably have a better shot at being anonymous, but it really does depend who is in your compartment... and if you get really lucky, maybe nobody!

We did look into the train that transfers in Stuttgart, but it seems silly not to take the direct train when one has the opportunity.

It was a funny conversation we had when planning this. My husband was stressed about flying because of so many luggage restrictions, and I said, "Maybe there's a train that goes there." He said, "No way, that would take too long!" (He used to be a tour guide in Western Europe back in the late 80s).

Little did he know things have sped up a bit since the old days, and 6:14 is certainly very good... especially since it leaves so early... by the time we're fully awake we'll be halfway there! And we'll be in Paris by midday which is great!

Granted, a plane would still be a bit faster, but with all the transport to and from airports and having to check in ahead of time, we figured this would be different and fun, and actually less stressful.

People have said the scenery through Bavaria is very pretty, so that will be nice.

We take the Shinkansen between Kyoto and Tokyo quite frequenty when we are in Japan, so I'm curious to see how the TGV compares to the Japanese Bullet Trains. I'm imagining very similar.

Thanks for your feedback anyway. I appreciate it!

I have taken both Shinkansen and TGV many times, Geneva - Paris & Geneva - Marseille, both about 3,5hrs.

Speed-wise, perhaps similar. Comfort-wise (2nd cls), Shinkansen wins. TGV seats are tigher pitch and narrower. I'm not tall (5'8) and cannot really stretch on TGV seat. Also you cannot change the direction of the seats (that you can with Shinkansen but I find that rather unusual and not essential). However 6 hrs and you will arrive direct into the city center of Paris. That's not bad at all.

I didn't have a choice this past June...I wasn't willing to get up at 0515 (and I was staying only a couple of blocks from the Munich station). Besides DB was running a special with a limited number of tickets available for €49 and was available on the connection I wanted (1023 from Munich with a change, just across the platform in Stuttgart for the TGV)...

My only "complaint" if indeed it is one is that doing the connecting train thing was a bit hairy to me...the connection was only 7 minutes but the ICE train to Stuttgart was on time.

We arrive at Gare de l'est about 5 minutes late on the connecting TGV...it's interesting the way they do it...only a couple of cars begin the trip at Stuttgart..upon arrival in Strassborg, the cars from Germany are ocnnected to another bunch of car so while I thought I wasn't too far back, when I arrived in Paris, I had a long long walk along the platform to the station.

Didn't eat...took a couple of pretzels I bought in Munich plus a couple of coke zeros..

As long as you make the connection (I wonder what happens if you're late) it's not bad at all.

According to my layout of the Stuttgart station, Gl. 9 & 10 share a platform, so the change of trains is cross platform.

In over 20 years of travel in Germany, I have missed only one connection due to a train being late, and that was because the train was over a half hour late and there was another connecting train an hour later. As we approached Ulm, the conductor announced at the trains that had been held, and the track numbers where they were waiting.

>>>My only "complaint" if indeed it is one is that doing the connecting train thing was a bit hairy to me...the connection was only 7 minutes<<<

The standard connecting time is 5 to 7 minutes, because

(1) the trains stop at the same platform,
(2) the trains wait for each other. Even if the incoming train is late and the connecting train is overdue, there is enough time to change trains. No need to hurry.

Thanks everyone for all the interesting info.

Yes, as I said, laziness was the main motivator for all this. We didn't want to have to go to and from airports or even to have to change trains, however easy!

In our case, the train leaving so early isn't a problem as we would have had to get up at the same time to get out to the airport and catch our flight anyway, but this way, it's from city center to city centre with no other transport involved! Brilliant!

Thanks for the info on the seat size. I find it interesting that the seats on a French/German route are smaller than the ones on the Japanese trains. According to average expected size of passenger, you'd expect it to be opposite!

I'm sad to hear about the seat pitch, etc. My husband IS a big guy and if he'd known in advance the TGV seats are less roomy than the Shinkansen ones, we may have ended up flying afterall (not that the seats there would have been better).

As for connection times, if you want perfect ones, just go to Japan: I've never been on a bullet train that didn't leave to the millisecond at the planned time! Japanese efficiency is quite amazing!

>TGV seats are tigher pitch and narrower. I'm not tall (5'8) and cannot really stretch on TGV seat.

The TGV Est trainsets have received a complete makeover inside - the seats are completely different than in the older TGV trainsets. I definitely liked the new design. As to size, that´s the nice thing on the train - you can just get up and walk around a bit.

> you can just get up and walk around a bit.

altamiro, on Shinkansen, when I'm sitting at a widow side seat, I can get up and walk out to the corridor without bothering the other person on the corridor side much. With TGV, the other person have to get up and let you pass.

> I find it interesting that the seats on a French/German route are smaller than the ones on the Japanese trains. According to average expected size of passenger, you'd expect it to be opposite!

Bender, I find it funny too. For me TGV is for a quick inter-city travels and not much more while Shjnkansen adds a bit more comfort to it. (I'm not trying to put down TGV. As I said 6hrs for MUC - PAR is really conevenient. I would take that over flying)

>altamiro, on Shinkansen, when I'm sitting at a widow side seat, I can get up and walk out to the corridor without bothering the other person on the corridor side much.

Well, this results in lower carrying capacity and this, again, will result in higher ticket prices. In a 1st class TGV carriage you will have the same conditions - and the resulting higher price price. It´s all about money...

The train to Stuttgart is always late, the ICE trains are old and poorly maintained.
What happens, if you miss the TGV in Stuttgart? Simple, they say you should take the ICE to Mannheim and another ICE from there to Paris. A lot slower, but it'll get you to Paris.