Travelling with a bike on the TGV

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
Post Reply
ludo
Posts: 35
Joined: 30 Jul 2012, 8:29pm

Travelling with a bike on the TGV

Post by ludo »

Shortly I will be cycling from Caen to Montpellier and returning to Caen via Paris by TGV. My bike - partly dismantled - will be in a CTC plastic bike bag. Has anyone else travelled on the TGV with a bike and what has their experience been? I have heard many accounts of the difficulties of taking a bike on french trains.
User avatar
jamesgilbert
Posts: 316
Joined: 5 Feb 2013, 4:25pm
Location: Lyon

Re: Travelling with a bike on the TGV

Post by jamesgilbert »

The TGV you will be taking from Montpellier to Paris doesn't have any bike spaces, so you are right, you will need a bike bag. The maximum dimensions are 120cm by 90cm, and it will just be considered like normal luggage. The train will probably be a double-decker, and if you can I'd recommend trying to get the bike upstairs as the luggage racks are huge.

If the bag is larger than these dimensions then you may have problems. The instructions on the SNCF website are quite clear: http://www.bikes.sncf.com/your-bike-on- ... in-france/

The Paris to Caen train takes bikes free of charge, so no need to worry about that part of the journey.
User avatar
robgul
Posts: 3088
Joined: 8 Jan 2007, 8:40pm
Contact:

Re: Travelling with a bike on the TGV

Post by robgul »

.... and if you are booking French railway tickets take a look at www.capitainetrain.com - brilliant service and online bike bookings (where you can) on TGV trains.

... more and more of the TGVs are taking bikes wheeled on - may be worth having a look at the online timetables (not all trains on the same route take bikes - have a look at services either side of your preferred time)

Rob
E2E http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk
HoECC http://www.heartofenglandcyclingclub.org.uk
Cytech accredited mechanic . . . and woodworker
bohrsatom
Posts: 807
Joined: 20 May 2013, 4:36pm

Re: Travelling with a bike on the TGV

Post by bohrsatom »

I took a bike wheeled on to the TGV from Paris to Bordeaux. It was all very easy. The hardest bit was getting our bikes from street level to the concourse at Montparnasse Station!

Got my tickets from the voyages-sncf call centre. They were very helpful except for when it came to explaining the tickets. It wasn't clear whether we'd be sitting next to our bikes, in the same carriage as our bikes or even in a different carriage. And as there was nothing on the ticket to state that we had a bike reservation I predicted some difficulty when it came to boarding the train.

It turns out I needn't have worried. The bikes were stowed leaning against some fold-up seats and we had our own block of seats right next door. I think the seats are only available to those with bikes, so showing we had them reserved was enough evidence to get our bikes onto the train.

I'd definitely do it again.
Attachments
IMG_3780.jpeg
ludo
Posts: 35
Joined: 30 Jul 2012, 8:29pm

Re: Travelling with a bike on the TGV

Post by ludo »

Thank you for all your replies. I was simply getting anxious - needlessly so it seems. But thank you.
Post Reply