French trains

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Sussexboy
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Joined: 27 Jun 2014, 11:15am

French trains

Post by Sussexboy »

Bikes on French trains : the rules for this seem to vary for normal ( SNCF ) services and the high-speed services ( TGV ) . On TGV services , it is a requirement that bikes must be carried in a bike bag of no more than 120cm x 90cm . Can anyone please confirm whether the CTC bike bags ( heavy-duty , transparent , polythene ) are accepted on TGV services , or do TGVs apply some stricter criteria , such as being the very heavy , canvas , padded bags . Secondly , on ordinary ( SNCF ) services , such as from Paris to Rouen , has anyone recently had any experience of taking a bike on the SNCF service ( it seems that the availability of places on SNCF trains varies enormously across France , with many trains not accepting bikes at all , other train services replaced by bus services which also refuse to accept bikes : the availability of places on SNCF services seems so opaque ) . If anyone can advise , this would be immensely helpful , and I would like to thank you in advance . Please note , we shall be setting off for France this Friday morning ( 4th September 2015 ) .
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simonineaston
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Re: French trains

Post by simonineaston »

SNCF run the whole lot (trans. national system of railways...). You're right - their high speed trains - Trains of Grand Vitesse - require you to book your bicycle in advance; their local trains, mostly, don't have to be booked - just roll up and get on. When searching for these services on-line, or indeed asking for tickets/timetables when in France, the key info is these local services are called TER (trans. regional express trains... although it has to be said, some of the TER trains aren't so express!) The timetables, both printed and on-line have little bicycle symbols above the bike-friendly services but regardless of the symbol, I've never been turfed off a TER yet! Actually, it's not so different to UK trains, really!
Sorry can't help with CTC bags - I've folding bikes - or velos pliables, as they say ;-)
Hope that helps.
EDIT: have just looked at a sample timetable and I can't see the little bicycles any more! :shock:
sample SNCF timetable - shows both TGV and TER trains
sample SNCF timetable - shows both TGV and TER trains
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
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simonineaston
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Re: French trains

Post by simonineaston »

I had a quick decco at a different timetable and as you can see, there is an indication of which trains you can carry a bike straight on to...
VELO at the bottom of the TER columns
VELO at the bottom of the TER columns

BTW CAR means the service is by road - a coach... this isn't uncommon, at least in Brittany.
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
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jamesgilbert
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Joined: 5 Feb 2013, 4:25pm
Location: Lyon

Re: French trains

Post by jamesgilbert »

Just use www.capitainetrain.com - the prices are the same as on the SNCF website, and you can see whether bikes are allowed on a particular train and whether or not you have to pay for them.
pal
Posts: 612
Joined: 22 Mar 2008, 11:49am

Re: French trains

Post by pal »

+1 for Capitaine Train. They also have some useful guidelines summarising the general rules for bikes on French trains (http://faq.capitainetrain.com/article/159-take-my-bike-on-the-train), and they're helpful at answering questions over email too.
ludo
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Joined: 30 Jul 2012, 8:29pm

Re: French trains

Post by ludo »

TGV's will accept bikes packed into CTC plastic travel bags. In May, I travelled by TGV from Montpellier to Paris with my bike disassembled and packed into a CTC plastic bag to within the required limits and I experienced no problems. From Paris I went by TER (regional train) to Caen. My bike was put back together and it went on the train. There was space for 20 bikes! Each carriage had space for 2 bikes and there were 10 carriages. Again no problems.
Sussexboy
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Joined: 27 Jun 2014, 11:15am

Re: French trains

Post by Sussexboy »

French Trains - a reply to myself !
Having travelled in France for a week , my friend a I returned by train about 80% of the way up from the southern Massif Central to Dieppe . We caught four trains ( Marvejols in the Cevennes Mountains to Clermont-Ferrand ; CF to Paris-Bercy ; Paris-St.Lazare to Rouen ; Rouen to Dieppe ) . For all four stages , we used Intercity trains ( called " Intercites " in French ) . For the first stage , there was only one Intercity train per day ( 12.47 pm ) . On Intercity trains , there is no need to disassemble the bike at all , nor to encase it in any sort of cover . On the trains , there were hooks about 2M above the floor , so that the underside of the front wheel hung from it , leaving the bike suspended vertically , with a metal bar either side a couple of feet from the ground in order to prevent the bike from swaying . However , on the first train , the hook was too wide to fit between the spokes of a touring bike ( mine is a 22-year-old Dawes Galaxy ) , so we put the bikes against some up-and-down seats . We could have overcome the problem of the wide hooks by placing the top of the front wheel against the side of the hook and attaching with rope or strong cable ties . It is necessary to pay extra for the bike , but the total cost of the entire four train journeys , without pre-booking or any discounts , was about £95 each ! There was absolutely no problem with using Intercity trains . Indeed , having bought the ticket for the second stage ( Clermont-Ferrand to Paris ) the day before ( at Marvejols ) , for the 10.32 am departure , we then decided to take the preceding train , at 8.32 am . On enquiring at the ticket office at Clermont-Ferrand about this alteration ( changes MUST be carried out before boarding the train ) , we were issued with replacement tickets WITHOUT ANY SURCHARGE !!! Apart from the fact that there are limited Intercity trains in the more far-flung parts of France , the service by SNCF was brilliant and extremely good value . Finally , at one or two stations ( CF and ( ? ) Paris-Bercy ) there are lifts which are large enough to transport a bike and ( standing ! ) rider from platform level to street level .
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simonineaston
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Re: French trains

Post by simonineaston »

Brilliant! Thanks for update and glad your trip went OK. :-) I'd forgotten about those hooks - I used to take a short home-made strap with me so I can suspend my Moulton from the hooks (smaller wheels mean the spokes are too close together). Should have mentioned it!
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
nirakaro
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Joined: 22 Dec 2007, 2:01am

Re: French trains

Post by nirakaro »

I tok a TER from Avignon to Lyon earlier this year. There was space for five bikes, IIRC; there were twelve bikes, several of them with panniers, and nobody batted an eyelid...
ossie
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Joined: 15 Apr 2011, 7:52pm

Re: French trains

Post by ossie »

Ive just finished a 1500 mile tour down Eurovelo 15 and along Eurovelo 6 to Angers whereby I took 3 trains up to St Malo to get the ferry home.

The information desk at Angers planned my route printing out 3 train journeys which were cycle friendly. This was Angers - Nantes, Nantes -Rennes and Rennes - St Malo. The first two trips I simply placed the fully loaded bike in the relevant bike carriage, didnt take off any panniers or the baggage (tent etc)= no one batted an eyelid...it was just a free for all which I thought was great, ticket staff were really chilled.

On the Rennes- St Malo I spotted a TGV leaving an hour earlier than mine, manage to wing it....bluffed the platform inspectors that I had reserved it and got the bike on the TGV onto the #one# bike space. Quick as you like a ticket inspector was onto me but the train had left, he simply smiled, signed my ticket and left me alone...probably not to be recommended :D
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