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  1. #1
    bisous is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Default Train Travel in Switzerland/France?

    We're planning the details now of our vacation in Switzerland, Germany and France. Has anyone traveled by train recently in Europe? We've heard that we need to reserve high speed rail train tickets in advance. This makes me a little bit nervous as they are not refundable! There is ONE (!) train that would get us from Zurich to Paris and then to the Loire valley by the evening of the day we have reservations in Amboise. In order to make the connection, we have a 7 minute walk between two gares (train stations) while in Paris during the one hour between trains. We then have to catch a 20 minute ride to our hotel when we arrive in the Loire valley. This makes me nervous to reserve!

    Do trains run on time from Switzerland to France? (I would think that they would!) Has anyone had experience in the Loire valley getting around? I'm positive if we arrived late at night in Paris we could get to our hotel--I'm not as sure we'll be able to get a ride from the Tours train station to Amboise. The website for our hotel says we can arrange to be picked up by the hotel for a fee which I think we'll choose to do BUT they don't start really operating until Feb. 1.

    Our reservations are in mid April. DH wants to reserve the TGV tickets NOW. Is that necessary? Like there's a difference in reserving in advance for a train ticket and a plane ticket, right? Like 2.5 months ahead (Feb. 1) should be plenty of time to get TGV reservations locked down? I think I'd just feel more comfortable knowing for sure we could get to our hotel that night no matter what...Hotel reservations are totally refundable up to 3 days before we stay but TGV reservations are NOT refundable.

    Any other tips for riding high speed rail? We plan on taking several of these while in France. Back in the day I had some experience riding trains and felt quite comfortable but that was in the late 90s. Pre-911, Pre-COVID and over 20 years ago!

    TIA!

  2. #2
    SnuggleBuggles is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Since you are building your own itinerary, why can't you pad things? Can you leave Zurich a day earlier? Have a night in Paris.
    Train prices will go up as time ticks by. Availability may decrease as well.
    Is the fare transferable to another train if you do miss it? That's different than being non refundable.
    eta- if you have a long connection somewhere, consider the VIP lounge passes. In one of the Italian train stations we were arriving way early for our train due to other transportation issues so dh bought the lounge passes. It was so nice to have somewhere air conditioned to sit, chargers for our phones, chairs in general as there weren't really any in the common space, plus free drinks, free food and clean bathrooms. All nice to have. It sounds like you won't have time to enjoy these on the leg you posted but maybe treat yourselves on a different one.
    Last edited by SnuggleBuggles; 01-13-2023 at 04:27 PM.

  3. #3
    bisous is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by SnuggleBuggles View Post
    Since you are building your own itinerary, why can't you pad things? Can you leave Zurich a day earlier? Have a night in Paris.
    Train prices will go up as time ticks by. Availability may decrease as well.
    Is the fare transferable to another train if you do miss it? That's different than being non refundable.
    eta- if you have a long connection somewhere, consider the VIP lounge passes. In one of the Italian train stations we were arriving way early for our train due to other transportation issues so dh bought the lounge passes. It was so nice to have somewhere air conditioned to sit, chargers for our phones, chairs in general as there weren't really any in the common space, plus free drinks, free food and clean bathrooms. All nice to have. It sounds like you won't have time to enjoy these on the leg you posted but maybe treat yourselves on a different one.
    I have to confess that we arranged our travel to have one long day of travel between Switzerland and our first location in France on purpose so that we could consolidate more time in Paris. Now that I see how limited our options are--not that the option we found isn't serviceable, rather that it is just a little daunting because it is the ONLY option that would work--I sort of wish we had swapped the Loire and Paris...though we would have had back to back TGVs either way! But now we have GREAT hotel stays booked and I'm super excited about our itinerary.

    I will look into whether the money could be swapped out for a different train. That makes sense. The only day we have connecting trains will be that one day when we go from Zurich to Paris and then Paris to Tours. There is only one hour between trains and they are in different stations. Although the stations are close to each other, I'm a little nervous. Trains used to be SO easy to board when I lived in France. It was just a matter of walking onto the platform and getting on while it was resting there. Is it more complicated now? I feel like post 911 we might have more security ??? or maybe post COVID we'd have more "reservations" and line waiting? I am just trying to imagine what to expect. Knowing more would help me feel better about a one hour connection time between trains.

    Also, there's the matter of having one larger piece of luggage that we'll need to keep with us while we transfer trains. We just purchased a nice piece with a great set of wheels and it shouldn't be too large or heavy--it is just one additional consideration.

  4. #4
    Liziz is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    My last European train travel was pre-pandemic (but waaaay post-9/11) and primarily ICE trains (Germany equivalent of TGV I'm pretty sure), but -- yes, reserving in advance is definitely a thing. Unlike the commuter trains that ran between villages and were more of a jump on/jump off situation, we always reserved in advance for the high-speed ones (and had times we did it too late and couldn't get what we wanted). I don't know enough to advise you on how far in advance you need to buy, but I wouldn't anticipate being able to just walk up and buy them the day of travel (especially if you have no flexibility for other trains).

    I think if it was me I'd wait to purchase until the Amboise hotel opens 2/1 and you can confirm you'll have a ride no matter what. I think that would put your mind at ease, knowing you'll have transportation!
    Lizi

  5. #5
    SnuggleBuggles is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    The security and passport lines weren’t too bad at all but I’d want 30 minutes to do it


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  6. #6
    bisous is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by SnuggleBuggles View Post
    The security and passport lines weren’t too bad at all but I’d want 30 minutes to do it


    Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains
    Oh wow. Hopefully we’ll be able to make the second train. Like I said, we had no lines/security to speak of way back in ‘98 haha. We booked the one tricky train. Here’s hoping it works out!!

  7. #7
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    I would post your specific questions as far timing goes for two train stations. Along with how long general wait and security lines at Fodors forum since it is such a specific travel question.


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    Mummy to DS1-6/11 and DS2-1/14

  8. #8
    bisous is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Train travel was pretty easy. We actually loved the high speed rail. I far preferred it to either flying or driving!! Flying because it is cramped and there are so many security/boarding procedures and driving because it was actually pretty hard to get around in! Man, every roundabout we had to decide which was was "straight" lol.

    BUT the train transfer between stations in Paris was pretty rough. It wasn't that it was that far away. But the train we were on was delayed and the second gare was huge. I speak French and found it fairly tricky to figure out which platforms we were looking for in an unfamiliar gare. But we made it! Once on the train and if you give yourself plenty of time, you're golden!

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