We're traveling from Boston to Lyon in April and have booked our flights with Air France. Our ticket includes a train connection at CDG to Lyon (rather than connecting flight). Does anyone have experience with the combined ticket? Our connecting time is only 1hr 22 minutes. The ticket shows it as a flight with AF flight number, but it's definitely the train, going into XYD (Lyon Part-Dieu). My question is since we're booked through on Air France, what happens if our flight from Boston is delayed? Will we be able to get the next train out of Paris to Lyon using the same ticket? I'm guessing we'll have to go to an Air France ticket desk at the airport, but I'd love to hear from anyone who has had similar flight/train combined tickets.
Posted by
Chicago
9584 posts
to get to the train you have to go through immigration and retrieve luggage and go through customs (generally just walking through the door). I cannot imagine that is adequate time. Even on a good day it is rare to get from the plane through immigration in 20 minutes. The walk from the gate to immigration is substantial and then in our experience the lines for immigration have ranged from 15 minutes to 90 minutes and there is no way to deal with that. 22 minutes is IMHO impossible even in the best case scenario. You need to get AF to book you a later train even if it means connections on the train or taking a cab into Paris to Gare de Lyon for a latter trains. The rule of thumb at CDG is 3 hours from ETA to train and 4 hours if taking the train in Paris. This gives a cushion for the normal delays of slightly late plane or an unusually long immigration process. If you are checking luggage -- luggage at CDG can be very very slow but in no case would you have it fast enough to make a 22 minute connection.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
11707 posts
If you miss the train on this combo ticket, go into the ticket office inside the SNCF train station at the airport. The clerks will take care of you. To be sure, call Air France and ask them.
In the old days, the luggage would be transferred for you, just like a plane itinerary and AF had its own waiting room in the train station, but I think those days are over, but you could always check to see if any special services still exist.
Posted by
Florida (previously California)
4369 posts
"22 minutes is IMHO impossible even in the best case scenario. "
The OP has 1 hour and 22 minutes. I'm not sure that is enough time but the good news is that with the "Air + Train" ticket, they will be put at no extra cost on the next available train to Lyon. There is a dedicated desk for travelers with that ticket. I'd just keep my ticket and if there is a delay that affects the arrival get the later train. I mean why change it now when you may not need to.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
11707 posts
JHK- to clarify, is the dedicated desk in the train station?
Posted by
OP
345 posts
Thanks everyone for the quick replies. I will definitely call air France. We'll only have Carry on. I'm an EU citizen so I might get through the line quicker but that doesn't help if I have to wait for my husband, although I suppose I could heat to the ticket office first if we're going to miss the train. I've looked and there is another one a couple of hours later so as long as those trains don't sell out, we could take the later one. If changing isn't a hassle and it's on Air France to handle it, I'd rather just keep the ticket as it is just in case we do make it. I'll post an update if I get through to Air France.