CDG to Bayonne

I spent a few days in Paris before taking the train to Bayonne to start the tour. I think the train is a great option.

Personally, I avoid taking the train on my day of arrival and choose to spend at least a night in my arrival city before traveling on. It makes it easier to plan as I don’t have to worry about flight delays. After an overnight flight, the last thing I want to do is wait in a train station. Does your schedule allow you to spend the night in Paris before traveling on? You could book a hotel near the Montparnesse train station and then travel the following morning. This would eliminate the need to build in a buffer on your arrival day.

hi. thanks Laura. yes, i am arriving the morning (8am) prior to start of tour. i am not interested in staying in Paris but prefer to get closer to Bayonne so as not to feel rushed on the day of tour starting. how long is the train ride and are there connections to deal with?

When I rode the TGV train from Paris-Montparnasse to Bayonne in May 2025, it took 4 hours with no connections. Pretty countryside but not stunning.

For travel from CDG to Bayonne, it will require a connection and take about 5 to 6 hours as there will be some time required for the connection. You can use the SNCF Connect website or app to check schedules.

If you travel from Paris Montparnasse you can get a direct train that takes about 4 hours.

Patricia, We are taking the Basque Tour at the end of September. We are spending a few days in Bordeaux (train available directly from CDG). Plan to take the train from Bordeaux to Bayonne to meet the tour.

I'd strongly recommend those who are visiting Bayonne also make the short ride to see Biarritz, and especially its beach area. It's drop-dead gorgeous.

Am I understanding that you are arriving at CDG at 8:00 am on the same day as the tour begins (at 5:00 pm)? If that’s the case, I don’t think you can get there in time if you take the train. I am currently on the Basque tour. I stayed in Paris for a few days and then went to Bayonne a day before the tour began. I took the train from Gare Montparasse to Bayonne. I left at 12:10 and arrived four hours later. By the time I walked to the hotel, it was close to 5:00 pm. So you might just want to fly to Biarritz,since you’ll already be at the airport, rather than doing all the transferring while tired from your long flight. The scenery while on the train was pretty, but hardly worth going out of my way for.

When we took that tour, we flew into CDG and had 3 hours to get to the connecting flight to Biarritz. We made it, but there was no time to rest or dilly-dally between gates. 4 hours should be OK between flights.

Train vs Flight? depends on your schedule and timing. Flying worked for us.

Thanks all. I am sticking with my original plan to hang out at CDG for the 4-hr layover. As my tour starts the following day i have plenty of time.