We will be concluding a cruise in Bordeaux in September - looking to get from Bordeaux to Strasbourg from there - the day we are looking to travel we can't find a nonstop flight arriving at a time we want so are considering a train - any suggestions on a half way point or a town or village to stay for a few days to break up the train trip - will return to Paris for several days after Strasbourg and the Alsace part of the journey - we have visited Paris many times and just wanted to perhaps visit another town en route as the train trip is quite lengthy and you have to change trains in Paris anyway - my husband suggests just stopping in Paris for a few days then travelling on to Strasbourg then returning to Paris at the end ........ any suggestions .... thank you Jan
Posted by
France Southwest
2318 posts
An option would be to go to Toulouse by train (around 2h15 by direct train) then take a Toulouse→Strasbourg flight. There are flights every day except Saturdays with Volotea.
Toulouse, "the pink city" is the 4th city in France and deserves 2 or 3 days to be visited. And this will save you from going through Paris.
https://www.toulouse-tourisme.com/en/
Anyway, don't expect to find a village or a small town with an airport or a TGV train station to allow you to take a break on your route.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
Thanks so much for the reply - if we travelled by train we would omit the flight - what town would you suggest to visit on the train route from Bordeaux to Strasbourg - we would stay a few days ...... thanks
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
6970 posts
I'm not sure how you define quite lengthy but it's around 4:50 by train, including 50 minutes in Paris. You'll struggle to save time by flying.
The obvious half way point is Paris, but you can also consider other places along the LGVs such as Tours or Reims.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
It seems the train from Bordeaux to Strasbourg the fastest route just under 5 hours might be the easiest and most efficient way to travel - the non stop flight is not daily and a few of the days it arrives later than we want or departs too early - many thanks for all suggestions ... Jan
Posted by
Wengen
2493 posts
4h50 is not very long, and not so long that it would require breaking up. We just went travelled 7 hours to get to Florence.
Trains are comfortable. They're like a travelling lounge. You have a bar. You have at seat service if you go 1st class. And since you plan to book early you can get 1st class cheaply.
There is even a direct train. A bit slower than changing in Paris (because it makes more stops) but it would be my choice. See www.sncf-connect.com. Currently I see tickets in 1st class for under 100,- for mid september.
Posted by
Paris
7300 posts
The daily direct train (at around 9AM) is definitely the way to go. Sure, it takes maybe 30-45 min longer than the best connections through Paris, but the metro transfer from Montparnasse to Gare de l'Est on Line 4 is very annoying. Lines to buy metro tickets are very long (buy those on the TGV bar!!), Line 4 is a 10-min walk from the Montparnasse concourse (with stairs), and line 4 is invariably crowded. A 50 minute transfer would be tight for a first-timer.
Posted by
Seattle, WA & Bordeaux, France
319 posts
There is a daily train from Bordeaux to Strasbourg, so no need to change trains in Paris. We took it, round trip, in December. It was easy and efficient as well as a nice way to travel. It was around a 5hr train ride.
Posted by
San Francisco
14976 posts
Instead of having go through Paris, I thought that one had to transfer in Lyon. Wrong. Since a direct train from Bordeaux to Strasbourg exists, that would be my option...take the train.