We were planning to take a train from Paris Gare Montparnasse to Chartres on Sunday May 6th for the start of the Loire Valley/South of France tour. I just learned that the regular train service from Montparnasse is cancelled for that day
Does anybody have any suggestions for alternate transportation?
(Also posted in RS Tours discussion board)
Maybe due to these unusual circumstances, RS tours can make special arrangements for you.
The line may be down for maintenance. Maintenance is often scheduled on the weekend when traffic is lighter. When you tried to book the train did you get an alternate schedule? When a line is shut down like that, generally there is an alternate schedule via bus.
If you look on following website the train is being replaced by bus service. It takes longer but there is a service
https://www.trainline.eu/results/paris-montparnasse/chartres/2018-05-06-08:00?passengers=adult
You are concerned and rightfully so, though SNCF will not leave you high and dry, However, it is longer and more complicated to get to Chartres. There is bus service but from the Gare Austerlitz. There is a TGV/TER service but you have to go all the way to Le Mans and change. All options are over 2.5 hours, and they are limited, so you are right to be on this early.
However, a call to RS headquarters might solve a lot of this.
I'd do that sooner rather than later since a lot of people will be facing the same challenges. They may come up with solutions for everybody.
Someone wrote somewhere about electrical work at Gare Montparnasse and Gare du Nord that is closing a lot of the tracks.
On Trainline.eu you will find the early trains are not cancelled but are leavig from Paris Austerlitz station.
It's not a long trip, maybe a bus?
Were you planning on going to Loire after that rather than back to Paris. I went to Chartres, as a day trip from Paris, last visit. Earlier, I was in Loire and wanted to visit Chartres on the way back into Paris but wasn't happy because I'd have to first train to Paris then back to Chartres - so decided to see it another time.
It may be easier and more friendly budgetwise to arrange transportation with some other people on the tour and hire a car service.
Thanks for all your responses. I let the RS tour folks know about this situation; perhaps they can communicate this to the other tour members.
