I am travelling Paris to Milan by train. Getting the 7.30am train from Gare De Lyon, given I am going into another country how much time should be allowed to 'check in'. I notice the Eurostar at St Pancras suggests to arrive 90mins before.
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
6914 posts
None. You need enough time to walk from the entrance to the platform, that's it.
Posted by
Paris
7291 posts
For someone who has never been to Gare de Lyon before, getting to the station some time between 7-7.10 AM would be perfect. The tracks are divided in two "Halls" (one with lettered tracks, the other with numbered tracks) separated by a 5-minute walk, so you will have to check the departure boards wherever you arrive, and find the correct hall. Then, 20 minutes or so before departure, the track ("quai") number (or letter) will appear.
Posted by
Wengen
2465 posts
Eurostar is a huge exception when it comes to train travel. Trains in Europe do not normally have check-ins, do not have pre boarding controls etc... You go to a station, find your train, and get on. Where border checks are still done (getting rarer thanks to the Schengen Agreement) they are done on the train itself at the moment where it actually crosses the border.
Eurostar needed to be different for some reason, and is a lot worse for it as a result. I love travelling by train, but avoid Eurostar nowadays. If they are going to force me to be at the station 90 minutes in advance I can as well fly.
Looks like you are on a Trenitalia Service. So do not be confused when you get to your train it is not a TGV...
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
6914 posts
7.00-7.10 sounds like a reasonable arrival time. That would give enough time to locate the train without stress and a bit of margin for error. If it was my trip i'd probaby give myself 15-20 minutes but if your not that familiar with train travel I'd recommend a bit more time. (My personal record is arriving at the station 30 seconds before the train's departure and still catching the train, I would not recommend it…)