We have bought tickets from Bern to Paris on a TGV train. It has a 30 minute stop in Basel (not a change of trains). Can one get off the train in Basel to maybe get a drink or snack on the platform, or would that be a bad idea?
Posted by
Green Bay
20021 posts
I'm looking at TGV 9216 and I am seeing only a 10 minute stop in Basel. That is the only direct train from Bern to Paris that I know of.
Posted by
OP
California
174 posts
Sam, you are correct. I see another train leaving at 11:36 from Bern, arrives in Basel @ 12:29, and connects with TGV 9216 departing Basel at 12:34. That's why I thought that the 11:10 departure from Bern of the TGV 9216 train includes a stop from maybe 12:03 (estimated arrival in Basel) till the 12:34 departure. We bough the tickets for the 11:10 departure because it was cheaper with no connections.
Posted by
Green Bay
20021 posts
When I click on the train detail for the direct TGV (9216) leaving Bern at 11:10, it arrives in Basel at 12:24, then departs at 12:34. So it takes 1 hour and 10 minutes to go from Bern to Basel. The 11:36 IC train leaves Bern and arrives in Basel at 12:29. So it takes 53 minutes to go from Bern to Basel. I don't know why the TGV takes 17 minutes longer to get from Bern to Basel, but that is what the schedule says. Perhaps it takes a different rail line. I do see that the IC train stops in Olten, but the TGV has no stops between Bern and Basel. Maybe it goes through Biel and Moutier, taking longer.
Posted by
OP
California
174 posts
Sam I just edited my earlier reply to say you were correct. I didn't expect the TGV train to be slower.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
I looked up the full times for a random date on the SBB website:
Train à grande vit. 9216
Bern, Depart 11:10, Platform 9
Basel SBB, Arrival 12:24, Departure 12:34
Mulhouse Ville, Arrival 12:54, Departure 12:57
Belfort-Montbéliard TGV, Arrival 13:17, Departure 13:20
Paris-Gare de Lyon, arrive 15:37
This is what I expected, 10 minute stop at Basel. This time is used to change crews (Swiss crew to French crew) and join the two halves of the train, one comes from Bern and one from Zürich. I am not sure why the TGV takes longer from Bern to Basel than the following Swiss IC does. They both use the same route.
No way ever get off a train before your station. I would stock up on drinks and snacks at Bern station. There is also a buffet on the train, with coffee and a limited selection of snacks.