We are scheduled to land at CDG at 7:25am, and we will need to catch the train to Avignon. Do we NEED to get these train tickets in advance? I suspect that our best option is probably the 11:00 or 11:43 trains, but I would hate to purchase the tickets in advance and then find that we miss a train due to flight delays. Any advice? Also, how long does it take to get from the international arrival gates at CDG to the TGV station? Thanks!
Posted by
Napa, CA
3580 posts
Trains to Avignon leave from Gare de Lyon. If you purchase your tickets at iDTGV in advance, on the internet, you may save a bunch of $$. You can print out your tix and be ready to go. I think 11:00am or 11:43am would be allowing plenty of time.
Posted by
Reston, Virginia
403 posts
Ryan, you are quite right that some TGVs leave directly from CDG, although Swan is correct in thinking that most leave from the Gare de Lyon. Given that you are landing about 4 hours before an 11:43 departure, your flight would have to be awfully late for you to miss the train. The reason for buying in advance is that advance purchase tickets are cheaper. If you don't mind paying more, you can certainly wait until arrival to purchase. If you tell us when you are going....next week? June 2011? The experts here can probably quote you exact prices. Also, at which terminal will you arrive? If it is at Terminal 2, you can easily walk to the TGV station.
Posted by
OP
Minneapolis, MN, USA
2 posts
We will be traveling at the end of the month, if that helps. The tickets I saw were in the neighborhood of 100 Euros per person, one-way (on both SNCF and Rail Europe). Is it possible (and would there be much advantage) to booking as a round trip, with the return trip to Gare de Lyon, rather than CDG? Thanks!
Posted by
Reston, Virginia
403 posts
I just now checked on idtgv (rail europe overcharges by quite a bit), and they have tickets one way near the end of the month for between 50 and 57 euros, which is probably about $70. Lee or Tim can best advise, but I would be surprised if round trip was much cheaper than one way.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
There is no price break for booking round trip. You will pay for two one-way tickets. However, booking Avignon-Paris now may get you a better discount fare. My suggestion is that you book the 11:43 CDG-Avignon TGV rather than the 11:00 TGV. You'll have more of a cushion if your plane is late, it's a direct train (the 11:00 departure requires a connection in Lyon), and it arrives only 8 minutes after the Lyon TGV.