Do they feed us on the TGV???

After looking at several pages concerning the TGV trains on tgv-europe.com...no 'seat meal service', but there should be a snack car BUT - I'd bring a picnic... I had a bad experience on a loooooong TGV train ride a couple of years ago; long story short, the 'snack-bar-food-person' didn't show up for work. That was it. No food. No water. No milk for the kiddoes. No nuthin'. No breakfast no lunch... I had cajoled my husband into doing some grocery shopping with me the night before; WE had lots of food, desserts, drinks,...no one else on the train car had food, so we ate as inconspicuosly as possible...(cases of water were waiting for us at a station several stops down the line...)... (actually, I never travel on an airplane without food and drinks...)

We had first class tickets from Nice to Paris last year, and a meal was served, with wine. Not sure about the reverse.

Still agonizing over this. The Raileurope website says a meal is served if you have Premiere seating. Saw this yesterday, can't find it again today. The printing on the Railpass folder (generic info, would be on anyone's ticket folder) has the words "Premier Train Tickets and Special Fares (combined ticket and reservations)" then it goes on to describe refunds and reservation changes. So I'm still thinking that because we have (first class) tickets and we have reserved seats, that a meal is forthcoming. But I'm wanting to see this in writing and failing miserably. Can anyone help? Thank you!

Faith, the worst that can happen is that you arrive in Nice a bit hungry unless you take something to snack on with you on the train. But why don't you go to Mark Smith's website, seat61.com, and click on the "email me" at the top of the page. He's a train expert and will have the answer.

Looking at www.sncf.com (French rail site) for this Saturday, the 9th of April, all TGV's from Paris to Nice only show a "bar car", no food service at the seats, not even in premiere first class. Sounds like some good ready to eat sandwiches, and pastries from Chez Paul are in order! Packing a good lunch in Paris is a lot easier than it would be here! Enjoy!

Thank you all for your input. I guess I'm just flashing back to having bought sandwiches at the Sydney airport, then discovering that they fed us on the short (3 hours, I think) flight to New Zealand because it was considered international, then having to throw away the uneaten sandwiches because we couldn't bring "foreign" meat into New Zealand! I hate waste almost as much as I do going hungry! After trying for several days to use an upgrade voucher on American on the return trip from Hawaii last year we finally gave up and had a big lunch before boarding. After getting settled in our coach seats they came along and wanted to move us to first class. My hubby was p.o.'d because I said "no way, we've already eaten!". Took him an hour on the phone the next day to get them to reverse the transaction and give him the vouchers back to use another time. We'll buy sandwiches at the station. Thanks again. Fretful Faith

I don't care if they will feed me on a train or a plane. I can fix a much better meal on my own. And coming from Paris. Good grief...the bread, the cheese, the pastries, the wine! You can bet what you bring will be better than what they'll serve. I always travel with some soak resistant paper plates, couple old forks, spoons and knives (butter not I'm going to stab you steak knives and of course any knife has to be in checked luggage for air flights). Don't forget the cork screw and a couple cheap plastic tumblers. I will admit if they ever bumped me up to first class on a long haul flight my homemade meal is going by the wayside. I have rules but they're flexible:)

Picnic! Picnic!

OK, so it's past midnight here and I just finished making sandwiches from some wonderful cheese, bread, salami and mustard that will knock our socks off. I've got juice boxes, tangerines, cookies and candy. I fully expect to be eating all this for dinner tomorrow night because now that I'm all prepared to be self sufficient there's bound to be a meal! Will report back.

Exactement! But, you just might want those fantastic sandwiches as a leisurely meal after a travel day - all ready to eat! Your goodies sound magnifique! And yes, if you had decided NOT to make them...:-( We'll be waiting...

Good News: They did not feed us and we were prepared!
Bad News: The salami-cheese-spicy mustard sandwiches appear to be the last thing I'll be able to taste for several days. Miserable having a cold on vacation -- especially when there is French food to be savored!

Faith: Ask a French pharmacist for help. They are terrific at recommending OTC remedies.

YEA! and BOO! So sorry; most everytime I've been in Europe I've ended up sick. But Not The Next Time...go get some drugs, and Get Lots Of Rest!!! Fluids!!!

I don't travel anywhere these days without some road food and a water bottle. You can get stuck anywhere and having something a little bit more than a candy bar can be a life saver! I like trail mix or some the energy bars and a little dried fruit. I learned this the really, really hard way when I misjudged the time it took to go by rail from Stuttgart to Athens by 24 hours (46 hours not 22). I had a bottle of wind and cookies. I thought I'd be able to buy food. Thank goodness for some kind Greeks! I shared the wine and they shared the Feta sandwiches. One time recently I was working with one of our sales reps and we ran out of time for lunch, but were able to stave off hunger with my road food stash. So, never leave home without it! Pam

I blame Malcolm Miller for my cold I sat right next to him as our group huddled close to hear him at Chartres and he mentioned a sore throat as he popped a lozenge. Two days later my cold started in my throat but it was worth it if only to take a trip down memory lane back to 1972 when I took his tour as a 16 year old. Taste buds came back today in time to enjoy lunch in Ventimiglia, Italy just 90 minutes away by train from Cannes. And tomorrow we have a special dinner planned at Le Moulin de Mougins (Mougins is now our home base) assuming Hubby who is now the recipient of my germs can taste anything. We did visit the pharmacy several times sometimes finding English speaking help, sometimes needing to point at our throats or having a coughing fit to get our needs across. I am seriously considering buying a couple extra bottles of Peter's Ethylmorphine cough syrup two teaspoons keeps me comfortable all night puts Robitusson to shame! Wonder if it would be confiscated if my bags were inspected?!

Can't say if they have changed but we took the Eurostar from London to Paris (in first class) last year and were served breakfast & champagne.