Hi I am palnning to travel to basel from Paris by a train. I am looking forward to book the following travel : 10/08/2013 06:15 PARIS GARE LYON 10/08/2013 09:03 MULHOUSE VILLE By TGV Lyria 9205 - Reservation included 10/08/2013 09:19 MULHOUSE VILLE 10/08/2013 09:50 BASEL SBB
By TER 96115 - Reservation not included Can someone please suggest me that : (1) is this 16 min connecting time at Mulhouse sufficient to change the train. (2) Also I will be staying aroung 2km from Paris Gare Lyon station. So will i be able to get some kind of transport to reach the station. (3) The train from Mulhouse to Basel says reservation not included. What does that mean.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Anshul, I can't tell from your message if you are posting dates in USA format or EU format. Is this August 1, or is it October 8? Regardless, I have looked at both dates. One thing I have noticed is that TGV Lyria 9205 departing at 06:15 is a direct train from Paris to Basel SBB. No train changes at Mulhouse Ville. The train departing at 7:50 does change at Mulhouse Ville. I hope you are not looking at the RailEurope website. I'm looking at the official French website www.voyages-sncf.com where you can buy tickets 90 days out for TGV tickets. You can't buy the Oct 8 tickets yet. You can also print the tickets for the 9205 out at home minutes after your purchase. To answer your other two questions, 16 minutes is enough time to change trains. Secondly, the reason that you don't see reservations on the Mulhouse Ville/Basel train is that its a regional train and not the high-speed TGV. No reservations permitted on the regional train.
Posted by
OP
Chandigarh
5 posts
Hi, thanx for your reply. The travel dates are in Aug. I want to know will I be able to get some kind of transport in the early morning to catch this 0615 TGV train.
Posted by
OP
Chandigarh
5 posts
Hey Elk, yes i was checking the raieurope website with this link http://www.raileurope.co.in/spip.php?page=sales&re_domain=ptp&re_oper=results. The connecting train is half the cost to direct. So thats why i was interested in that train. Will I be able to complete this journey comfortably or is there any catch which i am not aware of. Thanx again
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33842 posts
If you use RailEurope you may not always get the least expensive tickets. Rarely, in fact. There are better ways - follow the advice above. When you just give a distance like 2 km it makes it difficult to help you - more information yields better answers....
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
The Paris metro starts running at 0530, which will probably be OK if you're within central Paris, but if you're a long way from Gare de Lyon it might be worth arranging a taxi the previous day.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
According to tgv-europe.com, the 06:15 TGV goes directly to Basel and arrives at 09:26. If you book right now, you can get a Piccolo discount fare of €77.00 for 10 August. Choose France as your ticket collection country and print your own ticket.
Posted by
OP
Chandigarh
5 posts
Hi, we will be staying at ibis budget Paris Porte de Bercy
15 Quai de Bercy, Charenton-le-Pont. Will i be able to get any public transport to catch this 0615 TGV train. If yes then can anyone suggest me how to go about it. Thanx again
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
The closest Metro station to your hotel is Cour Saint-Emilion on line 14 which runs directly to Gare de Lyon. The first train departs at 05:33 and arrives at 05:36 with one stop at Bercy. For a zoomable map of the Metro/RER system, go here: http://tinyurl.com/6xmvms4
Posted by
OP
Chandigarh
5 posts
i was checking the raieurope website with this link http://www.raileurope.co.in/spip.php?page=sales&re_domain=ptp&re_oper=results. The connecting train to Basel via Mulhouse with a connection time of 16 min is half the cost to direct. So i was interested in booking that train. Can i go ahead and book this train or is there any catch which i am not aware of. Thanx again. Can someone please guide on this.
Posted by
near Ringwood, Hampshire, UK
521 posts
Anshul, the advice normally given on this forum is not to use RailEurope, but instead to use the SNCF website for French railway tickets. I'm not at all familiar with the RailEurope website, but I can see what you mean - Paris to Basel with one change to a TER train in Mulhouse, departing Paris on the 06.15 TGV lyria on 10/08 is €40.20. On the SNCF website it is €72.20 (€65 to Mulhouse and €7.20 from Mulhouse to Basel). Direct to Basel is €77 on the SNCF website (and the same price on RailEurope). That is very surprising, because often RailEurope is more expensive. The €65 'Loisir' fare to Mulhouse has a note beside it on the SNCF website, saying only a few seats are available, so maybe if you try to book on RailEurope you will find that €40.20 price is not available after all. I don't know what you can do, other than try to book it.