Is 14 minutes enough time to transfer from a TGV train arriving at Lyon TGV Station to an RE train leaving from the Old Station? Anyway to know ahead of time what the platforms will be? Anything special I can do to ensure that I don't miss the RE train? Is it true that I can buy the ticket for the RE train at any train station in France several days before? Thank you.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
John, you can indeed by the RE ticket in advance at any staffed train station in France. I say "staffed" because the automated machines only take chip and pin cards. Just be sure to validate the ticket before boarding. Its a different ticket from the TGV ticket. I'm not able to assist with the train change information. Usually 14 minutes is just fine but I'm not familiar with the Lyon train station. It might help if you identify the total route and not just Lyon TGV.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
Seeing your more detailed thread, 14 minutes is definitely not enough time to get from Part-Dieu to Perrache. I'd leave around an hour to transfer to take account of orientation, buying tickets and any delays. However, TER tickets should be transferable between trains if you miss one. Some TGV trains, especially those from Paris that terminate at Lyon, do serve Perrache as well as Part-Dieu. If you haven't booked your TV ticket already, it will save a lot of worry if you search specifically for trains to Lyon Perrache and book on one of those if there are any.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
One more minor point: I'm sure you're correct about Perrache but there is more than one "old station" in Lyon. A small number of regional trains leave from the tiny St Paul station in the old city, and if you're leaving from there you need to get a trolleybus: I'd again leave an hour.