-
It's going back a few years now (2010), but I took my bike in a bag on the TGV from Lille to Valence TGV to do the Marmotte and I found it hassle-free and sparsely populated. I was hoping to do a fair bit of French rail travel next year including going from Paris to Lyon and back, so I guess I'll find out more. Can't fault the time of just over two hours and cheaper than a single from London to Brighton, though.
ketsbaia-
For me to get to Lyon my choices are:
1, Car - 5 1/2 hours
2, Train - 6 1/2 hours
3, Flight - Comedy flight options include Luxembourg to Porto to Lyon, but still only 3 1/5 hours (plus getting into the airport, out of it, and into Lyon obviously)I guess it's just the east being complicated in terms of connections (slow trains or via paris). The fact that it's complicated to take an assembled bike on a long trip by train isn't great either. But... for most people, it's good enough if they can improve the service a bit.
atz
I do hope they bring them back but my experience of TGV over the last few years has been pretty bad. Could just be the Eastern route into Paris I suppose.