Bikes on TGV France

We will do that next time but it was fun exploring the metro with heavy bags

and getting stuck in every ticket gate

I have just found out that you can take bikes, assembled, on the RER (ie the good, big, quick and easy train that goes direct from Gare du Nord to Paris Lyon), just not Mon-Fri 6h30-9h00/ 16h30-18h30.
(This doesn't help much with Gare du Nord- Montparnasse though)

Ive booked a TVG from Lille europe to Valence and as their was no option to reserve a bike on the online through the site, I thought id just do it afterwards on the phone.

Rang the UK SNFC office and was told there is no way to add a bike afterwards from their end.
http://www.bikes.sncf.com/your-bike-on-the-train/bringing-your-bike-into-france/tgv/

I either need to cancel both tickets or ring up SNFC france and plead for mercy - I don't speak french.

Anyone have any experience with get a bike reservation?
At the moment I'm thinking i'll save myself the £25 - each way (eurostar) & 10 euros - eachway (TGV) charges for taking a bike fully assembled.

I bought a bike in Lyon a few weeks back and brought it back south.
I enquired before boarding, the reponse was: no .
The last train of the day back ( a double decker)was 80% full.
Here's what happened.

I waited for the train to enter the station,
as there were too many ticket inspectors.
I spotted a guy with a proper bike bag ,
he was faster than me,
I was wheeling a tourer .
There was a space for bike/ prams by the entrance.
But with two prams unfolded ,
babies busy plotting their next evasion tied in there ,
oblivious mummies,
and the fast bike bag already settled,
I had to look around.
The luggage space above head can't take a wheel.
Maybe tying the rim to the bottom of the rack would do.
On the top deck I found a vertical space beetween the luggage racks and the back of the passenger seats, the frame with guards fitted.
The frame with one wheel might fit but I had already taken them out.
Everything got dressed up with bin bags, Christo style.
I had a good read.
Remember:
1 Time is very short once the train enters the station, and you're slow.
2 It's a race

Anyone got any suggestions for some mountain riding in May accessible by TGV? Off to a conference and a couple of the people I know attending also ride. We rode in Thailand this year (nice, but way too hot) but it was really flat so they seem to want mountains rather than northern France/Flanders.

I have used a fancy Fairmean bag on TGV while someone I was riding with used binbags, both worked.

I was more interested in where rather than how. I'll have a bike bag with me anyway as I'm coming from a riding trip to work.

The Vercors and/or Chartreuse massifs would be my recommendation. Both easily accessible by train and both have quiet and challenging roads but are low enough in altitude terms to likely be fully open at that time of year.

ah! for MTB I have no idea, I have planned a few roadie trips with TGV though, they are quite painless.

@andyp I did the Vercors a couple of years back and really enjoyed it. It'd slipped my mind as something to ride up this year; I guess Grenoble would be a good base.

@amey Yep road for me too. Just trying to work out what's achievable without too many transfers/changes as the guys probably only have a couple of days before heading back over the pond

The Vercors are great, but I prefer the Chartreuse, some beautiful climbs but really quiet too.

Anyone got any understanding/experience on night trains in France? I can't find any useful info beyond their existence on the SNCF websites (even in French) and their helpdesk is shit. Basically I'm going to do an event near Valencia and figured a sleeper from Paris to Barcelona would save me a night in a hotel, cut down emissions from flights and just be an interesting way to travel.

The direct line Paris-Barcelona doesnt have any night train.
If you rly want to travel by night, there are some other options with 1 to 3hrs layovers (usually early morning)

Thanks... I'd read that I need to go either via Perpignan or LaTour de Carol but SNCF/Trainline don't seem to be interested in routing that way. I suppose I just need to go into a train station and ask at the ticket office next time I'm in France.

I've done the Paris-Latour de Carol/Enveitg and then onto Barcelona a couple of times. You book the Paris-Latour de Carol leg first, then wait for the regional train (Rodalies) to Barcelona, which is a scenic route that takes around three hours. You can't book the latter, which is probably why SNCF won't route you to Barcelona that way.

Not sure you can take a bike on the night train, though. But if you can, the Rodalies train should have space for you to take it on board, especially since you'll be one of the first to board the train.

Cheers, it's showing as possible now I just stop at the border. I'll have to see a bit closer to the time for tickets etc as currently SNCF only does night train availability 2-4 months before departure. I've seen photos of bikes on the night train but I've got one of those TGV compatible bike covers I could use if needed just to get the bike on the train.

All that said, to get to Valencia it's looking like 30 hours more or less. Plane considerably less.

I'd have to add, I found it incredibly difficult to get to sleep on the train. I think if I were doing it again, I'd get the train from Paris to somewhere like Montpellier or Narbonne and stay overnight in a hotel, then get the train down to Barcelona. And in your case, on to Valencia. While in theory you save on the hotel going by night train, in practice you barely get any real rest and certainly not the kind you'd want before a cycling event.

Given the time involved, might be as well to TGV down to the SW and then move on as you said. Perhaps a nice idea but not great in practice

Dunno about night trains, but I always wanted to try the Paris-Barcelona train:

https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/paris-to-barcelona-by-train.htm

This is why I usually end up flying. Most of the time the trains take way longer, don't take bikes without a fight and end up more expensive.

What's the event? Maybe you could do a van trip with a group?

I've done that one as well. Managed to fluke a dirt cheap first class seat on the way down and enjoyed one of the best train journeys I've ever had. Second class on the way back was pretty good too. Would recommend.

Race Across Spain. I'm going to use it as a training ride as I've got friends in Valencia I keep meaning to see so it's a good opportunity. It's a solo trip but I could probably drive there in a day anyway.

I need to figure out how much time I'm wasting driving over flying tbh... if I could get a bit more time around Valencia that'd be better than spending it on the train

I've not heard of that. (or I have but I've forgotten)

https://raceacrossseries.com/en/race-across-spain-2025/

It kinda looks like the first stage of the last Transiberica I did, going from Bilbao down to Mont Caro in Catalunya. Ends up a little further south, obvs.

the 300 and 500km versions are loops from the finishing town so I can ride to/from the start from Valencia if I want. They've changed the Race Across France route again which is pretty nice, even if it does finish in the same place; I'll do the 500km which I'd guess starts in the vercors from the map.