Bikes on TGV France

There is a luggage carriage on the TGV, and you can book it, but there is no guarantee your bike will be on the same train as you apparently ! Bagged bikes are fine, just stay with your bike until everyone is on, and stay with it when the train is pulling into a station.

When I went to Avignon last year, there was only one stop at Lyon, I watche din horro as a small frenchwoman pulled down a big heavy bag right on top of my bike, luckily no damage.....

If you speak Franch it's also possible to bribe the guard to put your bike in the luggage carriage....

I would second all the suggestions of keeping with your bike. We had four bikes hanging in the luggage carriage, much to the disgruntlement of the other passengers, who seemed pretty indifferent to looking out for our bikes whilst stowing their own luggage.

In the end we sat in close proximity to the bikes, and before each stop would go in and help people out with their luggage. A bit of a nuisance, but I'd rather that than a damaged bicycle...

on the TGV there are luggage racks immediately next to the stairs, but also in between the seats half way down the carriage. They're easier to watch and less people put their luggage there.
in AIX the train didn't stop anywhere near long enough to ask anyone where the carriage was, just enough time to get on myself.

Put our bikes (in bags) in the TVG luggage racks.. no problem

In 1st class or 2nd (no difference between the carriages)
The TVG down the west coast to Pau is slow and not as nice as the east coast to avignon.
But an easy enough journey all in all.

The only problem we had was on the Eurostar - We were the first guys through the gate & on the platform, asked the guard which end the luggage van was?

Only to be told it was "full with bikes" - we looked around not another cyclist in sight nor was there when we got off in paris

Basicly it seems eurostar no longer accept bikes in the luggage van unless you pay and book, sod em just put them in the luggage rack was well.

Some TGVs have a separate bike storage area, which you need to book in advance. It's next to impossible to get a bike onto a TGV unbagged and personally I wouldn't attempt it as the SNCF seem to employ a lot of station staff.

Ahh.. I was just about to post this reply to Yemble in the Weekend Rides thread..
"I still need to sort out transport to Grenoble this year. Can you take a complete bike on TGV trains or do you HAVE to box them?"

Damn, it would really be nice if I didn't have to take all the extra bulk/weight of a bike bag or box. I don't fancy riding from Paris to Grenoble, either. :( Are there any other options, save for a very expensive taxi ride?

See if you could hire a car for a one-way rental?

Not a big fan of driving. I like to chill out on trains and read a book.

Am I going to have trouble with a large box? Should I book space in advance? I need to arrive in Grenoble with my bike as we have onward transport. Bit worried now they wkont let me on with box.

I've used a bike bag before. Just stuck it in the bit where the cases and stuff go and watched people put their suitcases on top of my poor widdle carbon frame. That's why I wanted a box this time - and wheels, lovely, lovely wheels!

Put it on the top shelf, all the other passengers are too fucking lazy to lift their heavy suitcases that high.

Cheers andyp. I remember doing that on the Eurostar. Hopefully it'll fit.

It can be a bit awkward to get it on the shelves of a TGV IIRC. If it's a double decker train, take it upstairs, plenty of room and no fucker drags heavy cases up there.

I don't remember it being double decker when I went to the Pyrenees - perhaps it wasn't a TGV train?

Aha.. the ticket says TGV Duplex

Yeah, when I was coming back last year, I noticed 3 lads had taken their bikes upstairs, and weere pretty much sat next their bikes too. All the heavy luggage stays downstairs.

I've also had the heartstopping moment when some gimp drops a trolley on your bike too.

Going to get the Euro star London to Paris (night in Paris) then the TGV onto Bordeaux the following day.... plan is to cycle to Montpellier on the Canal du Midi.

Am seriously considering the laundry bag thing as to check bikes on Euro* is now £30 each way and the TGV is 10 Euro each way bumping up the price of getting there and back considerably.

Also, they don't make it easy.... Euro* you book your tkt then phone to reserve bike space, if there isn't any - bad luck and you can't get a refund on your ticket. Stoopid system.

Me and Spotter did this last summer. Cant remember what we did about booking for the eurostar but when we got to st pancras a eurostar person saw the bikes and let us into a special bike/oversize luggage compartment on the train

The bikes were in bike bags.

On arrival in paris we had to lug the fuckers across the city to our connecting tgv where it was a mad rush to get on and get space for the bags. we got lucky and found an empty luggage rack and just chucked them on there. no questions asked.

We were thinking of having one night in Paris on the way there... so pack bikes up in Sth London, get a god awful early bus to Kings X. Euro * to Paris and then the metro across town. Stay in a hotel near montparnasse station station for an 8am train to Bordeaux. Put bikes back together. Cycle.
Then I think we're going to do a monumental train commute from Montpellier - Avignon - Paris (change stations) - London. That is going to be a fun day with about 10 hours on 3 trains and a metro.

we did all our traveling in one day.

St. Pancras > Gare du Nord > RER > Gare de Lyon > Agde > Million km walk at 10pm in a humid hot night dragging bike bags and luggage to rented house.

and the same reversed on the way home

Paris is a hole and the transfer between Lyon and Nord not an easy one.
I've heard its possible on the metro with bikes but don't know anyone whose actual done it.

Where as the change at Lille Europe just involves walking over the platform, pay the extra it will save you in the long run.

Lille is a nice town to kill a day in too.

yea getting the bikes on the metro in paris during rush hour was not fun. also we discovered the bike bags were very uncomfortable to carry any long distance

<<<< tightarse

I didn't think they allowed bikes on the metro, though the tram links have signs allowing it.

when in bike bags it all counts as luggage

<<<< tightarse

You'd go apoplectic when you discovered Paris taxis charge extra for large bags then.

But it's quick and easy and won't cost much more than €10-15, depending on which station you're leaving Paris from.