taking a pushchair on TGV

[itsrainingitspouring]

Getting on TGV with cases and kids and a push chair, how difficult is it?

Do you have to fold the pushchair?

 

[Trevski220]

Are you going on Eurostar or on a local tgv? Getting on Eurostar is no trouble, but we nearly didn't manage to get on TGV at DLP when we had to go to Lille to change trains and collect Eurostar! So many trying to get on at DLP in a short stop it really was a close run thing!

Though in fairness that was just one problem in many trips, so I'd say in the most part it's not bad, but potentially awkward if you travel at peak time

 

[itsrainingitspouring]

thanks fot your reply

we are flying to CDG - plan was to then take TGV to DLP.

 

[itsrainingitspouring]

we land on a Saturday afternoon in Feb (not mid term)
will it b nightmareish being a Sat?

 

[Trevski220]

No I think you'll be fine then, it was the last train of the evening that could connect to the uk for that day, hence the crowds, also Trains seem to stop a little longer at the airport than they do elsewhere, I don't see you having any trouble

 

[A Small World]

How old are your kids? And where are you staying?

Ive never caught the TGV so cant say from experience but I still think the easiest way from the airport is with a private shuttle (We used RS Transports in the past) as with a shuttle you get picked up at the terminal where you land and dropped at your hotel.
With the TGV you have to get from your terminal to the TGV station (maybe having to go on the airport shuttle loading on and off, then at the other end you still have to get from the station to your hotel. Depending how old your kids are you may be having to carry them/hold their hand, cope with luggage and the pushchair as well - it just sounds too chaotic to me

 

[cookie334]

Have you been before? And do you know CDG?

If not, I would definitely recommend going for the taxi option. The first time we went we had planned on using tgv and 2 hours later we still hadn't found it lol.

CDG is really huge and although it was years ago so it may have changed but we were just do overwhelmed thst in the end just jumped in a taxi which was so easy we went for that option next time and will be booking rstransports for this trip.vwith young children especially it just seems easiest and best value

 

[Teaspoons]

How long do the trains stop for? I have no problems getting on and off trains here in Perth with a pram, but do French trains only stop for a really short time?

Slightly unrelated - catching taxi/shuttle from the hotel - airport or vice versa - what are the rules on children and car seats? We won't have a carseat for our 2.5 year old.

 

[itsrainingitspouring]

thanks for the advice

 

[A Small World]

How long do the trains stop for? I have no problems getting on and off trains here in Perth with a pram, but do French trains only stop for a really short time?

Slightly unrelated - catching taxi/shuttle from the hotel - airport or vice versa - what are the rules on children and car seats? We won't have a carseat for our 2.5 year old.

If you book a shuttle in advance (there are lists of names and contact details in the FAQ sticky) then you can request a car seat as well - let them know the age of the child you need it for

 

[jillrobinson]

How long do the trains stop for? I have no problems getting on and off trains here in Perth with a pram, but do French trains only stop for a really short time?

Slightly unrelated - catching taxi/shuttle from the hotel - airport or vice versa - what are the rules on children and car seats? We won't have a carseat for our 2.5 year old.

On our trip in July my 19 year old jumped on a train and the rest of us were too slow, luckily he had the sense to get off at the next station.
Then on the next train we got on a young English boy did the same, although he was only 5 or 6 and absolutely distraught, I can't imagine what his mum went through. So from my experience I'd say forget the train option and do as the other posters have suggested and book a private shuttle

 

[A Small World]

On our trip in July my 19 year old jumped on a train and the rest of us were too slow, luckily he had the sense to get off at the next station.
Then on the next train we got on a young English boy did the same, although he was only 5 or 6 and absolutely distraught, I can't imagine what his mum went through. So from my experience I'd say forget the train option and do as the other posters have suggested and book a private shuttle

I think that was the metro wasnt it Jill in Central Paris whereas I think the TGVs will stop for longer but still possibly not that long.
DLP is the next stop on the TGV from CDG and I know people have mentioned not having time to get settled in their seats before having to get off which suggests to me as well that its on quickly and set off.

 

[jillrobinson]

I think that was the metro wasnt it Jill in Central Paris whereas I think the TGVs will stop for longer but still possibly not that long.
DLP is the next stop on the TGV from CDG and I know people have mentioned not having time to get settled in their seats before having to get off which suggests to me as well that its on quickly and set off.

We stuck with the RER lines, didn't even attempt the metro. lol

 

[charlottek1980]

We've done the tgv changing from Eurostar at Lille quite a few times and as long as you're very quick it's ok, last time we did, it was 2 adults, 6 children 12 and under, pushchair & 3 cases!
We had to use the metro when we went in 2010 as there were strikes on the tgv and our indirect Eurostar via Lille wasn't going any further than Lille so we were swapped to the Eurostar direct to paris then had to use the metro to get to marne la vallee. That was an absolute nightmare, 2 adults, 5 children aged 10, 7, 6, 3 & 2, a double pushchair and 2 cases! It was absolutely packed as everyone else was using it too as there were no tgvs and I was so worried we were going to end up seperated, thankfully after a lot of pushing & shoving we got on the right trains and got there all together!

 

[Trevski220]

We've done the tgv changing from Eurostar at Lille quite a few times and as long as you're very quick it's ok, last time we did, it was 2 adults, 6 children 12 and under, pushchair & 3 cases! We had to use the metro when we went in 2010 as there were strikes on the tgv and our indirect Eurostar via Lille wasn't going any further than Lille so we were swapped to the Eurostar direct to paris then had to use the metro to get to marne la vallee. That was an absolute nightmare, 2 adults, 5 children aged 10, 7, 6, 3 & 2, a double pushchair and 2 cases! It was absolutely packed as everyone else was using it too as there were no tgvs and I was so worried we were going to end up seperated, thankfully after a lot of pushing & shoving we got on the right trains and got there all together!

When we went it wasn't the actual change at Lille that was hard, it was getting on the SNCF TGV at DLP that took us to Lille which was difficult, so many people trying to get on at once!

 

[Teaspoons]

Wow - makes me feel stressed about getting separated trying to do a day trip into Paris via train. I guess we'll have to reinforce that travelling rule of one parent has to look out for one child each (well in our case as we only have 2 kids) and have a plan god forbid we got separated. Eg as per above case get off at the next stop and wait. And if we used the order parent-child-child-parent for getting on and off we'd have less chance of losing one of the kids on their own.

Also for a novice, is the TGV the fast train and the RER a regular one?

 

[A Small World]

Wow - makes me feel stressed about getting separated trying to do a day trip into Paris via train. I guess we'll have to reinforce that travelling rule of one parent has to look out for one child each (well in our case as we only have 2 kids) and have a plan god forbid we got separated. Eg as per above case get off at the next stop and wait. And if we used the order parent-child-child-parent for getting on and off we'd have less chance of losing one of the kids on their own.

Also for a novice, is the TGV the fast train and the RER a regular one?

TGV stands for Train de Grand Vitesse - meaning High speed train. They go all over the country with not many stops.
RER is the regional train around Paris which is an extension of the metro system . It links with the metro in central Paris but goes out to the suburbs as well. Its stops regularly at stations along the route.
The metro is the underground system which serves central Paris