Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> wrote:
For what?s left of this summer we bought 7-in-a-month old people?s first
class Interrail passes. We?re splashing out slightly - we?ve only ever
done standard before. This is the first posting in a series of the
railway-using days of our trip. More as we do them!
Day 1, Tuesday 25 August: Edinburgh-Paris;
bus-walk-train-walk-train-RER-walk
Having been stung by a non-arriving taxi previously, we take the 0755 bus
to the Mound and walk along to Waverley. We?re aiming for 1E08, the LNER
0900 to London so there?s plenty of time to go to the Travel Centre and get >> seat reservations for this train and the return. I actually already did
that last week but when I got home the reservation cards were no longer in >> my pocket.
We have rear facing seats at a table and there?s another couple opposite. >> We have to go to the usual lengths to avoid playing footsie and even in 2+1 >> there?s not a huge amount of available width. While it never gets
unbearable the seat base gets progressively less comfortable as the journey >> goes on. I picked this train because its a quick journey, 4h10, and that
rather pays off.
Breakfast options are not overgenerous, but we?re not using many calories, >> so that?s probably OK. Overnight oats with cherry stuff, falafel wrap and >> the strawberry and lime dessert are all fine, though something about the
strawberry flavour makes me think of blancmange or Angel Delight.
On time at Newcastle but stopped and then slow through the construction
works at the north end of York yards. +5 leaving York, next stop KGX.
Slow through Grantham and now +9. Held in platform at PBO so miss the
exhilarating swoosh over the bridge, +18 by Biggleswade but we get a little >> of that back. Eventually arrive 1322.25 according to Real Time Trains (the >> wheels stopped at 1321), that?s +12 on GBTT, +15 on WTT. Interestingly RTT >> shows times compared to GBTT in its simple view, compared to WTT in the
detailed view.
Grab some snacks from the stalls outside KGX - the gates are open so I
don?t have to persuade anyone that the Interrail QR code on my phone is
valid - and go and sit in the shade by the birdcage swing. The email from >> E* says we should arrive by 1416 for train 9036, the 1531 to Paris, so we
take our time and amble over just after 2. If we?d caught the 0930 from
Edinburgh then if it had been on time (actually, it was!) the journey would >> have taken nearly half an hour longer and we?d have arrived promptly for
the E* checkin, though if it had been late so would we!
I?ve mentioned this in another thread, but it was quick through the
serpentine queue, security and both passport checks, and we?re straight
into whatever circle of hell the SPI departure lounge is when a train is
delayed. Things quieten down after the 1432 for Paris leaves around 1450
and the 1507 to Amsterdam boards at about the same time.
We?re in coach 2 at the rear of the train, in Eurostar Plus. We have
airline seats facing backwards, but the staff are attentive and the food is >> good. We share a window with the back-to-back seats behind us, one of
whose occupants likes the shade down. Humph.
Arrival in Paris on time. No major track bump in Northern France like
there has been the last two times I did this journey. We do hang around
quite a bit but still arrive on time at GdN. It?s interesting that this
trip takes 2h28 whereas others on the same route can take only a little
over 2h.
Since we?re at the back of the train we have to walk almost the whole
length of the narrow platform in the crush of other passengers. We trek
right across the station (I?m not counting in-station transfers as a walk) >> to RER line D and take two long stops on a crowded and sweaty train to Gare >> de Lyon. After eventually finding our way out through one of the myriad
exits to the street we walk to our hotel. After a much needed shower we
amble across the river to the almost hidden Gare d?Austerlitz and have a
couple of pastries from a patisserie opposite, and then back to bed.
We?ll be back at GdL tomorrow. See you then.
Did you investigate changing at Lille instead of Paris? It might have involved a further change at Lyon or Marseille, but avoided the sweaty RER journey.
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
Day 2, Wednesday 26 August: Paris-Nice; walk-train-walk
This ought to be a straightforward day - one train from a hotel near to GdL >> to our apartment near Nice-Ville. Off we go.
Train 6165 is the 1122 TGV Inoui to Nice, arriving 1704.
We turn left and stop at Avignon-TGV. The train number is announced as
6180, and then later as 6165 again. That may have been a slip of the
tongue as we are also announced as 80 minutes late, though Nice ETA is now >> 1834, 90 minutes late.
1647 Toulon. If the weather were nicer (it?s grey) and our seats were on
the other side of the train (with the sea view) this would be a spectacular >> journey! Nice ETA now 1844.
We proceed at various speeds along the Cte d?Azur, stopping at several of >> the resorts, eventually reaching Nice dead on time(!) at 1844.
Did you ask for compensation for +100?
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
We turn left [towards Avignon]
Not exactly. You continued on the 300 kph line.
There is a 230 kph junction.
Ulf Kutzner <user2991@newsgrouper.org.invalid> wrote:
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
Day 2, Wednesday 26 August: Paris-Nice; walk-train-walk
This ought to be a straightforward day - one train from a hotel near to GdL
to our apartment near Nice-Ville. Off we go.
Train 6165 is the 1122 TGV Inoui to Nice, arriving 1704.
We turn left and stop at Avignon-TGV. The train number is announced as
6180, and then later as 6165 again. That may have been a slip of the
tongue as we are also announced as 80 minutes late, though Nice ETA is now >> 1834, 90 minutes late.
1647 Toulon. If the weather were nicer (it?s grey) and our seats were on >> the other side of the train (with the sea view) this would be a spectacular
journey! Nice ETA now 1844.
We proceed at various speeds along the Cte d?Azur, stopping at several of >> the resorts, eventually reaching Nice dead on time(!) at 1844.
Did you ask for compensation for +100?
1) The announcements about how to capitalise on the apologies were beyond
my French;
2) I?m not sure you could claim anything back from an Interrail ticket
Ulf Kutzner <user2991@newsgrouper.org.invalid> wrote:
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
Day 2, Wednesday 26 August: Paris-Nice; walk-train-walk
This ought to be a straightforward day - one train from a hotel near to GdL >>> to our apartment near Nice-Ville. Off we go.
Train 6165 is the 1122 TGV Inoui to Nice, arriving 1704.
We turn left and stop at Avignon-TGV. The train number is announced as
6180, and then later as 6165 again. That may have been a slip of the
tongue as we are also announced as 80 minutes late, though Nice ETA is now >>> 1834, 90 minutes late.
1647 Toulon. If the weather were nicer (it?s grey) and our seats were on >>> the other side of the train (with the sea view) this would be a spectacular >>> journey! Nice ETA now 1844.
We proceed at various speeds along the Cte d?Azur, stopping at several of >>> the resorts, eventually reaching Nice dead on time(!) at 1844.
Did you ask for compensation for +100?
1) The announcements about how to capitalise on the apologies were beyond
my French;
2) I?m not sure you could claim anything back from an Interrail ticket
Sam
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> wrote:
Ulf Kutzner <user2991@newsgrouper.org.invalid> wrote:You can claim directly from Interrail
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
Day 2, Wednesday 26 August: Paris-Nice; walk-train-walk
This ought to be a straightforward day - one train from a hotel near to GdL
to our apartment near Nice-Ville. Off we go.
Train 6165 is the 1122 TGV Inoui to Nice, arriving 1704.
We turn left and stop at Avignon-TGV. The train number is announced as >>>> 6180, and then later as 6165 again. That may have been a slip of the
tongue as we are also announced as 80 minutes late, though Nice ETA is now >>>> 1834, 90 minutes late.
1647 Toulon. If the weather were nicer (it?s grey) and our seats were on >>>> the other side of the train (with the sea view) this would be a spectacular
journey! Nice ETA now 1844.
We proceed at various speeds along the Cte d?Azur, stopping at several of >>>> the resorts, eventually reaching Nice dead on time(!) at 1844.
Did you ask for compensation for +100?
1) The announcements about how to capitalise on the apologies were beyond
my French;
2) I?m not sure you could claim anything back from an Interrail ticket
Sam
https://www.interrail.com/en/support/delay-compensation
I?ve done it and it works.
Day 3, Saturday 29 August: Nice-Cap Ferrat;
walk-tram-bus-walk-tram-bus-walk
I?m including this because it might have been a train day, but for a number of reasons it wasn?t.
When we?ve been here before we?ve taken a train to
Tende, through 2 of the 3 spiral tunnels on that line, but we?re only here until tomorrow so we didn?t want to spend most of the day on the train. We could have taken a train to Roquebrune, Menton, or Monaco, or gone the
other way towards Cannes, but that didn?t appeal either. We could also
have taken the Chemin de Fer de Provence to Puget-Thniers or Annot which
is a wonderful journey and where there are wonderful walks, but they?ve changed the timetable and it would be a rush to get back - nothing back between 2ish and 7ish, and it?s most of a two hour journey.
And did I mention it?s hot - 30 C and clear skies?
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
Day 3, Saturday 29 August: Nice-Cap Ferrat;
walk-tram-bus-walk-tram-bus-walk
I?m including this because it might have been a train day, but for a number >> of reasons it wasn?t.
I would like to read also about public transport on
non-train days; don't think it would be a very bad OT.
When we?ve been here before we?ve taken a train to
Tende, through 2 of the 3 spiral tunnels on that line, but we?re only here >> until tomorrow so we didn?t want to spend most of the day on the train. We >> could have taken a train to Roquebrune, Menton, or Monaco, or gone the
other way towards Cannes, but that didn?t appeal either. We could also
have taken the Chemin de Fer de Provence to Puget-Thniers or Annot which
is a wonderful journey and where there are wonderful walks, but they?ve
changed the timetable and it would be a rush to get back - nothing back
between 2ish and 7ish, and it?s most of a two hour journey.
Train nr. 14 is Sundays & public holidays only. https://storage.googleapis.com/is-wp-58-prod/uploads-prod/2026/02/80ed7614-affiches-horaires-2026-iu.pdf
And did I mention it?s hot - 30 C and clear skies?
They
https://www.cpzou.fr/infos/infos-trafic-en-temps-reel-2/
do mention.
Ulf Kutzner <user2991@newsgrouper.org.invalid> wrote:
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
We could also
have taken the Chemin de Fer de Provence to Puget-Thniers or Annot which >> is a wonderful journey and where there are wonderful walks, but they?ve
changed the timetable and it would be a rush to get back - nothing back
between 2ish and 7ish, and it?s most of a two hour journey.
Train nr. 14 is Sundays & public holidays only. https://storage.googleapis.com/is-wp-58-prod/uploads-prod/2026/02/80ed7614-affiches-horaires-2026-iu.pdf
Thank you. The only online TT I could find was 2025, but it?s the same.
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
Ulf Kutzner <user2991@newsgrouper.org.invalid> wrote:
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
We could also
have taken the Chemin de Fer de Provence to Puget-Thniers or Annot which >>>> is a wonderful journey and where there are wonderful walks, but they?ve >>>> changed the timetable and it would be a rush to get back - nothing back >>>> between 2ish and 7ish, and it?s most of a two hour journey.
Train nr. 14 is Sundays & public holidays only.
https://storage.googleapis.com/is-wp-58-prod/uploads-prod/2026/02/80ed7614-affiches-horaires-2026-iu.pdf
Thank you. The only online TT I could find was 2025, but it?s the same.
Do not hesitate to ask for more information even before
starting your trips, for narrow gauge in France, Southern
Italy and not only.
Day 4, Sunday 31 Aug
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
Day 4, Sunday 31 Aug
I am afraid there is a possibility of doubt left.
Ulf Kutzner <user2991@newsgrouper.org.invalid> wrote:
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
Day 4, Sunday 31 Aug
I am afraid there is a possibility of doubt left.
Day 4 of travel.
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
Ulf Kutzner <user2991@newsgrouper.org.invalid> wrote:
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
Day 4, Sunday 31 Aug
I am afraid there is a possibility of doubt left.
Day 4 of travel.
No doubt, as far as I am concerned.
Day 6, Friday 4 September, GandĦa-Montpellier; drive-train-train-train
Another delayed report - life?s just been too much fun. We?ve been staying with family an hour or more down the coast from Valencia. They kindly
drove us to the CercanĦas station in GandĦa for the 0913 local train to Valencia. The 0943 would have been our insurance train in case of any road delays. Our 3-car train travels on time across the mostly flast rice- and orange-growing coastal plane. The seats are comfortable for short journeys
- I wouldn?t want to sit in one for more than the 1h08 that we?re on this
one - mostly in sets of 2+2 facing and other setts of 3 flipdown seats,
with a wide aisle. It feels modern, clean and efficient, though there are more modern looking sets going the other way.
Valencia Estaci˘ de Nord, of which we mostly saw scaffolding when we
arrived, is actually a beautiful example of railway architecture. The trainshed has an arched glass roof and there is an exquisitely tiled room, which may have been a waiting room but is now empty except for a small display about the renovation of the station.
After refreshments in the station the 1125 Class 130 Talgo ?Patito? arrives from Alicante and reverses here. It?s slightly ironic that Valencia?s two stations, Nord and Joaquin Sorolla, both face south and effectively share a throat.
Day 6, Friday 4 September, GandĦa-Montpellier; drive-train-train-train
Day 7, Sunday September, Montpellier-Taiz; train-bus
Today is a short day. The 1357, TGV 12184 Montpellier St Roch to Mcon Ville. It?s going all the way to Metz Ville but we?re getting off in Burgundy to spend a week at a kind of monastery. I say ?kind of? - you can look it up at <https://www.taize.fr/en/>. We were last here almost exactly 43 years ago, but have had informal links in the intervening years. It?s special.
The TGV runs mainly to time, +5 at Lyon, the stop before Mcon, but only +1 when we get off. No problem, we?ve got 50 minutes to wait. It?s a double single decker set. We?re facing each other in the window seats of a table for 4. TGV 1st class is wide enough that sitting next to a large gentleman
- tall and burly but not obese - is no bother at all. The decor is classic TGV - all grey moquette, a strange curved thing with reading lights between the seats, and dual level luggage racks.
At the next platform over at Lyon a double duplex set comes in, a low-cost ouigo set at the front and a full fare inoui set behind. Granted there?s
not so much difference between fares in France as in the UK, and it?s actually all SNCF, but it?s a bit like coupling a Lumo to an LNER and
running them as a single train.
There?s some confusion at Mcon whether the bus to Taiz is actually
running,
but there is a bus sitting at the stop with the right number and
destination - the 701 for Chalon-sur-Sane - and we eventually collar the driver who assures us it?s running and it does, full but not quite
standing. We arrive a couple of minutes late because of the effort of getting all the people and their luggage on board, both at Mcon Ville and
at Mcon-Loch TGV, hot but relieved.
ouigo has limited luggage space, cramped regional seats, no bar
and standard class only.
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
Day 7, Sunday September, Montpellier-Taiz; train-bus
Today is a short day. The 1357, TGV 12184 Montpellier St Roch to Mcon
Ville. It?s going all the way to Metz Ville but we?re getting off in
Burgundy to spend a week at a kind of monastery. I say ?kind of? - you can >> look it up at <https://www.taize.fr/en/>. We were last here almost exactly >> 43 years ago, but have had informal links in the intervening years. It?s
special.
The TGV runs mainly to time, +5 at Lyon, the stop before Mcon, but only +1 >> when we get off. No problem, we?ve got 50 minutes to wait. It?s a double >> single decker set. We?re facing each other in the window seats of a table >> for 4. TGV 1st class is wide enough that sitting next to a large gentleman >> - tall and burly but not obese - is no bother at all. The decor is classic >> TGV - all grey moquette, a strange curved thing with reading lights between >> the seats, and dual level luggage racks.
At the next platform over at Lyon a double duplex set comes in, a low-cost >> ouigo set at the front and a full fare inoui set behind. Granted there?s
not so much difference between fares in France as in the UK, and it?s
actually all SNCF, but it?s a bit like coupling a Lumo to an LNER and
running them as a single train.
Well, ouigo has limited luggage space, cramped regional seats, no bar
and standard class only.
There?s some confusion at Mcon whether the bus to Taiz is actually
running,
There is a 17:35 version for holiday an a 17:35 for non-holiday
periods. Didn't see a (big) difference.
The last 16:35 Sunday service (too early by time of the day, anyhow)
was on August 30th.
https://www.viamobigo.fr/ftp/document/ap-lr701-21x29-7-r-ed-sept26.pdf
but there is a bus sitting at the stop with the right number and
destination - the 701 for Chalon-sur-Sane - and we eventually collar the
driver who assures us it?s running and it does, full but not quite
standing. We arrive a couple of minutes late because of the effort of
getting all the people and their luggage on board, both at Mcon Ville and >> at Mcon-Loch TGV, hot but relieved.
Not that many passengers at Charnay-next-to-Mcon (former) station?
Ulf Kutzner <user2991@newsgrouper.org.invalid> wrote:
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
Day 7, Sunday September, Montpellier-Taiz; train-bus
Today is a short day. The 1357, TGV 12184 Montpellier St Roch to Mcon
Ville. It?s going all the way to Metz Ville but we?re getting off in
Burgundy to spend a week at a kind of monastery. I say ?kind of? - you can
look it up at <https://www.taize.fr/en/>. We were last here almost exactly
43 years ago, but have had informal links in the intervening years. It?s >> special.
The TGV runs mainly to time, +5 at Lyon, the stop before Mcon, but only +1
when we get off. No problem, we?ve got 50 minutes to wait. It?s a double >> single decker set. We?re facing each other in the window seats of a table >> for 4. TGV 1st class is wide enough that sitting next to a large gentleman
- tall and burly but not obese - is no bother at all. The decor is classic
TGV - all grey moquette, a strange curved thing with reading lights between
the seats, and dual level luggage racks.
At the next platform over at Lyon a double duplex set comes in, a low-cost >> ouigo set at the front and a full fare inoui set behind. Granted there?s >> not so much difference between fares in France as in the UK, and it?s
actually all SNCF, but it?s a bit like coupling a Lumo to an LNER and
running them as a single train.
Well, ouigo has limited luggage space, cramped regional seats, no bar
and standard class only.
Exactly. but in the UK we don?t have the same operator offering two quite different standards of service on different trains on the same route!
There?s some confusion at Mcon whether the bus to Taiz is actually
running,
There is a 17:35 version for holiday an a 17:35 for non-holiday
periods. Didn't see a (big) difference.
The last 16:35 Sunday service (too early by time of the day, anyhow)
was on August 30th.
https://www.viamobigo.fr/ftp/document/ap-lr701-21x29-7-r-ed-sept26.pdf
Yep, we investigated all that. That didn?t stop some people, including
some on the ground in Mcon, insisting that there was no bus. Also a
ticket machine in the station, which offered to sell Mobigo tickets said there were no journeys that matched our request, i.e. Mcon Ville gare to Taiz Communaut gare[!] this afternoon.
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
Ulf Kutzner <user2991@newsgrouper.org.invalid> wrote:
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
Day 7, Sunday September, Montpellier-Taiz; train-bus
Today is a short day. The 1357, TGV 12184 Montpellier St Roch to Mcon >>>> Ville. It?s going all the way to Metz Ville but we?re getting off in
Burgundy to spend a week at a kind of monastery. I say ?kind of? - you can
look it up at <https://www.taize.fr/en/>. We were last here almost exactly
43 years ago, but have had informal links in the intervening years. It?s >>>> special.
The TGV runs mainly to time, +5 at Lyon, the stop before Mcon, but only +1
when we get off. No problem, we?ve got 50 minutes to wait. It?s a double >>>> single decker set. We?re facing each other in the window seats of a table >>>> for 4. TGV 1st class is wide enough that sitting next to a large gentleman
- tall and burly but not obese - is no bother at all. The decor is classic
TGV - all grey moquette, a strange curved thing with reading lights between
the seats, and dual level luggage racks.
At the next platform over at Lyon a double duplex set comes in, a low-cost >>>> ouigo set at the front and a full fare inoui set behind. Granted there?s >>>> not so much difference between fares in France as in the UK, and it?s
actually all SNCF, but it?s a bit like coupling a Lumo to an LNER and
running them as a single train.
Well, ouigo has limited luggage space, cramped regional seats, no bar
and standard class only.
Exactly. but in the UK we don?t have the same operator offering two quite >> different standards of service on different trains on the same route!
There?s some confusion at Mcon whether the bus to Taiz is actually
running,
There is a 17:35 version for holiday an a 17:35 for non-holiday
periods. Didn't see a (big) difference.
The last 16:35 Sunday service (too early by time of the day, anyhow)
was on August 30th.
https://www.viamobigo.fr/ftp/document/ap-lr701-21x29-7-r-ed-sept26.pdf
Yep, we investigated all that. That didn?t stop some people, including
some on the ground in Mcon, insisting that there was no bus. Also a
ticket machine in the station, which offered to sell Mobigo tickets said
there were no journeys that matched our request, i.e. Mcon Ville gare to
Taiz Communaut gare[!] this afternoon.
Well, the station was a single platform to my knowledge
and is served by the buses (or coaches?) heading to Mcon
only. The other way round, one should look for mairie
(council building). Communaut without gare is served
in both directions, you might have looked for that.
At least
https://www.viamobigo.fr/en/trip-planner/4/JourneyPlanner
gives clear choices, without adding both stop names.
Unfortunately, SNCF/Interrail rovers are not accepted
any more on the line. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligne_de_Cluny_%C3%A0_Chalon-sur-Sa%C3%B4ne
Day 7, Sunday September, Montpellier-Taiz; train-bus
Today is a short day. The 1357, TGV 12184 Montpellier St Roch to Mcon Ville. It?s going all the way to Metz Ville but we?re getting off in Burgundy to spend a week at a kind of monastery. I say ?kind of? - you can look it up at <https://www.taize.fr/en/>. We were last here almost exactly 43 years ago, but have had informal links in the intervening years. It?s special.
The TGV runs mainly to time, +5 at Lyon, the stop before Mcon, but only +1 when we get off.
Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> posted:
Day 7, Sunday September, Montpellier-Taiz; train-bus
Today is a short day. The 1357, TGV 12184 Montpellier St Roch to Mcon
Ville. It?s going all the way to Metz Ville but we?re getting off in
Burgundy to spend a week at a kind of monastery. I say ?kind of? - you can >> look it up at <https://www.taize.fr/en/>. We were last here almost exactly >> 43 years ago, but have had informal links in the intervening years. It?s
special.
The TGV runs mainly to time, +5 at Lyon, the stop before Mcon, but only +1 >> when we get off.
From time to time delayed TGV trains are routed via HSL
between Lyon and Mcon instead of Villefranche...
| Sysop: | Jacob Catayoc |
|---|---|
| Location: | Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines |
| Users: | 4 |
| Nodes: | 4 (0 / 4) |
| Uptime: | 497101:01:51 |
| Calls: | 182 |
| Files: | 744 |
| D/L today: |
41 files (6,007K bytes) |
| Messages: | 73,594 |