London to Lyon

[TheSmiths82]

I am hoping to go to the Costa Brava/Barcelona area in May. I don't fly so coach and train is my only option. I used to use the night trains from Paris to Barcelona but not many run these days and last time I did I found it a bit edgy.

In the past I got the Eurostar directly to Lyon from London (the last international trip I did in fact but went all the way to Marseille that time) but that is no longer an option. If I use the train line (or similar) booking engines and book from London to Lyon is that automatically a CIV ticket? The itinerary suggests I change trains at Lille which I would prefer to having the usual mad dash between Gare De Nord and Gare De Lyon. What happens if my Eurostar is late and I miss my connection to Lyon? I will probably stay over night in London and Lyon to break up for the journey a bit.

I work in education so I have to go in half term over ten days which will no doubt mean customs delays .

I think I will also book a coach to London as a backup in case of strikes .

 

[rvdborgt]

International tickets are automatically CIV tickets. I think you want to know whether you have a through contract.
If you book through Eurostar (they say they can book to any TGV station in France), then that is a through contract as per their conditions. Not sure though if they offer any journeys with a connection in Lille. Maybe if you book via the phone.

 

[TheSmiths82]

International tickets are automatically CIV tickets. I think you want to know whether you have a through contract.
If you book through Eurostar (they say they can book to any TGV station in France), then that is a through contract as per their conditions. Not sure though if they offer any journeys with a connection in Lille. Maybe if you book via the phone.

That is the issue, it won't let me book London to Lyon I am trying to make sure as much connections as possible are through tickets, as I am very very unlucky when it comes to trains.

 

[Peterthegreat]

That is the issue, it won't let me book London to Lyon I am trying to make sure as much connections as possible are through tickets, as I am very very unlucky when it comes to trains.

I've just gone on to the Eurostar website and it will offer me several travel options per day. Some via Paris and some via Lille so I don't understand "it won't let me book....".

 

[rvdborgt]

That is the issue, it won't let me book London to Lyon I am trying to make sure as much connections as possible are through tickets, as I am very very unlucky when it comes to trains.

What's your travel date?

 

[30907]

That is the issue, it won't let me book London to Lyon I am trying to make sure as much connections as possible are through tickets, as I am very very unlucky when it comes to trains.

The TGV won't be open for bookings until the end of January. Booking advice in the usual place (he recommends Nimes, but the principle is the same for Lyon!).
https://www.seat61.com/Spain.htm#London_to_Barcelona_with_overnight_stop_in_Nimes

It's a 90min connection in Lille too, so if you are unlucky and the ES is delayed it should be OK.

BTW With those timings I'd be costing out a 4-day Interrail for this and not bothering with the overnights in London.

 

[AHCT]

That is the issue, it won't let me book London to Lyon I am trying to make sure as much connections as possible are through tickets, as I am very very unlucky when it comes to trains.

Eurostar's options are non-exhaustive - personally, I'd just buy the two/three legs separately. I've never had any delay issues when travelling between London and Lyon and I seem to be under the impression that an SNCF/Eurostar agreement allows you to take the next available train if you miss your one (there's upwards of 8 trains a day from Lille to Lyon).

Just make sure that your tickets are for Lyon Part-Dieu and not Lyon Saint-Exupery, and that if you choose to take a train from Lille Flandres you will have to change stations in Lille (a 10 minute walk in a reasonably straight line, nothing like in Paris, though).

P.S. There's a new station hotel at Part-Dieu that opened last month if you are in need of somewhere to stay.

 

[nwales58]

Lyon Part-Dieu: Ibis Budget, Ibis Styles, Mercure all next to the entrance, one should suit your price level. The new one is probably Pullman, which is dearer, the other side

Surprise, surprise, all are Accor who dominate France: https://all.accor.com

Ditto Lille, through you have to walk a short distance south of Lille Flandres if you want Ibis.

 

[30907]

Lyon Part-Dieu: Ibis Budget, Ibis Styles, Mercure all next to the entrance, one should suit your price level.

Back rooms at the Styles have a good view over the station

 

[TheSmiths82]

Thanks, I will check London and Lyon again. The reason for wanting to stay in London is because of all the chaos with Avanti I didn't want to be late into London and then miss my Eurostar. I once had a 2.5 hour connection between St Pancras and Euston but the Eurostar was so late I still missed my Manchester train, despite allowing 2.5 hours. I finish work at around 3:30 on the Thursday, so can be in London by 6:00 and have a nice evening there before getting an early Eurostar in the morning.

I know I can get a train from Paris to Barcelona, but I want to go to back to Lyon and the trains are really expensive from Paris to Barcelona. My hotels will need to be on the cheap but OK side, I think I stayed in the Ibis budget in Lyon before and it was fine. I seem to remember it being near one of the major train stations.

 

[30907]

My hotels will need to be on the cheap but OK side, I think I stayed in the Ibis budget in Lyon before and it was fine. I seem to remember it being near one of the major train stations.

The Budget, Styles and Mercure are all the same building - typical Accor.
And at least you have Friday off

 

[AHCT]

Lyon Part-Dieu: Ibis Budget, Ibis Styles, Mercure all next to the entrance, one should suit your price level. The new one is probably Pullman, which is dearer, the other side

Also on the upmarket side is the iconic Radisson Blu (on the city centre/shopping mall side). If you do go to an Ibis though do not go to the one across the road from the Paul Bocuse market (for a mostly inexplicable reason it sometimes costs more than the Radisson Blu across the road) but book into the one on the Villeurbanne (east) side of the station.

 

[bspahh]

Thanks, I will check London and Lyon again. The reason for wanting to stay in London is because of all the chaos with Avanti I didn't want to be late into London and then miss my Eurostar. I once had a 2.5 hour connection between St Pancras and Euston but the Eurostar was so late I still missed my Manchester train, despite allowing 2.5 hours. I finish work at around 3:30 on the Thursday, so can be in London by 6:00 and have a nice evening there before getting an early Eurostar in the morning.

I know I can get a train from Paris to Barcelona, but I want to go to back to Lyon and the trains are really expensive from Paris to Barcelona. My hotels will need to be on the cheap but OK side, I think I stayed in the Ibis budget in Lyon before and it was fine. I seem to remember it being near one of the major train stations.

Another option is to go London-Lille, Lille-Avignon and then the Avignon-Portbou and Portbou-Barcelona the next day. The last bit is on a local train, where you can't book tickets online

I planned to do this in November last year with these tickets, but real life got in the way:

STP d09:01 a11:28 Lille Europe £74.50
Lille F d13:01 a17:10 Avignon TGV Ouigo #7835 euro 30.70
Lille E d14:03 a18:08 Avignon TGV TGV INOUI #5030 £66
Avign C d11:35 a15:45 Port Bou euro 41
PortBou d16:05 a18:40 Barcelona Sants euro 13.20

 

[Watershed]

Thanks, I will check London and Lyon again. The reason for wanting to stay in London is because of all the chaos with Avanti I didn't want to be late into London and then miss my Eurostar. I once had a 2.5 hour connection between St Pancras and Euston but the Eurostar was so late I still missed my Manchester train, despite allowing 2.5 hours. I finish work at around 3:30 on the Thursday, so can be in London by 6:00 and have a nice evening there before getting an early Eurostar in the morning.

I know I can get a train from Paris to Barcelona, but I want to go to back to Lyon and the trains are really expensive from Paris to Barcelona. My hotels will need to be on the cheap but OK side, I think I stayed in the Ibis budget in Lyon before and it was fine. I seem to remember it being near one of the major train stations.

I don't think there is much point in allowing that much time. If you have a through ticket, such as a Eurostar through booking or Interrail pass, then you are protected in the event of a missed connection and your hotel will be paid for (if not directly then you can claim back your reasonable costs). I wouldn't proactively pay for a hotel in the anticipation that it'll definitely be late.

Heck, I often book flights that allow me just 1.5 hours' leeway to the last train home. But I'm willing to do so because most of the time it works out, and if it doesn't then the airline will either be liable (under the Montreal Convention, if the delay is within their control) or my travel insurance will pay up.

 

[30907]

I don't think there is much point in allowing that much time. If you have a through ticket, such as a Eurostar through booking or Interrail pass, then you are protected in the event of a missed connection and your hotel will be paid for (if not directly then you can claim back your reasonable costs). I wouldn't proactively pay for a hotel in the anticipation that it'll definitely be late.

I'm with you on that, but the OP also fancies some time in Lyon and a 24-hour stopover (which he would potentially have) ticks that box.

 

[TheSmiths82]

Thanks, I don't have to stop in Lyon but I have visited once on a stop over and enjoyed the city, I remember drinking in a pub when the electricity failed, that was quite a funny moment as we all just kept drinking in darkness as if nothing happened.

I will look into not staying in London again, but I think Manchester to Lyon in a day is a pushing it a bit, as it will be very late by the time I arrive into Lyon so sill have missed a day anyway.

 

[30907]

I will look into not staying in London again, but I think Manchester to Lyon in a day is a pushing it a bit, as it will be very late by the time I arrive into Lyon so sill have missed a day anyway.

Lyon is well worth it! The 1104 ex STP would get you there for 1700.