Sunday 1 May 2016

Renovation project - TGV train to Euro Disney

Renovation project - TGV train to Euro Disney
We have our train tickets booked to Euro Disney, we are catching a train from Morlaix to Rennes and then from Rennes to Euro Disney.
There are many options to choose from in relation to the trains, one such option is child fares, as my granddaughter is only 3, her ticket is free, but this does mean she will not have a seat, I opt to pay for a seat and the fare is 9 Euros each way. This is great as we will have a seat each and our train there is first class!
There are lots of tickets that can be bought to give discounts, but each of these cost money, it is worth checking out whether the savings will justify the cost of the ticket. For example you can buy an annual family ticket, but if we are only making one journey, the ticket will save us as much as the ticket will cost.
If you want the child to have a separate seat, ask for this as it will not be given automatically.
We arrive at Morlaix at 7 am and are so excited; I have never been to Euro Disney before and can't wait.
TGV to Euro Disney

The train carriage is spacious and the seats are like armchairs, this is nothing like train travel in the UK (It's also on time, clean and doesn't smell!)
TGV to Euro Disney

The only downside is that there is no wifi, but maybe not such a bad thing as I would've been sending messages every few minutes saying how excited I am!
The buffet car has a good selection of croissants and beverages, but you can just as easily take food and drink with you (which is much better value)
We arrive in Rennes and have an hour to our next train, there is lots of building works at Rennes as the station is being modernised. So we have a quick walk to stretch our legs and go to find a toilet, there is one in the waiting room just outside and we find out that it costs 40 cents with a turnstile.
There is a woman in a little office directly outside the turnstile who shouts at everybody that tries to not pay. This is one of the funniest things ever, we have just been on a first class train ride and nobody checked our tickets getting on, during or leaving the station, but try to use a 40 cent toilet and there is a member of staff employed to ensure you pay!
The other strange thing about the trains in France is the amount of time you are given to find your platform. The station is on a level higher than the platforms, but the platform number does not show on the screens until 10 minutes (some say 20 minutes) before the train is due to depart. This leaves a bit of a mad panic with people trying to get to the lifts to go down to the platform.
Once on the platform though it is easy to find your space, there is a screen which tells you where your carriage will stop so you don't have to wander up and down to find your carriage.
Our train took us directly to the Euro Disney stop, which we realised if we ever do the trip again we would not book direct, it would've been easier getting the TGV to the centre of Paris and then jumping on the RER to the Disney stop. This would've meant a shorter journey time and gave us the option to get off in Paris to explore as the train was far too early to book into the hotel.

Always check if it is better for you to get the train directly to the centre of Paris, as there are regular trains to the Euro Disney stop, (but there is no guarantee of a seat on these trains) 

The Euro Disney station is approx 40 minutes outside of Paris.

4 comments:

  1. Also great value is to book as soon as the tickets go on sale, which is exactly 3 months ealier. You can set up an email alert which tells you when they are available. I go from Guingamp to Paris Montparnasse for about 90 euros return, using SNCF.

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    1. thank you so much for this tip, we didn't have time to book in advance, but we will in future

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  2. I hope you had a fabulous time going to Disney. We visited when the kids were little and they enjoyed it. You're right that the trains in France are a delight to ride. Great post.
    If you get time from your trip, join in with Dreaming of France on Monday. Here’s my Dreaming of France meme

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    1. thanks Paulita, loving the dreaming of France, even if I am a bit late with my comments

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