TGV from CDG to Tours

My teenage granddaughter and I will fly into CDG on an early morning in August. We (especially me) will be jet lagged, tired, and confused.

My plan is to immediately take the fast train to Tours where we will attempt to book a room for the night. For a few days, we will visit the Loire Valley and then return to Paris for a week.

Questions: How and where do I catch the train? What will be the snags in this plan?

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We just took the TGV train to Tours last Saturday. It leaves from Gare (station) Montparnesse, which is on the south end of the city.

It would be possible to take the RER from CDG with one change to the Metro - but that sounds like more than you want to do. I%26#39;m sure a taxi or shuttle would take you to the Montparnesse station.

I would encourage you to get train tickets that could be changed in case your flight was late. The trains run fairly often, but you do need a reservation. You can get them on the internet - so the many other posts!

It was a fun, relaxing train ride and we loved the Loire Valley. It took an hour to get to Tours.

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There is actually a much easier way to do this and it will avoid the hassles of going into Paris proper. You can take the TGV from the CDG TGV station to St Pierre des Corps. That station is right outside of Tours and a shuttle train runs about 5 minutes after you arrive at St Pierre des Corps and transfers you to Tours (the ride is only about 5 minutes also). So when you buy your ticket be sure that you are reserving from CDG to Tours, but your ticket should contain that one stop at St Pierre des Corps.

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Thank you for the information. This site is such a helpful treat. The advice to make sure our tickets are booked ahead (90 days is maximum, I think) and with the ability to take a later train, if there are delays sounds very useful.

I have seen both Gare Montparnasse and CDG as places to catch the train and have found that confusing. Is it the same train from CDG which then goes on to Gare Montparnasse? Or are they seperate trains running on totally different schedules?

It would be lovely to just catch the train from the airport.

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As noted there is TGV train service from AÉROPORT CDG 2 TGV station, situated within the inter-connected CDG #2 terminal %26#39;complex (between and interconnected to: CDG #2-C %26amp; D and CDG #2-E %26amp; F..end-of-the-line for the CDGVAL shuttle train) The TGV/RER trains station is also easily and directly accessed from CDG #1 terminal building, via the free, CDGVAL shuttle/train (8 mins to #2 TGV/RER train station--frequency: 1-every-8-minutes).

CDG Airport Map, Terminal Diagrans--

aeroportsdeparis.fr/ADP/…maps.htm

TGV train service from %26#39;..AÉROPORT CDG2 TGV..%26#39; station to %26#39;..SAINT PIERRE des CORPS..%26#39; and %26#39;..TOURS..%26#39; do NOT pass through Paris, nor make stops at PARIS-Gare Montparnasse. CDG is located in a northern suburb, approx.25 kilomters northeast of Paris proper...and the main ligne from CDG by-passes Paris.

The %26#39;problem%26#39; for you (or so it might appear) is that there are DIRECT (no train changes en route)early morning trains from CDG to SAINT PIERRE des CORPS/TOURS...there is a lagre %26#39;..gap..%26#39; (btwn: 08:58am until 13:37pm) in scheduled train service, directly from CDG, until early afternoon.

** IF ** your %26#39;plan%26#39; is to arrive at CDG....then immediately make your way to TOURS...then return to PARIS for a few days before flying home from CDG at the end of your visit....you may be better served by using the #4--Les CARS AIR FRANCE Coach Route, from it%26#39;s pick-up stops at CDG, to its terminus in Paris, at the PARIS-Gare Montparnasse station (at: rue du Commandant Renée Mouchotte)....pre-purchasing point-to-point, round-trip fares (PARIS-Gare Montparnasse/TOURS). Though not as convenient as direct TGV directly from CDG to TOURS...it provides more options in terms of train schedules.

#4--Les CARS AIR FRANCE Coach Route Info--

http://tinyurl.com/a88428

Les Cars Ari Franch uses large motorcoaches, with under-coach luggage atowage...and has %26#39;loaders%26#39; at stops to assist passengers with loading and unloading luggage.

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If we would go the Gare Montparnasse route as outlined in the preceding post, how difficult would it be to make our way into the station after drop off by the Air France bus, find the right train and board while pulling luggage (and being jet lagged, tired, and confused)?

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It should be fairly easy. A decent understanding of French would help as it would save you time should you need to ask for directions. I took the Air France bus (Cars Air France) as outlined above once from CDG to Montparnasse and it was very easy. The bus let me off at the side of the station and I could just walk right in. From there it was only necessary to look at the timetable to see where my train was departing from. I think that even after being jetlagged this wouldn%26#39;t be too bad.

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A couple of points - first, if your plane is due to arrive after 10:30 or 11:00, don%26#39;t try going into Paris as you won%26#39;t really save enough time to be worth the hassle. Just stay at CDG, get some breakfast somewhere, and then get the 1:37 TGV.

Second - don%26#39;t try to book %26quot;Tours%26quot; but instead book St Pierre des Corps. You won%26#39;t be able to print your ticket if you try to book as Tours, because the system doesn%26#39;t really recognize it. The two stations are so close together, it really won%26#39;t matter. Also, depending on where you are going to spend the night (and I would recommend figuring that out in advance and prebooking, since you really don%26#39;t want to cope with that while jetlagged, etc.), you almost certainly can get there as easily from the St Pierre des Corps station as from Tours.

Third, if you plan to rent a car, you can do that right at the TGV station as all the rental agencies cluster around the train stations. If you arrival day is a Sunday, however, you probably will not be able to get the car until the following day.

For more help with the details of the Loire part of your trip, you might want to visit the TA Loire Valley forum.

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Again, thank you for the %26quot;traveler%26#39;s aid%26quot;. Our flight arrives at 8:30 a.m. (American Airlines), so there is quite a gap of time until the afternoon TGV from CDG.

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I%26#39;m going to have to disagree in regards to reserving the ticket. I believe you can book a ticket to Tours and not only to St. Pierre des Corps. The last time I was in France I did this. Also, you can book a ticket like this on voyages-sncf.com and on raileurope.com. I believe that this could actually be easier. A shuttle train would meet you at St. Pierre des Corps and take you to Tours and your ticket would show both of these trains. If you%26#39;re not driving you might as well take this shuttle train as a way to get into the city rather than taking a taxi from this suburban station.

As for the rental car thing: Yes, you probably should get the car from the train station, because the options are pretty good there.

If you%26#39;re really worried about being too tired, it actually might be better to wait around for the train at the airport even if it does take a little longer. I figure that with an 8:30 arrival you get luggage and out of customs by 9:30, catch the 10:00 Air France bus, arrive at Montparnasse at 11:00 and then catch a train to Tours at 11:30. That is all assuming everything goes well and that plan does require a certain degree of coordination and alertness to be honest.

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Yes, Chi 54, it might be just as well to stay at the airport and catch the train there. Thanks. By the way, this IndianaSapphire is just 50 miles from Chicago around the lake.