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How to take a thrilling high speed rail journey from London to Geneve
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London to Genève / Geneva by train
There are currently two options for making the journey by high speed trains from London to Geneve/Geneva
1: travelling via Paris is the cheaper option and it can be faster too, but you will need to make the transfer across the French capital between the Gare Du Nord, which is where the Eurostar will arrive, and the Gare De Lyon, the departure station of the Lyria trains which link the French capital to Switzerland.
2: Or if you make the connection in Lille, you can make the transfer within Lille Europe station, but will then have to make a second connection in Lyon.
Routes you can take to go from London to Genève / Geneva
When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.
Choose one of the following options:
Looking for connections?
Route Information
Via stations: Paris Gare Du Nord / Paris Nord and Paris Gare de Lyon / Paris Lyon
Option 1: travelling via Paris
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
6hr 30 min - 8hrs (approx)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
up to 4 x connections per day
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
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Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
Travel Information
At St Pancras:
Eurostar is currently suggesting that Standard Class And Standard Premier ticket holders should be at the Eurostar departure area in St Pancras International 90 mins before departure; and that Business Premier ticket holders should be there 45-60mins prior to departure.
The departure gates will close 30 mins prior to departure for Standard Class And Standard Premier ticket holders; and 15 mins prior to departure for Business Premier ticket holders.
Our guide to taking a Eurostar from London is here.
Note that London is in a different time zone to mainland Europe, it is one hour behind; hence what can seem like a discrepancy between the journey time and the interval between the departure and arrival times.
Departing from the Gare De Lyon
The Eurostar will arrive in Paris at the Gare Du Nord, but the train on to Geneve will depart from the Gare De Lyon.
This guide explains how to make the transfer between the two stations by RER train.
What's good to know is that the journey from stepping off the Eurostar to being on the concourse at Gare De Lyon will typically take 25-30min - depending on how long you will have to wait for an RER train.
Though the end-to-end journey options, with a total end-to-end travel time of a little under 8hrs, will allow around 2hr 30mins between arrival at the Gare Du Nord and the departure on from the Gare De Lyon.
This journey is made up of 1 change.
Train 1
Between London St Pancras International and Paris Gare Du Nord / Paris NordYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Most departures will be by the e320 trains, but the e300 trains can also be used.
It's not a scenic journey, but it is a journey with SIX distinct phases and highlights:
1: For most of the first 8 mins of the journey the trains use tunnels to exit London (Stratford International station is located between the tunnels).
2: Then from the right of the train, there are views of the River Thames marshes and of the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge.
3: The third tunnel that the train will pass through is the tunnel under the River Thames.
4: Shortly after Ebbsfleet International station (can only be seen from the right of the train) is the scenic highlight of the journey - the crossing of the River Medway.
5: The train will slow down as it approaches The Channel Tunnel.
Announcements are no longer made that the train is about to enter the tunnel.
The journey through the tunnel will take around 22 mins.
6: There is little of note to be seen from the high speed lines in France.
Train 2
Between Paris Gare de Lyon / Paris Lyon and Genève/Geneva-CornavinYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Geneve or Lausanne
All trains also call at: Bellegarde - connect for Evian-les-Bains and Thonon-les-Bains.
This is a journey of two distinct contrasts
1: The first two thirds of the journey is on a high speed line
2. The train will inevitably slow down when it leaves the high speed line, but the journey the becomes a lot more scenic once the train has passed through Bourg-en-Bresse.
Though the views are pleasant rather than amazing; this isn't a route to single out because you want to take a scenic rail journey.
If your reserved seat is on the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel) and you're on the upper deck , there are views of the river valley to be enjoyed, once the train has departed Bellegarde.
Tickets
Book Early And Save: Yes
Online bookings open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date
This booking period tends to be shorter when looking up journeys between mid August and mid October.
Eurostar does not sell tickets for this journey.
When looking up this journey on Trainline, select Genève Cornavin as the destination.
Seat reservations are automatically included when booking tickets for both trains.
Your ticket will not include the RER train across Paris from the Gare Du Nord to the Gare De Lyon.
Eurostar train's general ticket terms:
The only ticket type are the Flexible tickets, but it is the class of service you opt to travel by, which impacts on the terms and conditions of travel.
*Exchanges
Book to travel in Standard and Standard Premier class:
The booked date and time can be exchanged to a different departure to the same destination up to one hour* before departure time.
- If the cost of your new ticket is more than the cost of your original ticket, you will be required to pay the difference;
- If the cost of your new ticket is less than the cost of your original ticket, you will not receive a refund of the difference.
Book to travel in Premier class:
The booked date and time can be exchanged to a different departure up until the end of the previous day, without having to pay any price differences on any other charges.
The Eurostar ticket terms summary is here
Refunds
Book to travel in Standard and Standard Premier class:
- Up to seven days or more before the date of departure you will need to pay a fee of £25 per person for a one-way / single ticket and £50 per person for a two-way / return ticket - So you will only receive any sum you paid in excess of these sums.
- Less than seven days before the date of departure, tickets are non-refundable - Also applies if you exchanged a ticket to an alternative departure, under seven days ahead.
Book to travel in Premier class:
Up until the end of the day before departure date, tickets can be refunded at no additional cost
Seat Reservations on the Eurostar
Reservations are mandatory so seats are assigned when booking - But after a booking has been completed, you use the ‘Manage Your Booking’ facility, which can be easily found on the Eurostar website and select specific seats within the travel class you have chosen.
You will need to enter a Booking Reference number - but other booking agents such as Trainline, Rail Europe, SNCF Connect, B-Europe and NS International, will also include this number on the communication sent to you.
Making the connection in Paris:
There is relatively new E.U. legislation which protects travellers against financial loss in the event of missed connections due to train delays, but it only applies to 'through tickets'.
The Eurostar terms and conditions specifically state that when booking journeys which combine Eurostar + Eurostar Thalys trains 'through tickets' will be issued.
'However, 'for all other journeys that combine a Eurostar Service and a service provided by another carrier (such as the Lyria train on from Paris) including when purchased in a single commercial transaction, those tickets will be separate contracts and issues regarding delays, missed connections, cancellations, compensation, and the management of aftersales will be handled accordingly'.
But SNCF /SBB, which operates the train on to Geneve, have both signed up to Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC) policy for when a traveller holds separate transport 'contracts' for an end-to-end journey involving more than one train.
So this agreement applies both when 'a bundle' of tickets / contracts is issued as the result of a single transaction - and if travellers have bought several different tickets for their journey, even from different sales channels/ticket providers.
As long as the passenger had planned enough connecting time to change trains (called “reasonable connecting time”), the AJC will apply.
So in usual* circumstances, if a delay to a Eurostar has caused a booked connection on to Geneve to be missed, replacement tickets/reservations should be issued at the Gare De Lyon.
*= But that new E.U legislation specifically states that in exceptional circumstances, the train operators do not need to issue replacement tickets - and the terms and conditions on the SNCF Connect website reiterate this.
These exceptional circumstances specifically stated in Regulation (EU) 2021/782 of the European Parliament include:
- extraordinary circumstances not connected with the operation of the railway, such as extreme weather conditions, major natural disasters or major public health crises...
- ...the behaviour of a third party... such as persons on the track, cable theft, on-board emergencies, law enforcement activities or sabotage.
Using Rail Passes on Eurostar:
Avoid this combination of trains if you will be travelling with a Eurail or InterRail pass, the rail pass reservation fees to travel by the Lyria trains are comparatively expensive.
So it is to cheaper to take a TGV on from Lille and Paris to Lyon and make the connection there for a TER train on to Geneve.
Route Information
Via stations: Lille Europe and Lyon Part-Dieu
Option 2: travelling via Lille and Lyon
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
7hr 30min - 8hr 35min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
2 x connections per day
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Rail Europe ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option when booking international journeys with connections and for travellers who don't reside in western Europe. Use the easy options on its home page if you will be booking tickets with a railcard: Or purchasing rail pass reservations.
Travel Information
If you want to make a London to Geneva train journey and avoid travelling via Paris then an option is to make comparatively straightforward connections between trains in both Lille and Lyon
The positive of taking this combination of trains is the avoidance of having to make the transfer across Paris from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon.
At St Pancras:
This route is typically available by taking the Eurostar which usually departs from London at 11:04.
Eurostar is currently suggesting that Standard Class And Standard Premier ticket holders should be at the Eurostar departure area in St Pancras International 90 mins before departure; and that Business Premier ticket holders should be there 45-60mins prior to departure.
The departure gates will close 30 mins prior to departure for Standard Class And Standard Premier ticket holders; and 15 mins prior to departure for Business Premier ticket holders.
Our guide to taking a Eurostar from London is here.
Note that London is in a different time zone to mainland Europe, it is one hour behind; hence what can seem like a discrepancy between the journey time and the interval between the departure and arrival times.
At Lille-Europe:
This guide explains how to make the connection in Lille-Europe station.
The time between arrival and departure in Lille will be around 35mins when departing London on the train which typically leaves at 11:04.
Though in the unlikely event of a Eurostar being more than 30 mins late, there will be the subsequent option of making the connections that are available when departing London shortly after 13:00.
If you opt to depart London by this train, the time between arrival and departure will be around 1hr 40mins.
At Lyon-Part Dieu:
The connecting time between trains in Lyon will be under 40mins, but when leaving London at around 11:00, if a delay to the TGV from Lille causes the connection to be missed, you can hop on a subsequent TER train.
Reservations aren't available on the TER trains, so there's no cause to re-arrange them.
Though if you depart London at around 13:00 the connection will be into the final train of the day on from Lyon to Geneve
This journey is made up of 2 changes.
Train 1
Between London St Pancras International and Lille EuropeYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Depart London at around 11:00 and you will be boarding an e320 train which will be heading to Amsterdam; depart at around 13:00 you will travelling on an e300 or an e320 train which will be heading to Bruxelles.
It's not a scenic journey, but it is a journey with six distinct phases and highlights:
1: For most of the first 8 mins of the journey the trains use tunnels to exit London (Stratford International station is located between the tunnels).
2: Then from the right of the train, there are views of the River Thames marshes and of the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge.
3: The third tunnel that the train will pass through is the tunnel under the River Thames.
4: Shortly after Ebbsfleet International station (can only be seen from the right of the train) is the scenic highlight of the journey - the crossing of the River Medway.
5: The train will slow down as it approaches The Channel Tunnel.
Announcements are no longer made that the train is about to enter the tunnel.
The journey through the tunnel will take around 22 mins.
6: There is little of note to be seen from the high speed line in France.
Train 2
Between Lille Europe and Lyon Part-DieuYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Marseille
Train 3
Between Lyon Part-Dieu and Genève/Geneva-CornavinYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Geneve
Seat reservations are not available on the TER trains on this route.
Between Ambérieu and Culoz the train will travel through a rocky valley in the foothills of the Alps, then between Culoz and the border with Switzerland, there are occasional views of the River Rhone on the right.
Tickets
Book Early And Save: Yes
Online bookings open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date
This booking period tends to be shorter when looking up journeys between mid August and mid October.
Eurostar does not sell tickets for this journey.
When looking up this journey on Trainline, select Genève Cornavin as the destination.
Seat reservations are automatically included when booking tickets for the trains to and from Lille, but they are not available on the train between Lyon and Geneve.
Eurostar train's general ticket terms:
The only ticket type are the Flexible tickets, but it is the class of service you opt to travel by, which impacts on the terms and conditions of travel.
*Exchanges
Book to travel in Standard and Standard Premier class:
The booked date and time can be exchanged to a different departure to the same destination up to one hour* before departure time.
- If the cost of your new ticket is more than the cost of your original ticket, you will be required to pay the difference;
- If the cost of your new ticket is less than the cost of your original ticket, you will not receive a refund of the difference.
Book to travel in Premier class:
The booked date and time can be exchanged to a different departure up until the end of the previous day, without having to pay any price differences on any other charges.
The Eurostar ticket terms summary is here
Refunds
Book to travel in Standard and Standard Premier class:
- Up to seven days or more before the date of departure you will need to pay a fee of £25 per person for a one-way / single ticket and £50 per person for a two-way / return ticket - So you will only receive any sum you paid in excess of these sums.
- Less than seven days before the date of departure, tickets are non-refundable - Also applies if you exchanged a ticket to an alternative departure, under seven days ahead.
Book to travel in Premier class:
Up until the end of the day before departure date, tickets can be refunded at no additional cost
Seat Reservations on the Eurostar
Reservations are mandatory so seats are assigned when booking - But after a booking has been completed, you use the ‘Manage Your Booking’ facility, which can be easily found on the Eurostar website and select specific seats within the travel class you have chosen.
You will need to enter a Booking Reference number - but other booking agents such as Trainline, Rail Europe, SNCF Connect, B-Europe and NS International, will also include this number on the communication sent to you.
General ticket terms for TGV InOui trains
The terms on SNCF Connect state:
'Ticket can only be exchanged (adjustment to the current fare) and refunded prior to departure: 40% of the price 6 days prior to departure (€15 max fee). From 30 minutes prior to departure, tickets can be exchanged up to two times (for the same day and the same journey), and are non-refundable after the first exchange.
Which could be clearer, but it seems as though the three key things to be aware of are:
- Exchanges and refunds are free up to 7 days before departure.
- If you want to amend your booking in the 6 days before departure:
If you are travelling on a TGV InOui train you must pay an amendment fee of €19 per person per person for an exchange or a refund. - In the 30 minutes before departure, refunds cannot be requested and exchanges are only allowed for the same journey later that day. The same amendment fees apply to the exchange.
Making the connection in Lille:
There is relatively new E.U. legislation which protects travellers against financial loss in the event of missed connections due to train delays, but it only applies to 'through tickets'.
The Eurostar terms and conditions specifically state that when booking journeys which combine Eurostar + Thalys trains 'through tickets' will be issued.
'However, 'for all other journeys that combine a Eurostar Service and a service provided by another carrier (such as the TGV on from Paris) including when purchased in a single commercial transaction, those tickets will be separate contracts and issues regarding delays, missed connections, cancellations, compensation, and the management of aftersales will be handled accordingly'.
But SNCF, which operates the train on to Lyon, has signed up to Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC) policy for when a traveller holds separate transport 'contracts' for an end-to-end journey involving more than one train.
So this agreement applies both when 'a bundle' of tickets / contracts is issued as the result of a single transaction - and if travellers have bought several different tickets for their journey, even from different sales channels/ticket providers.
As long as the passenger had planned enough connecting time to change trains (called “reasonable connecting time”), the AJC will apply.
So in usual* circumstances, if a delay to a Eurostar has caused a booked connection on to Lyon to be missed, replacement tickets/reservations should be issued in Lille Europe.
Though it will not cover any accommodation costs if you cannot then be at Geneve by the end of the day.
*= But that new E.U legislation specifically states that in exceptional circumstances, the train operators do not need to issue replacement tickets - and the terms and conditions on the SNCF Connect website reiterate this.
These exceptional circumstances specifically stated in Regulation (EU) 2021/782 of the European Parliament include:
- extraordinary circumstances not connected with the operation of the railway, such as extreme weather conditions, major natural disasters or major public health crises...
- ...the behaviour of a third party... such as persons on the track, cable theft, on-board emergencies, law enforcement activities or sabotage.
Using Rail Passes:
For users of Eurail and InterRail passes this combination of Eurostar + TGV In Oui + TER trains, is cheaper than the combination of Eurostar + Lyria trains.
Rail pass users can now pay reservation fees to travel on Eurostar trains, in a similar manner to other international European high speed trains.
The new rail pass reservation fees are similar to the cheapest single journey ticket prices, but as those cheapest tickets can sell out quickly, it's likely that the rail pass reservation fees will save money.
You can purchase these online on B-Europe.
Booking in advance is recommended as it's not unknown for rail pass reservations on specific Eurostar services to sell out weeks in advance, there is evidently limited availability per departure.
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