There are four options for making the journey by high speed trains from London to Lyon.
Travelling via Paris can be a cheaper option, 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 -which lives up to its name as it the departure station of the trains on to Lyon.
1: You can opt to travel on to Lyon by a full service TGV InOui or Frecciarossa train.
2: Or you can opt to travel on by a more basic, but 'low cost' Ouigo service.
If you make the connection in Lille, you can avoid having to make the transfer between stations across Paris.
3: You can opt to travel on to Lyon by a full service TGV InOui from Lille Europe station - which is where the Eurostar from London will arrive.
4: Or you can opt to travel on by a more basic, but 'low cost' Ouigo service, but it will depart from Lille Flandres station.
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.
5hr 5min - 5hr 55min approx
Daily
up to 10 x connections per day
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.
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on SNCF Connect ticket sales. SNCF Connect doesn't charge booking fees and is the online booking service of the national rail operator in France. It also sells tickets for direct high speed trains between France and Belgium, Germany, Barcelona, London, Switzerland and The Netherlands.
SNCF is the national rail operator in France and not so long ago it recently simplified both the range of tickets and the term and conditions of using them.
Therefore the cheapest tickets also become more flexible too.
Other improvements included a simple integration of travelling with bicycles and rail pass users being able to book reservations for national journeys, without paying booking fees.
And it also recently launched SNCF Connect as replacement for its Oui.SNCF booking service.
You can set up a low price alert to let you know when the cheapest price is available for a future journey.
Something else to look out for is that simplest way of travelling with tickets is to use the SNCF Connect App, as booked tickets can therefore be stored on your mobile device, which can then be shown to the train conductors as proof of purchase.
SNCF Connect in the App (Apple) store
SNCF also operates RailEurope, which is in effect a dedicated online booking service for making bookings from outside of Europe.
If you reside outside of Europe you may discover that SNCF Connect rejects phone numbers or card numbers, but RailEurope won't do so.
Though RailEurope will add booking fees when making a purchase
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.
In addition to direct journeys by Eurostar trains, the Eurostar website also sells
Eurostar also sells seat reservations to users of Eurail and InterRail passes without booking fees.
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 TGV train on to Lyon will depart from the Gare De Lyon.
This guide explains how to make the transfer between the two stations by RER train.
The London to Lyon tickets do not include the transfer across Paris.
What's good to know is that the journey from stepping off the Eurostar to being on the concourse at the Gare De Lyon will typically take 25-35 minutes - depending on how long you will have to wait for an RER train.
When making a booking, check the connection time between the arrival at Gare Du Nord and the departure from Gare De Lyon.
The journeys which have an end-to-end time of 5hr 55min have a transfer time of around 1hr 30min to 1hr 40mins - the fastest end-to-end journeys on this Paris route of around 5hr 5m, allow less than an hour between arrival and departure in Paris.
The alternative journey options:
You can avoid having to make that transfer across Paris if you travel via Lille.
Though travelling via Paris does have the advantages of:
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.
Final Destination: Lyon-Perrache and/or St. Etienne
Check the location of your final destination in Lyon.
The TGVs from Paris first call at Lyon Part-Dieu station, before going on to complete their journey at Lyon Perrache station.
Lyon-Perrache is closest to the city centre, but Part Dieu, which is to the east of the city centre, has easier public transport links to other parts of the city.
The TGVs from Paris will arrive at Perrache around 13 mins after they arrive at Part Dieu, so the quickest option to access many parts of the city, can be to make public transport connections from Part Dieu station.
Part Dieu is on line B of the Lyon Metro and Perrache is the terminus of Line A.
Travelling by the Italian Frecce train:
The Italian national rail operator, Trenitalia, is now competing with the French national rail operator, SNCF, on the London to Lyon route.
Trenitalia operates Frecciarossa 1000 trains and because it is competing with SNCF, it tends to offer comparatively cheap prices to travel by them on this route.
If you depart London on the train which typically leaves at around 15:30, the connection is into this Frecciarossa 1000 train.
Eurostar doesn't sell the end-to-end journey which connects into this Trenitalia train, but Trainline does,
There is little of note to see on the journey, but what gives the journey it's sense of wonder, is that you'll be spending most of the trip travelling at more than 275 km/h on Europe's first ever high speed line.
The train heads on to the high speed line as soon as it reaches the edge of Paris, around 12 mins into the journey, and doesn't come off it until around 5 mins before the train is due into Lyon.
This video was taken from a train travelling in the opposite direction, but it gives an idea of the speed and the typical views of the French countryside which can be experienced during this journey.
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please go here to say thank you.
Trainline is the only ticket agent which, in addition to the up to nine options per day for journeys with a combination of Eurostar + TGV InOui trains - will also sell the one daily option for taking the Eurostar + an Italian Frecciarossa 1000 train.
The search results for the London to Lyon journeys on all of the agents combine these journeys via Paris with the alternative connections via Lille.
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.
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.
The very cheapest tickets tend to sell out particularly quickly on this route; they're more likely to be available if you can travel on a Tuesday - Thursday, or are happy to set off from London early in the morning.
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.
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:
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:
'Tickets 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:
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 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 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:
Using Rail Passes on Eurostar:
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 with no booking fees on B-Europe
Booking in advance is recommended as it's not unknown for rail pass reservations on specific Eurostar services to sell weeks in advance, there is evidently limited availability per departure.
If you are a UK resident, your rail pass + reservation is only valid if you take a train from the UK on the first day that your pass is valid for and return to the UK on the final day that you will be using a pass.
6hr 25min - 6hr 55min approx
Daily
2 x connections per day
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.
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.
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on SNCF Connect ticket sales. SNCF Connect doesn't charge booking fees and is the online booking service of the national rail operator in France. It also sells tickets for direct high speed trains between France and Belgium, Germany, Barcelona, London, Switzerland and The Netherlands.
SNCF is the national rail operator in France and not so long ago it recently simplified both the range of tickets and the term and conditions of using them.
Therefore the cheapest tickets also become more flexible too.
Other improvements included a simple integration of travelling with bicycles and rail pass users being able to book reservations for national journeys, without paying booking fees.
And it also recently launched SNCF Connect as replacement for its Oui.SNCF booking service.
You can set up a low price alert to let you know when the cheapest price is available for a future journey.
Something else to look out for is that simplest way of travelling with tickets is to use the SNCF Connect App, as booked tickets can therefore be stored on your mobile device, which can then be shown to the train conductors as proof of purchase.
SNCF Connect in the App (Apple) store
SNCF also operates RailEurope, which is in effect a dedicated online booking service for making bookings from outside of Europe.
If you reside outside of Europe you may discover that SNCF Connect rejects phone numbers or card numbers, but RailEurope won't do so.
Though RailEurope will add booking fees when making a purchase
Some of the high speed trains from Paris to Lyon are the more basic Ouigo trains, which typically offer a low-cost alternative to taking a TGV InOui service
But if the end-to-end journey price isn't much cheaper, it's best to avoid taking these trains on from Paris if possible.
The journey options which connect into a Ouigo service on to the main station in Lyon typically involve departing London at around 07:00 and 12:30.
This route is not an option for Eurail and InterRail pass users, as they are not valid on Ouigo trains.
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 Ouigo train on to Lyon will depart from the Gare De Lyon.
This guide explains how to make the transfer between the two stations by RER train.
The London to Lyon tickets do not include the transfer across Paris.
What's good to know is that the journey from stepping off the Eurostar to being on the concourse at the Gare De Lyon will typically take 25-35 minutes - depending on how long you will have to wait for an RER train.
The end-to-end journeys which involve taking a Ouigo service on from Paris typically allow more than two hours between arrival and departure in Paris.
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.
Final Destination: Lyon-Perrache
Check the location of your final destination in Lyon.
Theses trains first call at Lyon Part-Dieu station, before going on to complete their journey at Lyon Perrache station.
Lyon-Perrache is closest to the city centre, but Part Dieu, which is to the east of the city centre, has easier public transport links to other parts of the city.
The Ouigo trains from Paris will arrive at Perrache around 13 mins after they arrive at Part Dieu, so the quickest option to access many parts of the city, can be to make public transport connections from Part Dieu station.
Part Dieu is on line B of the Lyon Metro and Perrache is the terminus of Line A.
Other Ougio services from Paris only call at Lyon-St Exupery station, which is the station at the airport on the eastern edge of the city.
Though it is linked to Part-Dieu station by an express tram service.
There is little of note to see on the journey, but what gives the journey it's sense of wonder, is that you'll be spending most of the trip travelling at more than 275 km/h on Europe's first ever high speed line.
The train heads on to the high speed line as soon as it reaches the edge of Paris, around 12 mins into the journey, and doesn't come off it until around 5 mins before the train is due into Lyon.
This video was taken from a train travelling in the opposite direction, but it gives an idea of the speed and the typical views of the French countryside which can be experienced during this journey.
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please go here to say thank you.
There are different ticket types of available, which reflect the various options for how to travel on the Ouigo trains.
Click on the Ouigo Train Guide for further info re: the travel experiences.
Eurail and InterRail passes are not valid on Ouigo trains.
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.
Seat reservations are automatically included when booking tickets for both trains.
Your ticket will not include the RER train across Paris.
Eurostar does not sell tickets for the journey options which involve taking a Ouigo train on from Paris.
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.
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:
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 the Ouigo trains:
The terms on SNCF Connect state:
'Ticket not refundable.
Exchange possible under conditions for the same trip with a 10€ per passenger fee until 1 hour before the beginning of embarkment. Potential price difference between old and new ticket to be added to this fee'.
So if you're considering whether to book a 2nd class ticket on a TGV InOui service, or to save money by taking a Ouigo instead, something to factor into the decision is that if you subsequently need to abandon your trip, a ticket for the InOui service can be refunded, but a ticket for a Ouigo service can't!
Making the connection in Paris:
Both SNCF and Eurostar are members of The Railteam Alliance which offers a Hop on the next available train (HOTNAT) policy.
But SNCF excludes Ouigo services from Railteam, so SMTJ's understanding is that tickets for the Ouigo will need to be repurchased, if the Eurostar arrives in Paris too late to make the booked connection.
4hr 55mins - 6hr min (approx)
Daily
Monday to Friday and Sunday = 2 x connections per day
Saturday = 3 x connections
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.
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on SNCF Connect ticket sales. SNCF Connect doesn't charge booking fees and is the online booking service of the national rail operator in France. It also sells tickets for direct high speed trains between France and Belgium, Germany, Barcelona, London, Switzerland and The Netherlands.
SNCF is the national rail operator in France and not so long ago it recently simplified both the range of tickets and the term and conditions of using them.
Therefore the cheapest tickets also become more flexible too.
Other improvements included a simple integration of travelling with bicycles and rail pass users being able to book reservations for national journeys, without paying booking fees.
And it also recently launched SNCF Connect as replacement for its Oui.SNCF booking service.
You can set up a low price alert to let you know when the cheapest price is available for a future journey.
Something else to look out for is that simplest way of travelling with tickets is to use the SNCF Connect App, as booked tickets can therefore be stored on your mobile device, which can then be shown to the train conductors as proof of purchase.
SNCF Connect in the App (Apple) store
SNCF also operates RailEurope, which is in effect a dedicated online booking service for making bookings from outside of Europe.
If you reside outside of Europe you may discover that SNCF Connect rejects phone numbers or card numbers, but RailEurope won't do so.
Though RailEurope will add booking fees when making a purchase
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.
In addition to direct journeys by Eurostar trains, the Eurostar website also sells
Eurostar also sells seat reservations to users of Eurail and InterRail passes without booking fees.
Making the connection between the Eurostar from London and the TGV to Lyon at Lille Europe has the major advantage of avoiding the need to transfer between stations in Paris; which you'll encounter if you opt for the alternative route via the French capital.
This guide explains how to make the connection in Lille.
However, the cheapest tickets for connections via Lille tend to sell out faster than for the journeys via Paris, so this is usually a more expensive option.
Also if you set off from London by the 11:04 departure, the connecting time between trains will be less than 35 minutes, absolutely ideal if the Eurostar arrives on time, but if need be there will be a later departure on from Lille to Lyon.
The variations in the end to end journey times are to do with the differences in the time available to make the connection in Lille.
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.
Final Destination: Amsterdam or Bruxelles-Midi
Most of the departures between London and Bruxelles will be by the e320 trains, but the e330 trains can be used on some departures, which terminate at Midi station.
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.
Final Destination: Marseille or Nice or Montpellier or Lyon
All trains also call at: Marne La Vallée and Aeroport-CDG
The search results for the London to Lyon journeys on all of the agents combine these journeys via Lille with the alternative connections via Paris.
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.
Seat reservations are automatically included when booking tickets for both trains.
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.
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:
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:
'Tickets 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:
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 + 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.
*= 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:
Using Rail Passes on Eurostar:
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 with no booking fees on B-Europe
Booking in advance is recommended as it's not unknown for rail pass reservations on specific Eurostar services to sell weeks in advance, there is evidently limited availability per departure.
If you are a UK resident, your rail pass + reservation is only valid if you take a train from the UK on the first day that your pass is valid for and return to the UK on the final day that you will be using a pass.
5hr 55min to 6hr 55min (approx)
Daily
Monday to Saturday: 2 x connections per day
Sunday: 1 x connection
Most of the high speed trains from Lille to Lyon, which have good connections with the Eurostars from London are the more basic Ouigo trains, which typically offer a low-cost alternative to taking a TGV InOui service
But if the end-to-end journey price isn't much cheaper, it's best to avoid taking these trains on from Lille if possible.
Also the Eurostar train will arrive at Lille Europe station, but the Ouigo services on to Lyon will depart from Lille Flandres station.
The info on how to make this transfer in Lille is available HERE; it’s a choice between a 5 – 10min walk, or a one station hop on the Lille metro.
This route is not an option for Eurail and InterRail pass users, as they are not valid on Ouigo trains.
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.
Final Destination: Amsterdam or Bruxelles-Midi
Most of the departures between London and Bruxelles will be by the e320 trains, but the e330 trains can be used on some departures, which terminate at Midi station.
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.
**Final Destination:**Marseille or Lyon-Perrache
These Ouigo services from Lille, which have good connections from London, arrive at different stations in Lyon
Depart London at around at 09:00 and the connection will be into a train which calls at Lyon-Part Dieu station on route to Marseille.
Depart at around 11:05 and the train on from Lille will arrive at Lyon-Perrache station, but it won't call at Lyon-Part Dieu/
Leave London at around 15:05 and the train will arrive at Lyon-St Exupery station, which is the station at the airport on the eastern edge of the city.
Though it is linked to Part-Dieu station by an express tram service.
There are different ticket types of available, which reflect the various options for how to travel on the Ouigo trains.
Click on the Ouigo Train Guide for further info re: the travel experiences.
Eurail and InterRail passes are not valid on Ouigo trains.
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.
Seat reservations are automatically included when booking tickets for both trains.
Eurostar does not sell tickets for the journey options which involve taking a Ouigo train on from Paris.
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.
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:
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 Ouigo trains
The terms on SNCF Connect state:
'Ticket not refundable.
Exchange possible under conditions for the same trip with a 10€ per passenger fee until 1 hour before the beginning of embarkment. Potential price difference between old and new ticket to be added to this fee'.
So if you're considering whether to book a 2nd class ticket on a TGV InOui service, or to save money by taking a Ouigo instead, something to factor into the decision is that if you subsequently need to abandon your trip, a ticket for the InOui service can be refunded, but a ticket for a Ouigo service can't!
Making the connection in Lille:
Both SNCF and Eurostar are members of The Railteam Alliance which offers a Hop on the next available train (HOTNAT) policy.
But SNCF excludes Ouigo services from Railteam, so SMTJ's understanding is that tickets for the Ouigo will need to be repurchased, if the Eurostar arrives in Lille too late to make the booked connection.
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