Paris to Dijon by train

How to take a train journey from Paris to Dijon

There is a choice of two train travel options when making the journey from Paris to Dijon

  1. The faster TGV trains which leave from the Gare De Lyon and if you can book ahead and commit to specific departure, they can be the cheaper option.
  2. Slower TER trains, which leave from a station further from the city centre, which can't be accessed as easily.
    So why are they are an option worth considering?
    Two reasons: if you'll be buying tickets last minute at the station they'll be cheaper; or if you will be using Eurail or InterRail passes you can save at least €10.
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Routes

From Paris Gare de Lyon/Paris Lyon to Dijon-Ville

Travel Information

Note that these trains depart from the Gare De Lyon in Paris.

Final Destination: Dijon, Bescancon, Mulhouse, Zurich, Chalon sur Saone, Basel

Some trains also call at: Montbard

There is not a departure in every hour.

Monday to Thursday: = 13 x trains per day
Friday: = 15 x trains
Saturday: = 10 x trains
Sunday: = 14 x trains

Tickets

There are two train services between Paris and Dijon:
(1) these TGV trains and (2) the alternative slower service by TER train.

If you're booking in advance, the cheapest 'Prems' tickets for these TGV trains will be cheaper than those TER trains,
However, if you will be booking last minute at the station then the TER trains are likely to be (much) cheaper.

Booking these TGV trains:

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date - but bookings can open sooner when SNCF is running a promotion.

The price is dictated by demand per departure, so book ahead and try and be flexible re: your departure and arrival times, as trains leaving earlier or later may be cheaper.

SNCF Connect, the French national railways website, will indicate the cheapest price per day, click on this and you will be shown the departures on which this price is available.

Seats will automatically be assigned when booking tickets for this journey when taking these TGV trains

Rail Pass Users:

If you will be travelling with a valid Eurail or InterRail pass, you can avoid the reservation fees on these TGV trains, by taking the alternative TER trains

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
SNCF Connect from €20

SNCF Connect Guide

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 on Google Play

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

Trainline from €20

Trainline Guide

Download the SNCF Connect App from €20
Save A Train from €20

Save A Train Guide

Rail Europe from €20

On this journey

Journey Features

Scenic - NoHigh Speed (partial journey)

Around seven minutes after departure, the train will move on to the high speed line south from Paris and it will then travel at more than 270 km/h for around 1hr 10mins.
The video was taken from a train travelling in the opposite direction, but it gives an idea of the journey experience on this part of the trip.

The train switches to conventional tracks north of Dijon, and this is the the more scenic part of the journey.

From Paris Bercy Bourgogne - Pays d'Auvergne to Dijon-Ville

Travel Information

Final Destination: Lyon or Dijon

Note that these trains do NOT depart from Paris Gare De Lyon/Paris Lyon - which is the station that the TGVs to Dijon depart from.

They depart from Paris Bercy which is a different station.

So why would you spend a minimum of an additional 1hr 20 mins on a train from Paris to Dijon, than you would if you took the alternative TGV services?

The simple answer is price - if you're not booking more than 10 days ahead, meaning that you can no longer booking the discounted 'Prems' tickets on those TGVs, you'll likely save money by taking these TER trains.

If you'll be travelling with a rail pass, you'll save at least €10; you can just hop on these trains if you have a valid Eurail or InterRail pass.

Monday to Friday: = 5 x trains per day
Saturday: = 6 x trains
Sunday: = 5 x trains

Tickets

Book early and save: No

Tickets will cost the same price if purchased at the station immediately before departure.

These TER trains will be only be cheaper than the much faster TGV trains*when the discounted tickets for the TGV have sold out.
If you'll be buying tickets at the station on the day of travel, it's likely that you can save around €25 by taking these trains.

Rail pass users can avoid the reservation fees on the TGVs by taking these trains.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
SNCF Connect *

SNCF Connect Guide

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 on Google Play

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

Trainline *

Trainline Guide

On this journey

Journey Features

Scenic - NoNot High Speed
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