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TGV InOui (Atlantique)
Welcome to the guide to travelling on the TGV trains which still operate some of the departures between Paris and Western France.
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At a Glance
Travel Pass Supplement
Rail Pass Reservation Fees
Reservations
Compulsory
Time of Day
Day
Catering
Food services available
Bistro (bar food and take away meals)
Country
Which country these trains operate in.
France
Train Specification
Attributes of the train
High Speed (total journey)
Travel Passes
Eurail
InterRail
On Board
Première/Premium/1ére
Perks
WiFi
A complimentary WiFi portal is available throughout this train.
In some coaches in Premiere class there is a hybrid mix of 4 seats in open compartments (they have no door to a corridor) and 2 single seats on the other side of the coach, that face each other across a table.
If you are sat in a compartment seat by the ‘corridor’ you have very limited views out of the windows.
Seconde/Standard/2nde
Perks
WiFi
A complimentary WiFi portal is available throughout this train.
On these trains all the 2nd class carriages/coaches are open plan saloons.
Though some 2nd class seats are at the far end of the bar coach.
But if you have been allocated one of these seats, the coach/voiture number on your ticket, will be the number of the 2nde class coach ADJACENT to the bar car - and NOT the bar coach.
If you have a seat/place between 81 - 93 then these seats are those that are in the bar coach.
Operator SNCF has evidently adopted an attitude of providing more leg room than a typical airline in 2nd class, but not much more.
On occasion the price difference between 1st and 2nd can only be a couple of €s and when that is the case, the difference in space can be worth every cent.
Good to know info
ShowMeTheJourney has anticipated what questions are most often asked about travelling on these TGV Atlantique trains and answered them below.
If you can't find the information you are seeking, you can ask a question by using the Travel Planning Service.
How fast does the train travel?
On the high speed lines these trains travel at speeds of up to 300 km/h (186 mph).
Are seats allocated when booking tickets?
Yes.
Can specific seats be selected from a seating plan?
This is possible when booking Premiere, or Business Premiere tickets on SNCF Connect.
See the ShowMeTheJourney guide on how to book on SNCF Connect.
Can I choose forward facing seats?
Not on this type of TGV.
Do Eurail / InterRail Pass users need to make reservations?
Yes, seat reservations are mandatory when travelling with rail passes on all TGV services.
See the guide to using rail passes in France
Note that the same fees are payable by holders of both First and Second class rail passes.
What catering is available on the train?
The trains have a bar/ bistro service - see the Catering section below for more info.
More detailed info has also been produced by SNCF Connect.
Are power sockets available?
For standard E.U. 2-point plugs in Premiere (1st) Class only
Is Wi-Fi available?
Yes and more info on how to connect is available here.
Is a Quiet Coach available?
No, the French national rail operator does not have a policy of offering coaches in which mobile phone usage etc is not permitted.
What is the luggage policy?
You must be able to carry all your luggage alone at one time.
You can take either:
2 suitcases + 1 hand luggage
OR
1 suitcase + 1 special baggage + 1 hand baggage
Your hand luggage can measure a maximum of 40 cm x 30 cm x 15 cm.
Your suitcase can measure a maximum of 90 cm x 70 cm x 50 cm
Your special luggage (musical instrument, bicycle under cover, folded bicycle, scooter) can measure a maximum of 130 cm x 90 cm. Bicycles, musical instruments, and snowboards, skis, must be in a labeled cover.
More info is available on the SNCF Connect website.
Are wheelchair spaces available?
Yes - More info is available on the SNCF Mobility Services guide.
Can non-folding bicycles be taken on board?
Yes, but spaces must be reserved prior to boarding.
When booking tickets on SNCF Connect you can add a bike symbol to the search, so will then see which departures have bike spaces available - taking a bike on board requires an additional ticket.
See the ShowMeTheJourney guide on how to book on SNCF Connect.
What’s also worth knowing is that you can’t book Premiére/1st class tickets for journeys by these trains if you want to travel with a bike; presumably because the bike storage on these trains isn’t adjacent to the Premiére Class seating areas.
Can dogs be taken on board?
One dog per person, non guided dogs are charged €7, smaller dogs must travel in containers, larger dogs must be muzzled.
More info is available on the SNCF Guide.
TGV Atlantique travel guide:
For the time being these TGV Atlantique trains operate some of the high speed train services from and to Paris Montparnasse station.
However, many services between Paris and western France which had been operated by these trains are now operated by the new TGV Océane trains or TGV Duplex trains.
On some ticket booking services including Trainline, the 'TGV' departures are by these Atlantique trains, while the 'TGV InOui' departures indicate a TGV Océane service.
On some routes to/from Paris taken by these TGV Atlantique trains, much cheaper, but more basic, Ouigo TGV services are also available.
On board announcements are in French language only, but the conductors will LIKELY speak English so you can verify any questions when they pass through the train to check tickets.
Routes:
You will be travelling by TGV Atlantique trains on journeys between Paris and La Rochelle and Le Croisic and Tours.
It's also likely that will be travelling on a TGV Atlantique train on these routes:
(1) Paris - Rennes - Quimper*
(2) Paris - Rennes - St Malo/Brest*
(3) Paris - Nantes*
(4) Paris - Bordeaux via Poitiers and Angouleme
*TGV Océane trains are now used on the fastest services per day on these routes.
Many services operated by TGV Atlantique trains extend beyond the LGVs (high speed lines), so between certain cities, including:
Rennes – Quimper and Brest,
Angers - Nantes,
St Pierre des Corps - Bordeaux via Poitiers AND Angouleme,
Bordeaux - Hendaye and Toulouse and Tarbes
...these trains only use conventional tracks.
Reservations & using rail passes:
Seats will automatically be assigned when booking tickets for journeys by TGV train.
Though on these TGV Atlantique trains it's worth making use of the seating options you're likely to be offered when making a booking, because on departures by these TGV Atlantique trains you can opt to select forward facing seats.
Rail pass users will need to have made reservations prior to boarding (see below) and info on how to book these rail pass reservations is available HERE.
Travelling with Children
When booking on the SNCF Connect website if you include children (aged 12 an under) in the travel party, you can be offered specific types of reservations. - How to use SNCF Connect.
Regardless of whether you will be booking the equivalents of 1st or 2nd class tickets, you may be offered a Family Carré booking, which will reserve the four seats at a table.
Though obviously this is subject to availability, particularly as most of the seats on these trains are arranged airline style, so are not at tables.
When travelling at weekends, during school holidays and on national public holidays, an area in a 2nd class coach on these trains is designated as a Family Space.
If places are still available, you can opt to book seats in this space.
For those travelling with babies there is also a nursery area in 2nd class located near the Family Area. From here you can also access the universal toilets (adapted for wheelchair users), which are in 1st class, as the are also equipped with a changing table.
Boarding:
These trains have 10 coaches/carriages, but two trains are often joined together, so some TGV Atlantique departures are exceptionally long.
Therefore aim to be at the station at least 8 minutes before departure, particularly if you will be joining the train at an intermediate station.
Before arriving on the voie/platform/track, check your ticket and find number of the coach in which your reserved set is located.
Then use the info screens on the voie/platform, to check in which zone on the voie you should wait, for easy boarding into your coach.
When two trains are joined together, it isn’t possible to walk entirely through the train from one end to the other.
Another good reason for not boarding by the first door you see because you are rushing.
The coach/carriage numbers can be hard to spot as they are on the electronic info panel set into the body work of the train by the door.
Each carriage/coach only has one door. It won’t open automatically there will be a button to the right of the door (when exiting the train you will also need to use the button to open the doors).
Whether you have luggage or not, keep your ticket you where you can access it easily, in order to check your seat number as you enter the seating area.
The seat numbers are between the seats - the sequence of numbers can seem illogical, so take your time.
What you won’t see is any indication of the stations between which the seat is reserved for, all you have to do is look for the seat numbers and match it to the seat number on your ticket.
If you don’t have luggage with you hang back and be amongst the last passengers to board.
All seats are reserved, so you won’t risk having no seat to travel in, meaning you can avoid being caught up in the scramble for luggage space.
Managing luggage:
The luggage allowance is a maximum of two suitcases + one item of hand luggage per person.
When boarding, the main luggage rack will be to one side, while the seating area will be to the other.
If you have large items of luggage don’t be tempted to locate your seat first, and then work out where to stow your bags.
Head for the luggage rack first, as bag space can be limited.
If you head into the seating area first, it’s likely that you’ll conclude that you’ll need to turn back, but now you’ll have a queue of people behind you trying to access their seats.
If you store large items in this rack by the doors, you have to accept that being able to see them from your seat is unlikely, but usually there is no practical alternative.
However, on TGV Atlantiques, there are also luggage racks in the middle of the seating saloons in both 1st and 2nd class.
Medium size bags will fit in the space between some of the seats and on small luggage racks at the ends of the coach by the doors - and on the racks above the seats (if you can lift your case above your head).
Catering:
There is no trolley service on TGV trains so you will need to go the bar coach if you want to purchase food and drink – though don’t over rely on it having all items available.
Take care with food and drink, particularly un-opened bottles and drinks in cups and glasses.
When the trains corner at high speed, drinks and food can fly off the table.
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