TGV POS / TGV Réseau

ShowMeTheJourney has anticipated what questions are most often asked about travelling on the single-deck trains used on routes to and from northern and eastern France,

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When in service these trains have a theoretical top speed of 320 km/h (198 mph), but this speed is most typically achieved on the LGV Est européenne used by trains travelling between Paris and Metz, Nancy, Colmar and Strasbourg

On the other high speed lines they typically travel at up to around 300 km/h.

Yes

This is possible when booking Premiere, or Business Premiere tickets on SNCF Connect.
See the ShowMeTheJourney guide on how to book on SNCF Connect.

When booking Seconde tickets, you can select a seat location - window or aisle etc.

Not on this type of TGV.

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.

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.

Yes - at all seats, for standard E.U. 2-point plugs.

Yes and more info on how to connect is available here.

No, the French national rail operator does not have a policy of offering coaches in which mobile phone usage etc is not permitted.

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.

Yes.
More info is available on the SNCF Mobility Services guide.

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.

You will usually have to interact with the train conductor, so when you’re at the station it’s worth checking what you’ll need to do.

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.

Technically the TGV POS and TGV Reseau trains are different, but from a traveller's point of view, the key distinctive feature that they share is the fact that they are single-deck trains.
This may not seem significant, as most of the high-speed trains around the world are single-deck, but these trains operate on French high-speed lines used by many double-decked trains.
age.

It's LIKELY that you will travelling by these trains on these routes.

(1) Paris Est <> Reims
(1) Paris Est <> Luxembourg
(2) Paris Nord <> Dunkerque and Boulogne via Arras
(3) Strasbourg <> Bordeaux and Lille and Nantes and Rennes
(4) Toulouse/Montpellier <> Nancy via Dijon

These trains are also used for some departures on these routes:

(1) Paris Est <> Metz
(2) Paris Est <> Nancy
(3) Paris Est <> Strasbourg - (Colmar)
(4) Paris Nord <> Lille Flanders
(5) Strasbourg <> Bordeaux and Lille and Nantes and Rennes
(6) Marseille - Lyon <> Strasbourg - Luxembourg

How to check which of TGV InOui train you will be travelling by.

Before boarding check your ticket for the number of coach in which your reserved set is located
Use the zone/repére information on the voie/platform/track, to work out where to wait on the voie for easy boarding in to the coach in which your seat is located.

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.
The coach numbers aren't included on the interior, so try and take your time and check that you are boarding into the coach in which your reserved seat is located.

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 where you can access it easily, so that you can check your seat number as you enter the seating area.
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, and you can avoid being caught up in the scramble for luggage space

Power sockets are also available in the platforms/vestibules between coaches, you are encouraged to use these spaces between coaches to make mobile calls.

The operator SNCF has evidently adopted an attitude of providing more leg room in 2nd class than in on Economy seats on a typical airline, but not much more.
On occasion the price difference between 1st and 2nd class can only be a couple of €s and when that is the case, the difference in space can be worth every cent.

On board announcements are in French language only, but the train conductors will usually speak English, so you can verify any questions when they pass through the train to check tickets.

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 being open.

TGV Bar Menu (PDF)

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.