To reach the United Kingdom, Switzerland or the Netherlands at 300 km / h, travelers must take one of the European subsidiaries of the SNCF. Small practical guide to know everything about the prices and the cities served.
Reuniting the metropolises of neighboring countries without change, from city center to city center and in a few hours: this is possible by rail from Paris and several French cities thanks to the high-speed rail network. If the SNCF runs its TGVs outside of France under its own brand (in particular to Luxembourg, Milan, Barcelona or Frankfurt), you have to borrow one of its European subsidiaries to go to the United Kingdom, in Switzerland or the Netherlands.
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Eurostar, Thalys, TGV Lyria … These companies, co-owned with other European operators, offer different services and pricing from those of SNCF. They are part of Railteam, the alliance of the main high-speed train operators in Europe. In the event of a failed connection due to a delay, the passenger can take the next train free of charge if both trains are part of the alliance. Regardless of the company borrowed, passengers benefit from the same rights in terms of assistance and compensation in the event of delay, under European Regulation 1371/2007 on the rights and obligations of rail passengers.
[Le contexte sanitaire impacte fortement le trafic ferroviaire, particulièrement vers l’étranger. Les fréquences et dessertes mentionnées ici ne tiennent pas compte des perturbations en cours.]
Thalys (Germany, Belgium, Netherlands)
Recognizable by their red and chrome film, Thalys trains have linked France to Belgium, the Netherlands and north-west Germany at 300 km / h since 1996. From Paris Gare du Nord, Brussels is 1h25, Amsterdam and Cologne at 3:20 a.m., Dortmund at 5 a.m. Thalys also operates two seasonal lines: the Thalys Neige (between Antwerp and Bourg-Saint-Maurice in winter) and the Thalys Soleil (between Antwerp, Bordeaux and Marseille in summer). In 2019, Thalys transported nearly 8 million passengers. Trains have a bar car, free Wi-Fi and electrical outlets in every seat or row of seats.
Prices and classes: Standard (from € 29), Comfort (from € 55), Premium (from € 115).
Cities served:
- Belgium: Brussels, Antwerp, Liège
- Pays-Bas : Amsterdam, Rotterdam
- Germany: Cologne, Aachen, Dortmund, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Essen
Loyalty program : My Thalys World.
Official site : thalys.com.
Read also :Greenspeed, the marriage project between Eurostar and Thalys
Izy (Belgium)
Launched in 2016, Izy is the low-cost subsidiary of Thalys. The company connects Paris-Nord to Bruxelles-Midi once or twice a day in 2h20, compared to 1h25 by Thalys. A longer journey time which can be explained by the fact that the trains use conventional lines (whose toll costs are lower) over a large part of the route.
Prices and classes: Strap-on seat (from € 10), Standard seat (from € 19), Standard XL seat (from € 29).
Cities served : Paris (Gare du Nord), Brussels (Gare du Midi).
Official site : izy.com.
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TGV Lyria (Switzerland)
A subsidiary of the Swiss Federal Railways (CFF) SNCF, TGV Lyria specializes in connections between France and Switzerland. From Paris Gare de Lyon, it takes between three and four hours to reach Geneva (8 daily round trips), Zurich, Basel and Lausanne (6 daily round trips). In summer, the company connects Geneva to Marseille via Lyon and Avignon. The trains have free Wi-Fi, a bar car and electrical outlets at each seat.
Prices and classes: Standard (from € 29), Standard 1ère (from € 49), Business Première (from € 195, fixed price per destination regardless of the booking and travel date). SNCF reduction cards applicable.
Cities served:
- France: Dijon, Mulhouse, Bourg-en-Bresse, Nurieux, Bellegarde, Frasne, Belfort-Montbéliard TGV
- Switzerland: Geneva, Lausanne, Basel, Zurich, Vallorbe
Loyalty program : SNCF Traveler Program.
Official site : tgv-lyria.com.
Read also :Switzerland: TGV Lyria inaugurates its third high-end class
Eurostar (United Kingdom)
From Gare du Nord in Paris, it takes just 2h17 to reach London using the Eurostar. The Franco-British company was born in 1994, when the Channel Tunnel opened. Among the 18 daily trips between the two capitals, a few stop at Ashford and Ebbsfleet, in Kent County. In France, some trains stop at Lille-Europe and Calais-Fréthun. Since 2018, Eurostar has been providing connections between London and Amsterdam via Brussels. As the United Kingdom is not part of the Schengen area, identity and security checks take place on boarding on both sides of the Channel.
Prices and classes: Stardard (from € 39 one way on a return basis), Standard Premier (from € 99), Business Standard (from € 320).
Cities served: Londres (Saint-Pancras), Ashford, Ebbsfleet.
Loyalty program : Club Eurostar.
Official site : eurostar.com.
Read also :Gare du Nord against Saint-Pancras: the Eurostar match
Thello (Italy)
A subsidiary of Trenitalia, the Italian national company, Thello operates two lines between France and Italy: Paris-Venice by night train and Marseille-Milan by day train. Note that the Paris-Venice night train has been stationary since the start of the epidemic. Thello also plans to close its Marseille-Nice-Milan line during the first half of 2021. The company nevertheless wishes to take advantage of the privatization of rail to launch high-speed trains between Paris and Milan.
Prices and classes: sleeper compartment for four to six people (from € 29), cabin bed for one to three people (from € 85), 2nd class seat (from € 15), 1st class seat (from € 40) .
Main cities served:
- From Paris Gare de Lyon: Dijon, Milan, Brescia, Verona, Vicenza, Padua, Venice (Mestre and Santa-Lucia)
- From Nice-Ville: Monaco, Menton, Ventimiglia, Genoa, Milan.
