As in, what are the trains like from Lille to Paris? Fast, slow, expensive, cheap? How would I get the tickets? I had a holiday to Paris booked, but the company messed it up. We were supposed to be there now and going to Disney tomorrow. I already have the Eurodisney tickets so am trying to find a way to get there that doesn't cost thousands (Eurostar is quoting literally thousands for me and three teenagers) and it looks like getting the Eurostar to Lille, then a normal train onwards, might work. Anyone know? Or any ideas on how we can get there? The plane would add about six hours to the journey either way so isn't really an option.
SNCF website should help.... French: http://www.voyages-sncf.com/ English: http://www.tgv-europe.com/en/?rfrr=Homepage_footer_unitedkingdom Just make sure you remember to validate your tickets as you enter the platform, there are little yellow machines that datestamp your ticket.
Wow. I've decided to look at flights as well, because I'm desperate, and Air France want over £1,800 for the four of us.
SNCF will have all the answers. From memory they are fast and good. Could you drive? It isn't too far if you use Newhaven Dieppe and the crossing is neither too long nor too expensive.
Beware the english site it has a habit of turning french at certain stages of purchase. Well worth persisting as trains seem quite cheap. ETA pay in euros on french site. The delivery of tickets from france was quicker than eurostar tickets booked same day.
Looks like we won't be able to go. We'll lose our Disney tickets and I'll be letting down three kids who were really looking forward to this, but I'm not spending 2 grand on an overnight trip. The company that messed up was trainhols, btw - they simply never sent the travel documents.
I'm looking at alternatives now, somewhere else to visit or another theme park, and everything's suddenly got hugely expensive. Staying one night at Alton Towers would be close to £400!
Flybe go from Southampton to Paris Orly tomorrow for £130 each. I would look at a ferry/train combo and moving the Disney tickets backwards.
With taxes and the cost of getting to Southampton it would work out too much, and I just don't have a full day free for travel each way. Never mind - I'm going to rebook everything for the next half-term in June and this week we'll just go to Thorpe Park.
oh thank goodness - that's not the end of the world then. I hope that you have a good time in Thorpe Park instead... the kids will get 2 theme park holidays instead of one which I hope will dampen their disappointment this time.
Ah, they're spoilt in that respect - they've been to every theme park multiple times. But it looks like a whole load of us are going, which will be nice for the boy whose birthday it is.
You've got the tunnel if you need it - I think that still runs vaguely all through the night. Takes 40 minutes or so but you're right on the Autoroute and not stuck to particular times.
Just looked at the SNCF site and there are TGV (HIgh Speed Trains) going from Lille Europe to Marne La Vallee which is the stop for Disneyland. It takes 1 hour and 11 minutes. E2A: You should be able to book the tickets with RailEurope in the UK. I put in some dates in the French website and it came back with fares of about 50€ return for an adult.
