Charles de Gaulle to Le Mans quickest way please !

[villageidiot]

Traveling on Thursday 13th any suggestions greatly appreciated

[wsn03]

I think the train is 2 hrs,.last time i checked driving was 2.5 hrs.
I took the train once, it was excellent

[villageidiot]

is the train direct, it looks like in need to get to Montparnasse Train Station

[wsn03]

villageidiot said:

is the train direct, it looks like in need to get to Montparnasse Train Station

When I took it it was direct, both directions.
There is some trainline site that deals with routes and ticketing

[ferrus]

I've taken the train from CDG to Le Mans for the last three years. Also arriving Thursday like you.
Plane and Train is nice easy way to get to the track.

There's the choice of the slow TER service, or the fast TGV.

My best trip was 1st class on the TGV in 2017, CDG to Le Mans direct - for £14.
Probably have to pay a more this close to the event though.

There's loads throughout the day going via Montparnasse, and a handful of direct/change trains from CDG.
What's your arrival time, at CDG?

[ferrus]

CDG -> Le Mans direct, 1h 40m; at 12:48, 15:18, 18:48.

€47/€49 ticket prices


I think - I've got a ticket on one of those. (I buy a couple in case of plane delays, 100% cancellation refund on the day)

[surveyor]

Train... it does go the long way around Paris but soon makes up the time.

[Blink982]

I've booked with the TGV from CDG to LM and then on the return I'm on the Ouigo back to Paris for the day which I think is a TGV-lite train. The difference between 1st and 2nd class on the TGV price-wise is a no-brainer but the 2nd class carriages are very good. Last year there was a rail strike so my return booking went out the window and I just jumped on a train and no-one cared. I did all my bookings on the OUI.sncf app.

When you use a train on the continent, it really does remind you how second rate the UK rail system is.

[ferrus]

Blink982 said:

I've booked with the TGV from CDG to LM and then on the return I'm on the Ouigo back to Paris for the day which I think is a TGV-lite train. The difference between 1st and 2nd class on the TGV price-wise is a no-brainer but the 2nd class carriages are very good. Last year there was a rail strike so my return booking went out the window and I just jumped on a train and no-one cared. I did all my bookings on the OUI.sncf app.

When you use a train on the continent, it really does remind you how second rate the UK rail system is.

Agree with all of this. There isn't a huge difference between the classes, but for €2 extra - 1st class is the way to go.
All the seats are pre-booked airline style, so I get a nice armchair-size comfy seat on its own.

Doing the same journey as you there and back, and it puts our rail network to shame, not just on quality, speed and punctuality - but also price.
And what's worse - this is their second and third generation of these trains. There's still pacers on Northern routes.

Even when 1 in 3 trains were cancelled during the strikes last year - they slashed the prices of the journeys, and gave people full refunds for all journeys on the day.
I booked seats on three trains each way (there were still seats left up to the day of travel), and only paid for one return journey. The money was back in the account in minutes.

I had a train to Newcastle cancelled in September. I'm still chasing the 'automatic no-quibble' refund, now.
Initially, the train company even tried to claim it wasn't their route