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While looking through my itinerary for a meeting that I have in Paris the week of 24th Oct, I found that I have Sunday the 23rd free. So I went hunting for opportunities for a bit of TGV riding that day, and lo and behold I chalked out what should be an amazing day!
I just booked the trip with Rail Europe, and it is amazingly inexpensive considering....
Bright and early Sunday morning I board a TGV Lyria headed for Zurich via Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Basel, and travel to Mulhouse on it. This train travels over LGV Est between Paris and Baudrecourt at max speed of 200mph, and then travels on upgraded classic tracks the rest of the way. Cover some 286 miles in 3 hours with 3 stops.
The reason for going to Mulhouse is to visit the French National Railway Museum there, which I have wanted to visit for a long time. I get there around 11:30 and spend the afternoon at the museum.
The return trip is on a TGV Est Mulhouse - Paris service again via Strasbourg, at around 6pm getting into Paris around 9pm, well in time for me to get some much needed Zzzzs before getting to work the next day.
SNCF and Lyria sell First Class seats either with, or without food service included in the ticket. I chose First Class without food, and the round trip came out to $236, not bad for a 570 mile ride on one of the fastest trains in the world! Besides I prefer a good French meal off train rather than on train anyday.
BTW, this is an example of a trip that became possible as a reasonable day trip as a result of the introduction of HSR on the LGV Est. It was impossible before that unless one flew to Mulhouse from Paris and back for more than twice the price.
Incidentally in the out chance that anyone finds themselves in Paris Oct 10 to Dec 1, this is the time to buy "Switzerland on Sale" on Lyria which has Paris to Zurich/Lausanne/Bern/Geneva one way for E59 by Lyria, for the possibility of visiting Switzerland from Paris for less than E120 round trip via Lyria HSR trains. Tickets must be purchased by Oct 10 and are non-refundable. I must admit I almost went for it, but then Mulhouse's pull with the museum visit was overwhelming. In the past I have spent many a weekend in Switzerland while working in Paris using the then Paris - Geneva TGV service. But then as I said, the trip to Mulhouse was much less convenient on slow classic trains.
So October is turning out to be a blockbuster month of train riding for me. First the AU Fest and then this little other unique personal Fest!
I will post a post-trip report when I return from this trip.
I just booked the trip with Rail Europe, and it is amazingly inexpensive considering....
Bright and early Sunday morning I board a TGV Lyria headed for Zurich via Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Basel, and travel to Mulhouse on it. This train travels over LGV Est between Paris and Baudrecourt at max speed of 200mph, and then travels on upgraded classic tracks the rest of the way. Cover some 286 miles in 3 hours with 3 stops.
The reason for going to Mulhouse is to visit the French National Railway Museum there, which I have wanted to visit for a long time. I get there around 11:30 and spend the afternoon at the museum.
The return trip is on a TGV Est Mulhouse - Paris service again via Strasbourg, at around 6pm getting into Paris around 9pm, well in time for me to get some much needed Zzzzs before getting to work the next day.
SNCF and Lyria sell First Class seats either with, or without food service included in the ticket. I chose First Class without food, and the round trip came out to $236, not bad for a 570 mile ride on one of the fastest trains in the world! Besides I prefer a good French meal off train rather than on train anyday.
BTW, this is an example of a trip that became possible as a reasonable day trip as a result of the introduction of HSR on the LGV Est. It was impossible before that unless one flew to Mulhouse from Paris and back for more than twice the price.
Incidentally in the out chance that anyone finds themselves in Paris Oct 10 to Dec 1, this is the time to buy "Switzerland on Sale" on Lyria which has Paris to Zurich/Lausanne/Bern/Geneva one way for E59 by Lyria, for the possibility of visiting Switzerland from Paris for less than E120 round trip via Lyria HSR trains. Tickets must be purchased by Oct 10 and are non-refundable. I must admit I almost went for it, but then Mulhouse's pull with the museum visit was overwhelming. In the past I have spent many a weekend in Switzerland while working in Paris using the then Paris - Geneva TGV service. But then as I said, the trip to Mulhouse was much less convenient on slow classic trains.
So October is turning out to be a blockbuster month of train riding for me. First the AU Fest and then this little other unique personal Fest!
I will post a post-trip report when I return from this trip.
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