Getting to the South of France - Eurostar - Paris - TGV - hire car

[CharlotteBog]

Bon soir,

Me and my 2 sons have an airbnb in a small town about 60km from Montpellier in the middle of August.

I think we will get the Eurostar to Paris, stay overnight (didn't factor that the Olympics will be on but never mind....!) then get the TGV to Montpellier, where I'll hire a car for our duration.

We've done quite a bit of train travel across Europe (which puts our rail network to shame), but I don't know the south of France very well.

Is there anything I need to consider before I book anything?

The cost is about the same as flying, obviously longer, but much nicer and part of the holiday.

I don't want to take my own car over because I don't want to drive that far myself.

Changing at Lille is a good idea. I did it recently (London to Lyon via Lille).

The only thing I will say about OUIGO is that while it's cheap, it's not particularly comfortable for a long journey. I recently did a 3h OUIGO journey and there was no proper air con, so it was uncomfortably warm, and most of the toilets were out of order - the one that was open smelled awful. So if the TGV isn't much more expensive I would definitely advise going for that instead. They are much better in my experience.

More advice/info on OUIGO here https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/ouigo.htm

If you do book a OUIGO train, no need to download the OUIGO app, you can book them (or a regular TGV) on the SNCF website (www.sncf-connect.com).

Another option is Eurostar to Paris and then sleeper train to Narbonne. Could be fun!
https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/intercites-de-nuit.htm

I found car hire is now horrendously expensive. Personally I'd drive, but I don't mind long distance driving and there's 2 of us

Lille definitely an idea. There are even a couple of direct trains, or ones with a simple change at Lyon.

I don't mind driving long distances either. I do mind using 4 days annual leave on driving though.

Hmmm. Narbonne and Montpellier are about the same distance from the village so this is another option to consider. Sleepers are indeed fun.

Before I clicked that it was the Olympics (I mean I knew the Olympics was on, but it just wasn't in my head when I booked the accommodation) I was thinking that a night in Paris would be really nice. I've only been for a few hours (between trains) before.
A few years ago we have a night in Munich between trains. Short and sweet, but a good part of the travel.

Thank you. This is good to keep in mind when I book a car.
It would not surprise my kids to find that we arrive in one station and have an hour trek (I just looked it up!) across the city to pick up the car.

I'm going to sit down at the w/e and work it all out.
It's really useful to have info from people with experience. Thanks again.

Yeah those new TGV stations are great for serving surrounding rural areas but often not actually in the place they are named for - bitter memories of Nimes Pond du Gard TGV which is nowhere near Nimes or Pont du Gard!

I wouldn’t bother staying overnight in Paris, it’s a hassle. The TGV won’t take long to get to Montpelier. If you’re tired from the journey you could stay overnight in eg Nîmes where many of the TGVs stop at the station in town. Hotels there are cheap and it’s all very walkable. Then it’s an easy morning the next day to get to Montpelier and your hire car.

That’s a great tip about b.europe! Thank you!

I’d rather watch the Olympics!

Could you not fly? Cars hire at airport?

The Olympics are on from Fri 26th July to Sun 11th August, so maybe they'll have finished by the time you travel? I probably wouldn't stay in Paris though - it's just really crowded, hot and expensive at that time of year.

The Eurostar can be hellish too. We took it to Paris in July 2022 and the train was like a sauna + dirty and the organisation at the Gare du Nord was horrible. We all had to stand in this giant queue before boarding, then at the last minute they opened the gates and everyone had to scramble to get on the train - old people, people with babies in buggies, huge amounts of luggage - I vowed to never do it again! And then the train was so airless and hot that DC were being sick - it really was an unpleasant experience.

No they are still on when we travel - otherwise I wouldn't be asking about it.

We've taken the Eurostar before and it was fine for us. It was during the school summer holidays, so a busy time of year.
I'm sorry it was so awful for you.

I did look at flying but the flights are (as is often the case to smaller airports) infrequent and at really horrible times of day.

I also love the Olympics, but this isn't a holiday to watch them!

Overnight in Paris was originally meant to be part of the holiday adventure.
I know the TGV doesn't take long.
We won't be tired - just on holiday and wanting to enjoy ourselves.
Before I realised the Olympics would be on I thought it would be nice to get a hotel for the night and see a bit of Paris.

Similar to some of the Ryan Air flights that dump you 3 hours away from the city you're visiting and you spend many hours of your w/e break on a bus!
Saved a few quid on the flight though!

I've never had a hot or dirty Eurostar train before and I am a regular Eurostar user (weekly back in the days I used to use it for work).

Gare du Nord has always been hellish though and is more so since the Brexit fuckery (still mourning the loss of the direct South of France Eurostar).

There are a lot of Olympic events going on all around Paris and often close to the big landmarks. For security reasons the areas will be restricted and you can only enter if you live/work there or have a ticket for the event. Plus August is the vacation month for the locals and many smaller businesses close. And it’s likely to be very hot.
Better to explore Paris at a different time.

Yes, I'm realising this now.
Lots of people have suggested going via Lille, which is probably what we'll do.

It seems I am destined never to see Paris properly!

I went Eurostar to Lille and then TGV to Avignon recently. Lille is so much easier than dragging yourself across Paris from ES to TGV.

We love the Olympics enough to stay at home and watch them! Each to their own. Shame dc cannot see them. I used to look forward to the Olympics with a passion. Still don’t go on holiday then as other times are available.

Our holiday overlaps with the last few days of the Olympics, so we will be at home for most of it to watch on telly.

"Each to their own" means for me (and most I imagine) arranging our family holiday taking into account school, working commitments, cost, availability of accommodation, other commitments.

The Olympics is great and indeed when it was in London we prioritised it over other things so we could attend. This year....no.

Lille is v nice for a stopover too if you want to break up the journey. Obviously it's not Paris but there's a pretty old town and some really great museums. Much cheaper than Paris too in terms of accommodation and eating out.