France - Train from Geneva airport to Chambery

My son and I will be arriving at GVA on Saturday morning, July 18th, and need to find our way to Chambery to pick up a rental car. We'll have bikes with us so we're not quite as mobile as others (large enough cabs are hard to come by, and it's not fun walking very far). What's involved in getting from the airport to the relevant French rail connection?

Many thanks-

My son and I will be arriving at GVA on Saturday morning, July 18th, and need to find our way to Chambery to pick up a rental car. We'll have bikes with us so we're not quite as mobile as others (large enough cabs are hard to come by, and it's not fun walking very far). What's involved in getting from the airport to the relevant French rail connection?

Many thanks-

In GVA, you need to go to the CFF train station, go down to the platform by escalators, board a train to Geneva Cornavin station (IIRC, they all go there and it is one stop away from GVA); upon arrival at Cornavin, go down one level from the platform by stairs (I don't remember whether there are elevators), head toward the platform used by trains going to France, go through customs (no immigration any more) and go up via elevators or a footpath without stairs up to the platform..

In GVA, you need to go to the CFF train station, go down to the platform by escalators, board a train to Geneva Cornavin station (IIRC, they all go there and it is one stop away from GVA); upon arrival at Cornavin, go down one level from the platform by stairs (I don't remember whether there are elevators), head toward the platform used by trains going to France, go through customs (no immigration any more) and go up via elevators or a footpath without stairs up to the platform..Sounds not-too-difficult. Thanks! Oh, as for customs, is that a quick thing or do I need to allow a fair amount of time?

What JOUY said, adding that if you look for them (yellow doors), there is an elevator at each platform.

The train from the airport to Cornavin main station is free as long as you pick up a free ticket at the ticket machines right before the green exits after luggage claim.

At Cornavin main station, the middle access (Zones B-C or so) to platforms is a broad shallow ramp, convenient for wheeled luggage.

As for carrying bikes on Swiss trains, it is free if they are in a soft bag and fit above/below the seats (http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/en/reisemarkt/services/wissen/velo/velotragetasche.htm?=) (not sure how that is managed :confused:) . Some cars have bike pictograms, with an empty area next to the door; stowing bikes there theoretically requires a full fare 2nd class ticket for the same itinerary. I'd assume there is some leeway on the rather empty trains from Geneva airport (have never been asked to produce a ticket on this short sector) to Geneva main station; the controller doesn't have time to go through the entire train so doesn't even try.

Do not take one of the once-hourly 'ICN' tilt trains (the sleek Pininfarina-designed one departing at xx:05), which require reservations for bike transportation, and have limited overhead luggage space due to their trapezoidal bodies.

The train will be much more convenient than a cab; however, I'd say perhaps one in ten cabs at GVA nowadays is a larger MPV, mostly Hyundai and Kias.

Lastly, I'd just pick up the car at Geneva airport on the French side, where rates are the same as elsewhere in France (whatever airport surcharge there may be is a fairly reasonable one time fee, not a daily surcharge as sometimes in the US). Most majors allow free one-ways within France.

The customs are generally unmanned these days, and any non-ethnic traveler unlikely to be stopped. They are mostly on the lookout for French customers of Swiss banks ;)

What JOUY said, adding that if you look for them (yellow doors), there is an elevator at each platform.

The train from the airport to Cornavin main station is free as long as you pick up a free ticket at the ticket machines right before the green exits after luggage claim.

At Cornavin main station, the middle access (Zones B-C or so) to platforms is a broad shallow ramp, convenient for wheeled luggage.

As for carrying bikes on Swiss trains, it is free if they are in a soft bag and fit above/below the seats (http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/en/reisemarkt/services/wissen/velo/velotragetasche.htm?=) (not sure how that is managed :confused:) . Some cars have bike pictograms, with an empty area next to the door; stowing bikes there theoretically requires a full fare 2nd class ticket for the same itinerary. I'd assume there is some leeway on the rather empty trains from Geneva airport (have never been asked to produce a ticket on this short sector) to Geneva main station; the controller doesn't have time to go through the entire train so doesn't even try.

Do not take one of the once-hourly 'ICN' tilt trains (the sleek Pininfarina-designed one departing at xx:05), which require reservations for bike transportation, and have limited overhead luggage space due to their trapezoidal bodies.

The train will be much more convenient than a cab; however, I'd say perhaps one in ten cabs at GVA nowadays is a larger MPV, mostly Hyundai and Kias.

Lastly, I'd just pick up the car at Geneva airport on the French side, where rates are the same as elsewhere in France (whatever airport surcharge there may be is a fairly reasonable one time fee, not a daily surcharge as sometimes in the US). Most majors allow free one-ways within France.

The customs are generally unmanned these days, and any non-ethnic traveler unlikely to be stopped. They are mostly on the lookout for French customers of Swiss banks ;)Thanks for the additional info. Unfortunately, our bikes will be in exactly the bags described. They are terribly unwieldy, since they don't really retain any shape. Not fun to have to carry very far. A box with wheels would be much better, but they don't allow those on either French or Swiss trains, unless it's one of the rare ones with a special car.

As for picking the car up in Geneva, yes, I thought of that, and would certainly do so if not for one thing. We couldn't get a "Kangoo" in Geneva, and don't ask me why, but that car is just so darned silly looking it just seems like it would be a lot more fun than a boring but functional Peugeot '307 wagon. Chambery, for some reason, has Kangoos available. Just about noplace else does. :D

I'm just very thankful right now I was able to change my flight so we arrive in Geneva instead of Amsterdam. Getting from Amsterdam to Chambery was not going to be easy, involving many transfers, including the ugly one in Paris between Gare Nord and Gare Lyon (ugly because, again, bikes are involved)(not to mention sleepless passengers!).

I see... the Kangoo is the perfect vehicle for your situation! Being based on a delivery van, it is tall enough that a few bikes can be stowed upright in the back. About twice the cargo volume of a 307SW. Perhaps bring a few bungee cords to secure the bikes, as the convenient internal fork holder is unlikely to be present on a rental. And the sub-105hp engine will guarantee decent mileage :D

BTW the luggage carts in GVA were recently 'upgraded' to require a €2 or CHF2 deposit for usage. Once past customs, the way to the train station is wide enough for such a cart to carry two bike bags sideways, assuming the front wheels are removed.

As a former customer, I'd be pleased to assist with further inquiries :)

I see... the Kangoo is the perfect vehicle for your situation! Being based on a delivery van, it is tall enough that a few bikes can be stowed upright in the back. About twice the cargo volume of a 307SW. Perhaps bring a few bungee cords to secure the bikes, as the convenient internal fork holder is unlikely to be present on a rental. And the sub-105hp engine will guarantee decent mileage :D

BTW the luggage carts in GVA were recently 'upgraded' to require a €2 or CHF2 deposit for usage. Once past customs, the way to the train station is wide enough for such a cart to carry two bike bags sideways, assuming the front wheels are removed.

As a former customer, I'd be pleased to assist with further inquiries :)You've been of great help, and understand the situation perfectly! Which makes sense, given that our customers are clearly the best in the world. First class all the way. ^

And thanks for the top about the luggage carts. Sounds like it would be worth the 2 euros.

Finally, things are really beginning to come together for this trip. :)

We'll be spending the night in Avignon following the infamous Ventoux stage of the Tour de France, and taking the train to Paris the next day for the finale. Question about the train-

#1: Not quite sure which seating option would be the standard side-by-side for two people (don't want/need the arrangement where you're sitting across from others with the table in between).

#2: We'll have our bikes with us, in bike bags, in the luggage area. Normally I'd want to be near them to keep an eye at each stop, but the TGV we'll be taking makes no stops, just Avignon and Paris. So would it really matter whether we had upstairs or downstairs seats?

#3: We'll be arriving in Paris at 12:45pm, and staying at the Mercure that's right there at Gare Lyon. Is it likely we can check in at that time? I'd originally thought about taking an earlier train, to have more time to settle in and get to a place to watch the final stage through Paris, but figure that might be dumb because we'd be too early to check in anyway.

Many thanks again-

1. The SNCF booking engine usually automatically assigns side-by-side window-aisle pairs ('Duo côte à côte') for two people traveling together. I haven't tried the double decker TGV yet, but I don't see that one can pick lower or upper levels. In the older TGV's I am familiar with, half a car faces the 'wrong way', the other half the 'right way', and in the middle is the only facing foursome, which is highly sought after by families. Chances of being put there are slim, although it has happened to me once.

2. I've carried a bike bag on the Paris-Lille TGV (then broke my seatpost clamp on the Roubaix cobblestones...), and done just the same. Which deck won't matter much, but the lower deck will be closer to the luggage area. However, the nearby seats will face the other way, so no direct line of sight. Just put a padlock on the bike bags (this because trains that day on that route will probably carry quite a few people knowledgeable with bikes) and you should be safe. I've never had bad experiences on the TGV, especially in 2nd class, France being an egalitarian country (the 1st class cars on Paris-Geneva trains are systematically targeted by panhandlers).

3. Should be ok, unless the hotel was full the previous night and housekeeping has its hands full. I doubt many of the Mercure's customers have late check-out privileges, which should help in that regard. The concept of checking out late isn't widespread in France, anyway.

1. The SNCF booking engine usually automatically assigns side-by-side window-aisle pairs ('Duo côte à côte') for two people traveling together. I haven't tried the double decker TGV yet, but I don't see that one can pick lower or upper levels. In the older TGV's I am familiar with, half a car faces the 'wrong way', the other half the 'right way', and in the middle is the only facing foursome, which is highly sought after by families. Chances of being put there are slim, although it has happened to me once.OK, so what does "Table pour quatre, à travers les citoyens Allemand de fumer" mean? :D Just kidding. We're 'Duo côte à côte' on the upper level of a train that makes no intermediate stops, so I figure the bikes will be safe.

2. I've carried a bike bag on the Paris-Lille TGV (then broke my seatpost clamp on the Roubaix cobblestones...), and done just the same. Which deck won't matter much, but the lower deck will be closer to the luggage area. However, the nearby seats will face the other way, so no direct line of sight. Just put a padlock on the bike bags (this because trains that day on that route will probably carry quite a few people knowledgeable with bikes) and you should be safe. I've never had bad experiences on the TGV, especially in 2nd class, France being an egalitarian country (the 1st class cars on Paris-Geneva trains are systematically targeted by panhandlers).We're travling in 1st class partly because there will be a bit more room in the vestibule/luggage area, and partly because it was only 8 euro more than 2nd class for some reason.

3. Should be ok, unless the hotel was full the previous night and housekeeping has its hands full. I doubt many of the Mercure's customers have late check-out privileges, which should help in that regard. The concept of checking out late isn't widespread in France, anyway.Thanks, that makes sense.

I pretty much have everything wrapped up now, just need to cancel some reservations at the Chambery Etap (we're staing in the Albertville Etap instead, which is more centrally located to the stages we'll be seeing... we'll be able to ride to them instead of having to drive.Gosh, I really botched up the quotes & stuff in this one, didn't I? :o