The French (Air and Rail) Connection

[allanorn]

It was a lovely autumn evening in San Diego, where your correspondent was mindlessly scrolling through social media on his cell phone. A short video piqued my interest, because it looked interesting and yet familiar at the same time. I couldn't place it but it looked like somewhere I'd been before. So I click on it and watch about twenty seconds of a video about how amazing Strasbourg, France will be in three months - December, during the Christmas markets.

I was in Strasbourg in September, 2023 for a day. It's a nice town! I'd recommend a day there to explore, and it's a good base to explore the rest of Alsace. After reminiscing on that trip, and thinking how awesome it would be to visit the Christmas market - something I've always wanted to do - I put the phone down and, just on a whim, opened up the laptop to see how bad airline tickets are. I had booked a couple of days off for Thanksgiving, but I had about a week of vacation time in the bucket for the year. I wasn't expecting much.

My first stop was Air France, where I put in some information and found that I could get to Strasbourg no problem. Economy tickets were about what I'd expect, but the Business class ticket in that direction was slightly cheaper than Premium Economy. That's... unusual. I've apparently hit a sale! Unfortunately the return is regular price, so I'd have to sit in the back of the bus going home. That's a little disappointing, but not unexpected - I can easily manage for what is a day trip. I stay up late to build a quick itinerary in a couple of hours with a rental apartment and a couple of hotels, then decide to sleep on it and ask the boss in the morning if I can disappear for a week.

Fast forward to a foggy, chilly (for SAN) Thanksgiving morning. Well before the crack of dawn, I get into a ride-share car and head to the airport. It isn't long before I'm in an airport lounge with a cup of coffee, a few bites to eat, and saying a quick hello to some of my family to wish them a happy Thanksgiving and I'm on the way.

 

[allanorn]

Thursday, 28 November 2024
Delta 367 (A321neo) - seat 4A
San Diego 07.00 - New York JFK 15.29

It appears Delta has stepped up their game in the first class cabin for their newer domestic planes.



Delta is calling this a "mini-cabin", and it certainly feels like one. There is quite an armrest separating you from your neighbor, and the wings next to the headrest have an isolating effect. Sound seems to be dampened a little, and while you can see your neighbor if they're in the seat next to you, you have to poke out from the wings to see their head. In fact, you really can't see much except the large screen in front of you. It's a nice touch - though I might wonder how the leather on the wings will hold up over time. The seat is otherwise comfortable, and I didn't have any problems having my feet touch the floor being about five-foot-eight with a normal leg-length.

Our purser and first-class flight attendant was a sharp-dressed bald man that exuded New York - the accent, the rose-tinted glasses that matched the uniform, and the demeanor. Everyone was well taken care of during the flight.

Breakfast on board for me was an omelette with potatoes, fruit, and a couple of links of sausage. It's not going to be as good as a three-egg omelette in a dining car, but I'd say it was equivalent to a good Flex dining attempt.



I read for a few hours before we eventually descended and landed at JFK more or less on time.

 

[allanorn]

Because I'm flying Business class this time, I have my choice of airport lounges at JFK. I should have spent some time at the vaunted Delta One SkyLounge in Terminal 4. However, I only had a couple of hours and I needed to make a couple more calls to family while I was on the layover. I have never been in a foreign carrier's lounge before, so I decided the best use of time was to head over to Terminal 1 and Air France's lounge.

A word about Terminal 1 at JFK: it's not great. It's in dire need of a refresh, especially compared to Terminal 4 and 5. So I won't bother with too many terminal photos. However, switching terminals at JFK means you must re-clear security, so it was another scan and a TSA line that wasn't moving fast at all. I chatted to the person ahead of me, who was headed on the nonstop flight to Auckland, New Zealand - he was in 1A and his mother was in 1B. Good on them!

Once I finally clear of security, I made my way to the Air France lounge. After exchanging pleasantries and verifying my ticket, I headed to the second floor and had a look around. What immediately drew me in was the food and ... the open bar.






It would be disrespectful to decline a flute of Joseph Perrier and a couple of plates of food. Everything I had was delicious, but you probably want to save room for meals on the flight.

The rest of the lounge is standard fare for an airline lounge. I think what surprised me the most was the cordoned-off "La Premiere" area, for First Class:



For as much as La Premiere tickets are, I would find that disappointing. Most airline lounges with a true first-class offering usually have something more discreet, or even a VIP section.

The bathrooms in the lounge are a little old but very well maintained, and a shower is available should you feel so inclined.

Eventually the flight is announced in the lounge area, and everyone gets up and gathers their belongings to head over to the gate.

 

[allanorn]

Thursday, 28 November 2024
Air France 5 - seat 5A
New York JFK 18.30 - Paris CDG 07.50 (+1)

I boarded a Boeing 777-200 that has seen some use, and had the delight of turning left to get to the forward Business cabin. My home for the next eight or so hours was quite nice:



It was a very comfortable seat. The only annoying thing to me was that it is on a 45-degree angle. I've only flown in Business class over the ocean once before, and the seats were parallel like Amtrak roomettes. It just felt odd to look forward but not in the direction of travel. The seat was otherwise good. I didn't make much use of the entertainment system as I wanted to keep reading, plus I wanted to avoid too much screen time before taking at least a nap.

Dinner was served an hour after takeoff. No turkey was on offer - to the French, it was a Thursday evening - so I made sure to have some sliced turkey meat back at the lounge. I was surprised to get two decent-sized courses for dinner.




The appetizers were a salad, a little cold filet of boeuf, an asparagus salad, and some dried fruit and nuts. The main was chicken thigh with a tomato sauce and quinoa - perfectly fine. I passed on dessert as I was full and they didn't have anything that was gluten-free. Between the lounge food and dinner, I didn't need more food.

I was able to rest up for a few hours, though I don't think I actually slept more than a few winks. I hadn't been up for terribly long, and I was still excited for being on vacation and being able to go on this trip. If I get such an opportunity to fly over the ocean overnight in Business class, it might be better if I flew from a west-coast gateway instead of an east-coast one. We were in the air about seven hours in total; it's enough time for a nap but that's about it.

About an hour before arrival, I was handed breakfast with the best French omelette I had ever tasted:



About twenty minutes later, one of the flight attendants handed me a gluten-free roll. Apparently it had rolled off the tray and was at the bottom of the food cart. Hence the empty spot on the lower left-hand side.

The landing was as smooth as I've been on, and we eventually made it to our gate after about ten minutes. Once we left the plane, it was the usual walk to customs and immigration. By usual, I mean it went on for about ten or twenty minutes. Charles de Gaulle is a massive airport, and they process huge numbers of people every day. I usually avoid flying into CDG for that reason alone - the last time I was in Paris, I landed at 8am local and spent an hour and a half in line to clear immigration.

The customs area this morning was deserted. Perhaps it was because not many people are flying over during Thanksgiving. I was able to use the priority lane, and found myself all alone in one line just as the person ahead of me finished with the immigration officer. After exchanging formalities, my passport was stamped, and I was officially in France. Total time to clear customs and immigration: 45 seconds.

The downside was that my luggage, even though it was marked as priority, was still somewhere deep in the bowels of the terminal, and it took about 30 minutes before my bag arrived on the carousel. I paused to get everything rearranged, then headed out for the next step: determining how to get to Strasbourg, as Air France sold me a ticket to a place it doesn't fly to.

 

[allanorn]

Let's answer the question: how am I getting to Strasbourg, a place where Air France does not fly, on an Air France ticketed itinerary?

The answer is simple: by TGV.

You might be saying that SNCF (the operators of the TGVs in various brands) is not Air France, and that is correct. However, Air France sells combined air and rail tickets - as do a lot of European airlines. It doesn't matter what class you fly in either.

KLM offers a combined ticket to Brussels using Eurostar. Austrian Airlines uses ÖBB from Vienna, and Swiss partners with SBB to offer a combined ticket to a few destinations within Switzerland and one in Austria (Bregenz). Lufthansa uses Deutsche Bahn to get you to a number of places via Frankfurt - you can see them offered on Google Flights if you look around for a bit. Lufthansa even runs buses from Munich's airport to Innsbruck and Nuremberg. But Air France has the most extensive combined air and rail network - you can book to Brussels using Eurostar, to destinations in Switzerland via Geneva's airport, and a number of destinations in France via TGV.

Back in the day, Amtrak partnered with Continental Airlines for a similar service via Newark. United kept the service for a while after it acquired Continental, but discontinued the partnership in late 2020.

To be fair, you don't have to book a combined ticket to do this itinerary. It might also cost a little more to book a combined ticket with an airline than booking separate airfare and train tickets. You get more control that way. However, there are definite advantages to a combined ticket. First, it's only one itinerary to manage. Second, Air France guarantees the connections. If you misconnect because the other form of conveyance is late or has an issue, Air France will put you on the next flight or train. Third, if it's important, you can gain airline miles on the train segment.

The most advantageous reason for this particular itinerary is because you avoid transiting Paris. Paris has a number of large train stations, and while it's kind of straightforward in the age of Google Maps - it's not very easy to do. You have to first use the RER to get to Gare du Nord, then use the Metro or RER to get to your train station. (You can walk to Gare de l'Est from Gare du Nord in about ten minutes though.)

On one end of CDG Terminal 2, there is a train station with two sides. One side is for catching the local RER services to head into Paris. The other side is the TGV station.

If you get a combined air-and-rail ticket and your train leaves from CDG, you have to collect your ticket at the train station. It's about an eight-minute walk from the Terminal 2 baggage claim to the station. Once you're there, go down two floors (one is a mezzanine) to the ground level. Currently you'll need to look for a blue ticket machine:


Look for it near the SNCF and Eurostar service counters. I remember there being only one, but there might be a second somewhere else.

Once you get access to the machine, change the language to English and follow the instructions to enter in your Air France reservation locator. Once it's validated, it'll spit out your ticket. The most frustrating aspects of this experience are a) changing the language to English; and b) waiting for confused Americans who are trying to buy a ticket or retrieve a ticket when the machine is in French.

 

[BlackDiamond]

Back in the day, Amtrak partnered with Continental Airlines for a similar service via Newark. United kept the service for a while after it acquired Continental, but discontinued the partnership in late 2020.

United serves my local airport (Lehigh Valley International (ABE) which I still call by its old name ABE Airport) via a bus connection to Newark (EWR). Probably goes back to the Continental days. So one can ticket ABE - ORD which is routed ABE - (bus) - EWR - ORD.

 

[railiner]

United serves my local airport (Lehigh Valley International (ABE) which I still call by its old name ABE Airport) via a bus connection to Newark (EWR). Probably goes back to the Continental days. So one can ticket ABE - ORD which is routed ABE - (bus) - EWR - ORD.

AA does similar at their PHL hub…
You even clear security at at the outlying airport and check your bags thru…
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/experience/landline.jsp

 

[allanorn]

The "downside" to the ticket I bought is that I had a five-hour connection time to the train. It's plausible that I could have exchanged my ticket for an earlier one, but I had another idea.

I handed my checked bag over to a luggage storage area in the train station, and headed into Paris.


I took the RER B to the Saint-Michel Notre-Dame station, and exited out to this view. One week after this photo, French President Emmanuel Macron and a number of dignitaries were present for the formal opening of the cathedral after five years of reconstruction.

I didn't have a lot of time, but I had enough time to walk around and look at things.



I even wandered into a couple of bookstores in the 5th.

San Francisco Book Company is cute and sells 100% second-hand English books. It's small but they had a really good selection.

The Abbey Bookshop is also a primarily-English used bookstore, though I didn't find it as inviting to browse. The shelves went up to the ceiling, which was very high.

I even chanced upon a Christmas market next to Notre-Dame:

But my last stop in Paris was at the famed Shakespeare and Company:


They sell mostly new English books, but they have a few used books outside and a shelf or two of used books by the register. I was fortunate to find a copy of Granite Island used and in great condition for six euro, which is a very good bargain and an appropriate souvenir for the day. I had the book stamped as well.

I made it back on the RER after a few minutes of wandering around to find an entrance, and arrived back at the airport with plenty of time to retrieve my bag and get a snack or two before the train.

I wouldn't consider going into Paris unless you have a minimum of four hours available - the train ride is at least 40 minutes in each direction, and the line at the airport to get a ticket is interminable (even on Thanksgiving). If you can, download the RATP app ahead of time and buy your RER tickets on it; it'll save you a ton of time. I was also fortunate that the luggage storage place wasn't that busy either - I think I would have considered storing my luggage at Gare du Nord instead, but that would have cut into my available time in the city.

 

[allanorn]

Friday, 29 November 2024
AF 6446 // SNCF TGV Inoui 5440 - 1st Class, Car 12, Seat 31
Paris CDG 12.50 - Strasbourg 14.47

Let's talk about the train!

When you book a combined air and rail ticket - those with Economy and Premium Economy airline tickets are given a second-class ticket; Business and La Premiere passengers receive a First Class ticket. Second class seating is 2x2, while first class is 2x1.

Track 3 was announced about ten minutes before scheduled arrival, and after I had my ticket validated by SNCF staff inside the station I made my way to the platform. There were more than a few people standing outside in the 40-degree weather waiting for the train when I arrived. The train arrived a couple of minutes behind schedule, which wasn't a problem. For this trip we had a double-decker TGV, as most of the single-level TGVs have been taken out of service within France.

Boarding was a little more chaotic than I had expected. The first class car seemed to take forever to board, while everyone in second class was more or less in the train in just a couple of minutes. I was starting to get worried that they'd close the doors on us - but everyone made it on board and we were underway a few minutes behind schedule.

Finding luggage space was a different matter entirely. It appears that TGVs are not built for airport travelers with large bags. Luggage was stacked where there was space, and often multiple bags were stacked on top of each other. I took my bag upstairs and found a spot in the next car. I was a little worried about it, but I also invested in AirTags and people are pretty good about luggage on board a train. Once space started clearing up after stops, I moved my bag into the same area my seat was in.

My seat was on the lower level - not a choice I would have made, but for a two-hour trip I wasn't going to be worried about it.



The first class seat is quite comfortable and there's plenty of legroom, though it isn't the Amtrak long-distance coach experience. This would not be a good seat for an overnight trip but I would be perfectly fine going to Berlin.


I really, really liked the tray table configuration. It was definitely large enough for a big laptop. There are USB-A and 230V European plugs that are very easy to reach, plus a couple of places to store magazines or small tablets. I really like the separate small tray table - that's enough space to place a phone or tablet, with easy access to the light and the power outlets. Amtrak would do well to take notice of this configuration and see if they could pull something off for their Acela and regional trains.

Due to the time and how packed the train was, I didn't investigate second class or the cafe car.

The ride itself was very smooth. I didn't notice too much lateral movement, even when TGVs passed us going the other direction. The only thing I noticed over Deutsche Bahn ICEs is that this train felt much faster even though the top speed differential isn't all that much. ICE3 trains from DB are rated for 300km/h (186mph), while TGVs can operate up to 320km/h (199mph) on the LGV Grand-Est. We were consistently running between 305-310km/h and I noticed once that we were at 315km/h (195mph). Perhaps it was because there is much more French countryside to see out the window versus the typical German sound isolation walls that often line the track.

We made two stops before Strasbourg: Champagne-Ardenne TGV for connections to Reims, and Lorraine TGV for transit services to Metz and Nancy. One notable thing about these stops is that they are well outside of any city, likely to avoid changing on to standard-speed rail and slowing the service down. Before I knew it we were slowing down and on the approach to Strasbourg - we arrived in the station about a minute before scheduled arrival time.

From there I noticed a train opposite the platform that was headed to my final destination for the week. It was running a few minutes late, and rather packed. I bought a ticket on my cell phone, made my way aboard the train after looking through a few doors for enough space for me and my bag, and proceeded to have a well-needed standing-room-only ride for 30 minutes.

 

[allanorn]

In short, would I book a combined air and rail ticket again? Definitely, even if I was going across the ocean in Economy. As long as the price differential between one itinerary and separate airfare and rail tickets wasn't too much - I really like having everything settled on one ticket. Having that missed connection guarantee brings a piece of mind on longer trips. I would like to try a train-to-plane itinerary next time, as I think that would be the more interesting experience from a logistical standpoint.

And while I think the smaller Alsatian wine towns are very charming around Christmas, and would encourage everyone to visit if they have the opportunity - Strasbourg really knows how to throw a good Christmas market.

 

[Willbridge]

I enjoyed your trip! It reminded me of my brief visits to Strasburg, but a lot has changed since 1970 and 1971, when I got there on French troop trains. And you had good weather, too.

 

[BlackDiamond]

Thanks for your trip report, I enjoyed reading it. I was in Strasbourg in 1977 when I made a day trip from where I was staying in Kaiserslautern. I recall seeing the astronomical clock plus eating a nice French meal at a restaurant there.

 

[Cal H]

I've enjoyed your trip report and the various tips you included

 

[railiner]

Nicely done report, thanks for posting.

United serves my local airport (Lehigh Valley International (ABE) which I still call by its old name ABE Airport) via a bus connection to Newark (EWR). Probably goes back to the Continental days. So one can ticket ABE - ORD which is routed ABE - (bus) - EWR - ORD.

IIRC, UAL used to have a special with Amtrak, where you’d go coast-to-coast on one, and return on the other, either way. I believe you could purchase the round trip from either carrier…

Back when Amtrak ran between the PHL airport via the SEPTA line, and Atlantic City, I believe the train was a “code share” for at least one airline, (AA or maybe US Air?)

And didn’t UA use the NEC as a code share from EWR?

 

[Palmland]

Excellent report and good detail on what makes traveling fun, thanks. It reminded me of a trip we ended a by returning a rental car at Le Mans and taking the TGV to CDG for an airport hotel and flight home the next day. It was so easy without the drama often associated with an Amtrak trip.

 

[Trollopian]

And 80 years ago today, my uncle was also near Strasbourg, fighting with the 100th Infantry Division to liberate Bitche, whose Citadel fell on this date for the first time in its 250-year history. Earning the Century division's nickname of "Sons of Bitche." Uncle Rudy would've enjoyed your trip report, Allanorn.

https://www.usar.army.mil/News/Images/igphoto/2001458078/

 

[allanorn]

And on this date 80 years ago, my uncle was also near Strasbourg, fighting with the 100th Infantry Division to liberate Bitche, whose Citadel fell on this date for the first time in its 250-year history. Earning the Century division's nickname of "Sons of Bitche." Uncle Rudy would've enjoyed your trip report, Allanorn.

https://www.usar.army.mil/News/Images/igphoto/2001458078/

View attachment 39394

So I have another trip report in mind that touches on the same theme, but the train ride is only 15 minutes out of the whole day. Would there be interest?

 

[Cal H]

So I have another trip report in mind that touches on the same theme, but the train ride is only 15 minutes out of the whole day. Would there be interest?

I would be interested

 

[Trollopian]

So I have another trip report in mind that touches on the same theme, but the train ride is only 15 minutes out of the whole day. Would there be interest?

Yes, I would be interested! My great-nephew (age 16) is keen on WWII history, and in the summer after he graduates, we're thinking of winding our way from Marseille to Stuttgart via (mostly) slow train, roughly retracing my uncle's path in the "Riviera to the Rhine" campaign. Plus at least one Train à grande vitesse, just so I can see what we're missing in this country.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Economy tickets were about what I'd expect, but the Business class ticket in that direction was slightly cheaper than Premium Economy. That's... unusual. I've apparently hit a sale! Unfortunately the return is regular price, so I'd have to sit in the back of the bus going home.

That's a heck of a score from the sounds of it. In my experience even discounted J is usually double the W/Y+ fare.

It appears Delta has stepped up their game in the first class cabin for their newer domestic planes.

I believe those seats are exclusive to the A321. Some people find them a little claustrophobic but I like them.

The only annoying thing to me was that it is on a 45-degree angle. I've only flown in Business class over the ocean once before, and the seats were parallel like Amtrak roomettes. It just felt odd to look forward but not in the direction of travel.

That's a very common business layout called "reverse herringbone." The original herringbone had the window seats pointing inward.

If you get a combined air-and-rail ticket and your train leaves from CDG, you have to collect your ticket at the train station.

I'm all for replacing flights with trains wherever practical, but it's a shame AF/Skyteam cannot find a way to provide all your tickets ahead of time through an email or app. Or maybe the EU could create something like Suica/Passmo in Japan where you can download a digital card to your phone to travel almost anywhere in the country with the same cost and convenience as locals enjoy.