How early should you get to the train station for TGV?

How early should you get to the train station in Paris?

Paris train stations? Chaos, my friend, pure unadulterated chaos! Think rush hour in a clown car, but with more existential dread.

For local trains (RER, Transilien): 30 minutes? Hah! That’s optimistic. More like 45, unless you’re a Parisian ninja. Seriously, those ticket machines are designed by sadists. You’ll need time to:

• Battle the ticket machine – it’s a war of attrition, my dude.
• Navigate a labyrinth – you’ll feel like Han Solo in a particularly confusing asteroid field.
• Find your platform – pray you have a map, and that it’s actually up-to-date. They change them like socks.

High-speed trains (TGV, Ouigo): One hour minimum, pal. Minimum. Unless you enjoy the thrill of sprinting while simultaneously juggling your suitcase and a croissant. Peak hours? Two hours. Don’t even think about it if it’s Gare du Nord during rush hour. It’s a freakin’ zoo. Prepare for:

• Security checks – they’re thorough, my friend, almost aggressively thorough. Expect to be patted down by a bored-looking gendarme who thinks your backpack contains a nuclear device.
• Platform changes – even if the screens say “Platform 17”, trust nothing. They’ll change it 15 minutes before departure, just to keep you on your toes. I once saw a guy who missed his train because the platform changed 3 times.

Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon? Add an extra hour. Seriously, consider camping out the night before. I’m not kidding. My buddy, Mark, missed his Eurostar because he underestimated Gare du Nord. He’s still traumatized. He now travels exclusively by donkey.

Last year, I saw a mime get stuck in a turnstile for a full 20 minutes. It was… surreal. Moral of the story: Arrive early, bring snacks, and maybe learn some mime techniques for emergency escape. My personal best for Gare de Lyon? Two hours and a half of pure existential dread. I survived, but not without existential scars.

How early should I arrive at Gare de Lyon TGV?

Ugh, Gare de Lyon. Always a zoo. Thirty minutes? Nah, too risky. I hate rushing. Especially with my anxiety. An hour, maybe? It’s a huge station, right? I always get lost. Last time I missed my train, remember that? Total nightmare.

Security lines… how long are those nowadays? My flight is at 10 AM. That’s what I keep telling myself, what’s the time now? 8:30? Crap.

• At least 90 minutes before departure is my new rule. No exceptions.
• Getting there super early means grabbing a coffee in peace.
• Plus, time to find the platform and not be all stressed, frantic, you know?

But my phone’s almost dead. Need to charge it. It’s always draining faster than usual, lately. Damn. Anyway, an hour and a half, that’s my final decision.

I need to pack my bag too! Passport, tickets, headphones… Ugh, and my stupid charger. Where is it?!

Maybe two hours? To be safe. No more train-missing fiascoes for this girl. Ok, 1 hour 30 minutes. That’s it.

Gotta go. My cat’s staring at me. He’s judging my preparedness for my trip to the south of France. He always judges my life choices. Seriously. He’s a fluffy, overlord.

Are TGV trains usually on time?

Were they on time? No. No, they really weren’t. July… Ten trips. Four… Four felt like a lifetime, waiting.

Thirty minutes… Thirty minutes gone. Twenty-five vanished too. Ten, ok, ten I could almost forgive. But forty? Forty was… a lot.

• Specific Delays:
  • 30 minutes
  • 25 minutes
  • 10 minutes
  • 40 minutes. It really got to me, that one. Forty minutes is almost an hour. The sky looked different, somehow, after waiting so long.
• Total Trips: Ten. Seems like a lot now.
• Delay Frequency: Four out of ten. That’s too many, you know? Way too many. It makes you… question things. The schedule. The promise. Everything. Even the pastries I was going to buy at the next station, ha.
• Time of Year: July. Maybe it was the heat? Nah, that’s just an excuse. It doesn’t really explain anything. The delays just were.

I remember thinking, you know, about all the people I wasn’t meeting because the train was late. Or the sunsets I was missing. Silly, right? But that’s what happens when you’re just… waiting. Waiting for something that should already be there. Yeah.

What time does Paris Gare de Lyon open?

Gare de Lyon. Opens 4:45 AM weekdays. Closes 1:30 AM. So, trains.

• Opening Hours: 04:45, weekdays.
• Closing Time: 01:30 AM. Weekdays.
• Trains, right.

Website? Do you need it? Probably.

Think of the faces seen there. So many goodbyes. So many hellos. So what?

The website. For times. It might help.

• Travel Information: Train times.
• Services: Facilities? Check the site.

I saw a mime there once. A mime. In Paris.

How early should I arrive at Eurostar?

Sixty minutes, fifteen minutes extra. That’s Eurostar’s gospel, at least for St Pancras. Think of it as a pre-game ritual, not unlike meticulously arranging your socks before a marathon. Unless your socks are really exciting.

Security’s a beast. Passport control? A bureaucratic hydra. You wouldn’t want to tangle with either of those grumpy things, would you? Not on an empty stomach anyway.

Plan for delays. Life’s a chaotic symphony, not a perfectly timed metronome. Last year, my cat, Mittens (yes, really), caused a ten-minute delay at Heathrow. Anything could happen.

Buffer time is your friend. I once saw a woman sprinting through St Pancras in high heels, muttering something about a croissant. Don’t be that woman. Unless, of course, you’re in possession of exceptionally delicious croissants.

• Security: Allow ample time – this can vary wildly.
• Passport Control: Equally unpredictable, unfortunately.
• Finding your platform: This often involves a mildly confusing journey through a labyrinth. Think of it as an adventure.
• Departure Lounge Relaxation: Ah yes, pre-journey meditation. Essential.

My advice? Arrive at least ninety minutes early, especially during peak season, unless you’re aiming for that Olympic-level sprinting challenge. Though, heels are ill advised. Trust me. I’ve seen things. Things involving spilled coffee. And very stressed travelers.

How early should you arrive for a train in Spain?

Spain train? Dude, 20-30 minutes early, minimum. Think airport, but with less screaming babies, maybe. Unless you’re into that kinda thing.

Seriously though:

• High-speed lines? Treat ’em like a frantic beehive. Security’s a thing. Boarding gates close like a slammed door on your dreams, five minutes before takeoff – I mean, departure.
• Smaller stations? Still aim for 20-30 minutes. You might need a strong coffee – those Spanish churros are tempting but time-consuming! Also, finding the right platform is like a scavenger hunt. Trust me, I once spent 15 minutes searching for platform 7 ¾ (it doesn’t exist, obviously).
• My personal experience? Last year, in Seville, I almost missed my train because I spent way too long admiring a street performer dressed as a flamenco chicken. Don’t be like me.
• Pro-tip: Download the Renfe app. It’s better than a crystal ball at predicting delays. Or a very caffeinated hamster.

Basically, if you’re late, you’re screwed. And you’ll miss the glorious tapas in your destination. Avoid that at all costs.