The train and the bicycle.
Two modes of transport that respect the environment that allow you to criss-cross France at your own pace, from village to village, along cycle routes or greenways.
In all trains, biclos dismantled and stored in a cover are considered as simple baggage and can therefore be transported free of charge.
While bicycles that cannot be dismantled are only accepted in those that have spaces provided for this purpose, tricycles, scooters and tandems are not authorized anywhere... Due to their dimensions!
And as soon as the fine weather returns, and even more so in the heart of summer, taking your bicycle on a train can turn into a headache.
On Twitter, many travelers complain about the lack of dedicated spaces in the TER or TGV.
To guarantee a place for all cyclists (and their bikes), some regions now make it compulsory to book a “bike ticket” in the summer period.
“
There will always be a battle between the place occupied by a bicycle and the seat that we remove to put it on.
A bicycle with luggage means two seats less.
A cargo bike, about three seats
”, deciphers @BB27000, SNCF driver who popularizes the rail world on Twitter.
“
You have to find a fair balance for everyone and the decision-makers are not necessarily the same.
On a TGV, SNCF decides.
On an Intercités, it is the State that decides.
And on a TER, it is the region that decides.
»
Read alsoTrain: these infallible techniques for traveling cheaper
By TGV inOui
Folding and dismountable bicycles contained in a 130 cm x 90 cm cover, assimilated to simple luggage, can be transported free of charge.
Bikes that cannot be dismantled are accepted on some TGV inOui trains, provided you reserve a space (€10) when purchasing your ticket.
If the option is not offered during the search, this means that all the seats are taken or that the train does not have any space provided.
According to our research on SNCF Connect, very few TGVs are eligible.
Impossible to board your undisassembled bike on a Paris-Lille or a Paris-Montpellier, whatever the date: the error message "
We can't find any train with an available bike space
" is displayed repeatedly...
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In Intercities
In some TER, reservation is not necessary... Except in summer!
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The principle is the same as with the TGV inOui: folded or disassembled bicycles are accepted free of charge, while a space must be reserved for non-removable bicycles (€10).
This service is available on both daytime Intercités and national night trains.
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In Ouigo
In high-speed Ouigos, only folded or disassembled bicycles stored in a cover are accepted.
The option (€5) can be taken out upon booking and up to 1h30 before departure.
Bicycles that have not been disassembled are only accepted on board the classic Ouigo Trains, put into circulation in April 2022 (supplement of €10).
Read alsoYou will soon be able to resell your Ouigo train tickets
By TER
In regional trains, the transport of bicycles is free and without reservation.
But faced with the influx of cycle tourists observed in recent years, particularly in 2020 and 2021, several regions now require the reservation of a location in summer.
A way to guarantee a place on board, especially since the controller can refuse the two-wheeler if he considers that it bothers travelers.
Our guide, region by region:
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
:
free, without reservation.
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
:
free, without reservation.
From July 1 to August 28, 2022, reservation required on the Paris-Dijon-Mâcon and Paris-Morvan routes except for travelers with a subscription.
Brittany
:
free, without reservation.
Until August 28, 2022, reservation required (€1 per bike) in all TER trains, except on the Auray-Quiberon line.
Additional spaces are planned on the Rennes-Saint Malo, Rennes-Brest, Rennes-Quimper and Quimper-Nantes lines.
Centre-Val-de-Loire
:
free, without reservation on “Rémi” trains.
Grand Est
:
free, without reservation.
Hauts-de-France
:
free, without reservation in TER and high-speed TER.
In the latter, only folded or disassembled bicycles stored in a cover are authorized.
Île-de-France
:
bikes allowed free of charge on all RER and Transilien trains outside peak hours (6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays).
Dedicated spaces are available on all trains on lines H, K, J and L and some trains on lines N, P, R, RER D and RER E.
Normandy
:
free and without reservation.
Until August 28, the number of spaces increases from 6 to 16 in certain trains on the Caen-Granville-Rennes and Caen-Le Mans-Tours lines.
New Aquitaine
:
free, without reservation.
Occitanie
:
free, without reservation, with the exception of the Narbonne-Toulouse line (until August 31) and the Yellow Train (until September 26) where the reservation of the "Serene bike access" option, free, is mandatory (except for subscribers).
Pays de la Loire
:
free, without reservation.
Until September 11, increase in the number of bicycle spaces on the Orléans-Tours-Nantes-Le Croisic line as part of the “Train Loire à vélo” summer operation.
Reservation is not compulsory but highly recommended.
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
:
free, without reservation.
Read alsoProvence by bike: three sunny rides to do this summer
On international trains
It is possible to board an undismantled bicycle in a TGV... provided that it has a space provided for this purpose (here a TGV Lyria in Zurich station).
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In
TGV Lyria
, bicycles are allowed free of charge provided they are folded (or their wheels are removed) and stored in covers (maximum 120 cm x 90 cm).
At
Thalys
, bicycles can be boarded at no extra charge if they are dismantled, wheels included, and contained in a non-rigid cover not exceeding 135 x 85 x 30 cm.
At
Eurostar
, bicycle transport is temporarily no longer permitted.
“
Our bicycle transport service will not be able to resume this summer, due to security and customs issues that are beyond our control.
Our teams are making sure to be able to relaunch this service, hoping to have better news in September
”, indicates the company on its site.