Train station to Port Chalon Sur Saone

[irenen]

DH and I are on Uniworld Burgundy & Provence River cruise on 30 Aug starting in Chalon sur Saone. I am coming from Paris and DH is coming from Tours.

 

I think I can organise trains for each of us but have no idea how far the train station is from the port. So I can't work out whether to pay for ship transfers ( not even sure if they pickl up from train station) or what forms of transport are available. If anyne has been on this cruise and has any information, I would be very grateful.

[benfield]

irenen

 

we did the same Uniworld river cruise Chalon sur Saone to Arles in Sept 2007. We caught the train from Paris, changed trains at Lyon and arrived at Chalon sur Saone on a very quiet Sunday afternoon. There is a taxi at the station but after waiting a considerable time and no sign of one we gave up and walked through the town to the river trailing our cases behind us. It took about 10 minutes.(we are in or late 60's) flat easy walk through an interesting looking town that I wish we had been able to explore but alas the boat (now they are boats aren't they? not ships?) left at 5pm the same afternoon. I had a map of Chalon off the internet that was completely useless but at least lead us in the right direction to the river.

I am sure you will have a wonderful time. I would be dead jealous if we weren't going on APT cruise Amsterdam to Budapest this September.

 

benfield

[irenen]

Thanks for the great advice benfield. It is really helpful. I'm now wondering whether I should just go to Lyon airport from Paris and use the ship transfer, since they do a pick up from the airport and since I need to change trains in Lyon, anyway, it might be simpler. Will think about it.

[richardgail]

DH and I are on Uniworld Burgundy & Provence River cruise on 30 Aug starting in Chalon sur Saone. I am coming from Paris and DH is coming from Tours.

 

I think I can organise trains for each of us but have no idea how far the train station is from the port. So I can't work out whether to pay for ship transfers ( not even sure if they pickl up from train station) or what forms of transport are available. If anyne has been on this cruise and has any information, I would be very grateful.

 

I have been researching this same thing as we want to do four days in Paris before boarding the ship in Chalon but in August 2010. We can get the TGV from CDG airport to Dijon Ville and then on to Chalon. www.raileurope.com From what I've read, you have to buy your TGV ticket online maximum 90 days out and this is recommended to be assured a seat. This apparently is no easy task and there are detailed (if not confusing) instructions on how to do this at Paris: Booking on SNCF - TripAdvisor.

 

I would like to know of anyone who has bought their TGV train ticket online and was it difficult to maneuver the website?

 

And from the last poster who did this Paris to Chalon, we should be prepared to walk to the ship after getting off the train in Chalon. Since it was said that they arrived in Chalon on a very quiet Sunday, might I assume that the trains would not be as busy on Sundays as on other days?

 

Here is a site with answers to train travel questions: http://bonjourlafrance.net/france-trains/trains-faq-questions-answers.htm

[benfield]

richardgail

 

I have just checked my journal and for what its worth note the following

we bought our tickets through rail europe in NZ before we left.

We caught the TVG train to Lyon (2 hrs) and then connected with a regional train to Chalon sur Saone. (1 hr) I had looked at going via Dijon but the connection times worked better for us with the regional train. I think on Sundays the trains run about once every hour. I must say on arrival at Chalon sur Saone I thought I had arrived at an outback station.

I learnt two lessons, no three from the travelling we did by train in Europe.

1. French trains are far more reliable re time than Italian trains.

2. I will never travel 2nd class on European trains again -the seating was quite comfortable but the problem is luggage space. I will never forget standing at the rail station in Paris in an orderly fashion which broke off into a scrum as soon as the train arrived. I couldn't understand why, as we had our seat tickets.I soon found out when I got on the train. There was nowhere to put our cases. We had to stand with them instead of sitting in our seats. I changed all our tickets after that to first class and had a far more enjoyable time.

3. I now always arrive a day ahead of a boat leaving. Our connection times from the time we arrived in Paris to the time we got to the River Royale in Chalon were so tight,I look back and think how luck was on our side that day and how easily it could have turned to custard.

 

benfield

[richardgail]

richardgail

 

I have just checked my journal and for what its worth note the following

we bought our tickets through rail europe in NZ before we left.

We caught the TVG train to Lyon (2 hrs) and then connected with a regional train to Chalon sur Saone. (1 hr) I had looked at going via Dijon but the connection times worked better for us with the regional train. I think on Sundays the trains run about once every hour. I must say on arrival at Chalon sur Saone I thought I had arrived at an outback station.

I learnt two lessons, no three from the travelling we did by train in Europe.

1. French trains are far more reliable re time than Italian trains.

2. I will never travel 2nd class on European trains again -the seating was quite comfortable but the problem is luggage space. I will never forget standing at the rail station in Paris in an orderly fashion which broke off into a scrum as soon as the train arrived. I couldn't understand why, as we had our seat tickets.I soon found out when I got on the train. There was nowhere to put our cases. We had to stand with them instead of sitting in our seats. I changed all our tickets after that to first class and had a far more enjoyable time.

3. I now always arrive a day ahead of a boat leaving. Our connection times from the time we arrived in Paris to the time we got to the River Royale in Chalon were so tight,I look back and think how luck was on our side that day and how easily it could have turned to custard.

 

benfield

 

Thanks, benfield. Your post has confirmed some of my concerns. While everything could turn out fine, as you say, it very well could not. We could save $1000 by doing three nights in Paris and traveling to Chalon on our own rather than buying Uniworld's $2000 Paris extension. But my husband points out that buying Uniworld's extension would give us not only peace of mind, but certainty.

[richardgail]

I don't know why I didn't think of this before! I checked Air France from CDG to Lyon and the price in June 2010 was $68! This gives us another option about the same price as a first class train ticket.

 

One caveat, I need to check Air France for baggage weight limit.

[irenen]

I have just purchased 2 train tickets via the sncf web site, from Paris to Chalon, via Dijon Ville, for Euros 97. It is a 2 hour 20 min trip, includig a 5 min transfer time.

[benfield]

Is the connecting train for Chalon sur Saone is on the same platform as the incoming train from Paris to Dijon Ville ? 5 minutes seems a very short time to allow for the unexpected .

[planejane]

Hi, I just got back from the Arles to Chalon Burgandy and Provence trip with Uniworld. It was soooo great! Wish I was still on it. About the transfer. I would take the train from Paris to Chalon going through Dijon. It is much faster than going to Lyon. Lyon is almost 2 hours by bus transfer away from Chalon. The Chalon train station is about a 10 min taxi ride and cost us about 10 euro. I bought a train ticket from Chalon to Paris through Rail Europe for about $76 for a 1st class ticket. Good luck,

Jane

[irenen]

That's great to hear, planejane. I purchased the tickets going through Dijon as you suggested for 97Euros for the 2 of us via the sncf site. I also got a response from the Dijon tourist information office to say that the 2nd train leaves from the same platform as the Paris-Dijon one, so that eases my mind about having such a short connection time. I'm also glad to hear you enjoyed the cruise. We've never been on a river cruise before so we weren't sure what it would be like ( although I can't imagine anything not being wonderful in Provence and Burgundy).

[richardgail]

I purchased the tickets going through Dijon as you suggested for 97Euros for the 2 of us via the sncf site.

 

Did you have any problems navigating the sncf site? It seems daunting especially after I read all the instructions posted on tripadvisor.com.

[irenen]

yes, it does seem daunting, but the excellent step by step instructions make it quite easy if you are patient. If you have the instructions, just do each step at a time and there should be no problem. I made about 4-5 separate bookings and all went well, except for a couple of them where it would not accept one of my credit cards, so I tried another and it was OK.

Good luck

[jamarho]

DH and I are on Uniworld Burgundy & Provence River cruise on 30 Aug starting in Chalon sur Saone. I am coming from Paris and DH is coming from Tours.

 

I think I can organise trains for each of us but have no idea how far the train station is from the port. So I can't work out whether to pay for ship transfers ( not even sure if they pickl up from train station) or what forms of transport are available. If anyne has been on this cruise and has any information, I would be very grateful.

We also are traveling from Paris to Chalon sur Saone for this same cruise. We are taking the train from Paris to Chalon sur Saone on 8/29 and spending the night. It appears to me that the best route from Paris is through Dijon. (However, I may explore the Lyone connection.) We plan to buy our train tickets in Paris, rather than ordering them, as we do not have to take a specific train.

 

I understand you can order the tickets on line through raileurope.com and have them delivered within a couple of days, for an additional charge. Or, you can go through the sncf site and pick them up at the train station, as long as your credit card has the necessary chip in it. I have not done this before, but have been checking several sources.

 

My cousin's husband is an honorary consul to France and he thinks we will be fine buying tickets at the station a day or two before we depart to Chalon sur Saone.

 

I do not think Uniworld picks up from the train station--only from the Lyon airport. We plan to get ourselves to the ship--will see how far it is and either walk or take a taxi.

 

See you on board!

[susiesan]

I'll be taking the Chalon sur Saone to Avignon cruise with Viking on Oct. 18. I got 2 train tickets via RailEurope from Paris-Dijon-Chalon for 81 euros for 2. Not a bad deal. I bought them online 3 months before the date of travel. I also bought tickets from Avignon to Barcelona post cruise online the same way. I was not able to get the PREM tickets for either journey.

 

I was told by Viking to take a cab to the boat but if it's only a 10 minute walk and the weather is nice we may just walk. Our boat doesn't actually sail the first night so we have plenty of time to get there as long as it's in time for dinner!

[lizglea]

I am going to book this cruise for April 2010 and would like to hear about your trip and train connections. also what hotel do you recommend for Paris

[Condocat]

I just traveled in France via train this past Spring. I ordered our tickets in advance via the internet with no problems and the tickets were delivered to my home within a few days.

 

Very important...something we learned from the locals and not in any of the brochure information: before boarding the train you must validate your ticket! Before going to the train platform you will see bright yellow boxes about a foot square and 4 feet high, before you enter the doorway to the trains, you insert the end of your ticket into this yellow box and it validates your ticket. If you don't do this and the conductor comes through the train, you can be fined. We saw one fellow who was fined over $60 euros for not having his ticket validated! It takes seconds to do...just follow the crowd.

 

Have great trip. The trains are wonderful in France and very timely!

[jamarho]

We just returned from the Uniworld River Royale Cruise on the Saone and Rhone--from Chalon-sur-Saone to Arles. It was fantastic. However, if you take the train from Paris to Chalon, via Dijon, you should have plenty of time to change trains. We elected not to take the train with 11 minutes for the change, and opted for a 39 minute interval, which proved to be a wise decision. After leaving the Gare de Lyon in Paris, where all of the tracks are in the same location, we were a bit disoriented in Dijon. We arrived on track A, which is upstairs, but there were no more tracks on that level. After a bit of difficulty in communication (and I speak some French) we learned that most of the other tracks are on the lower level. The person in the information office spoke no English and was not at all helpful in trying to communicate with me in French. However, a person in the ticket office was helpful. Also, you should know that when you arrive in Chalon you have to take your luggage down a long flight of stairs and then up another long flight of stairs to get in the terminal--you go under the track. We stayed at the Hotel St. George in Chalon, which was very convenient as it is across the street from the train station.

[richardgail]

We just returned from the Uniworld River Royale Cruise on the Saone and Rhone--from Chalon-sur-Saone to Arles. It was fantastic. However, if you take the train from Paris to Chalon, via Dijon, you should have plenty of time to change trains. We elected not to take the train with 11 minutes for the change, and opted for a 39 minute interval, which proved to be a wise decision. After leaving the Gare de Lyon in Paris, where all of the tracks are in the same location, we were a bit disoriented in Dijon. We arrived on track A, which is upstairs, but there were no more tracks on that level. After a bit of difficulty in communication (and I speak some French) we learned that most of the other tracks are on the lower level. The person in the information office spoke no English and was not at all helpful in trying to communicate with me in French. However, a person in the ticket office was helpful. Also, you should know that when you arrive in Chalon you have to take your luggage down a long flight of stairs and then up another long flight of stairs to get in the terminal--you go under the track. We stayed at the Hotel St. George in Chalon, which was very convenient as it is across the street from the train station.

 

Thanks for this essential information for anyone doing this train itinerary.

[susiesan]

I am going to book this cruise for April 2010 and would like to hear about your trip and train connections. also what hotel do you recommend for Paris

 

We are staying at a 2 star near the Eiffel Tower, The Royal Phare. Booked it on venere.com, 89 eu a night for a room with shower. With the exchange rate against the dollar so bad I had to drop down to 2 star from 3 to stay within my budget. I'll report after we return how it was on tripadvisor.

[richardgail]

Originally Posted by lizglea

I am going to book this cruise for April 2010 and would like to hear about your trip and train connections. also what hotel do you recommend for Par

 

 

We are staying at a 2 star near the Eiffel Tower, The Royal Phare. Booked it on venere.com, 89 eu a night for a room with shower. With the exchange rate against the dollar so bad I had to drop down to 2 star from 3 to stay within my budget. I'll report after we return how it was on tripadvisor.

 

We originally were going to take the Paris extension from Uniworld but decided we could do it cheaper on our own and that is staying at the Sheraton at the airport for a AAA rate of 179 Euro/night. No, we are not rich, but it does help that we have free airline tickets using our airline miles.

We will fly from Paris to Lyon and pick up the bus transfer to the ship, so being at the airport will simplify things for us. We stayed at the Amsterdam airport for Uniworld's Castles along the Rhine cruise (Citizens M) and it was so convenient with the train station at the airport and walking to the airport to pick up the bus transfer to the ship. We are saving $700 from what Uniworld's Paris extension would cost. If you are a Starwood member you might have 12,000 pts. per night to use. If you take out the Starwood Am. Express credit card, you get 10,000 pts. If your wife/husband gets a credit card too, that is another 10,000 pts. You can transfer points into the other's account and that would be 20,000 pts. and when you redeem pts. there is a 5,000 pt. bonus (at least there was when I did it). That gives you 25,000 pts. which could be used for 2 free nights at the Sheraton at CDG Airport.

[susiesan]

Originally Posted by lizglea

We originally were going to take the Paris extension from Uniworld but decided we could do it cheaper on our own and that is staying at the Sheraton at the airport for a AAA rate of 179 Euro/night. No, we are not rich, but it does help that we have free airline tickets using our airline miles.

We will fly from Paris to Lyon and pick up the bus transfer to the ship, so being at the airport will simplify things for us. We stayed at the Amsterdam airport for Uniworld's Castles along the Rhine cruise (Citizens M) and it was so convenient with the train station at the airport and walking to the airport to pick up the bus transfer to the ship. We are saving $700 from what Uniworld's Paris extension would cost. If you are a Starwood member you might have 12,000 pts. per night to use. If you take out the Starwood Am. Express credit card, you get 10,000 pts. If your wife/husband gets a credit card too, that is another 10,000 pts. You can transfer points into the other's account and that would be 20,000 pts. and when you redeem pts. there is a 5,000 pt. bonus (at least there was when I did it). That gives you 25,000 pts. which could be used for 2 free nights at the Sheraton at CDG Airport.

 

I have lots of Starwood Points and looked into using them. The neighborhood where the Meridien is is too far out of the way. I wanted to be right in the center so we can walk most every place we go to. I also used FF miles from NW flying Air France in biz class for the plane tickets. We are going to Barcelona after the cruise for 5 nights, staying in amn apartment there.

Susie

[susiesan]

Just to let you know, when we arrived in Chalon by train to board the Viking Burgundy, there were others on the same train being picked up by a Viking bus transfer. So we just followed the crowd and got on the bus. The CD did a head count, realized there were 4 extra people (another couple did the same as us) and said "oh well, that's fine." So we got a free transfer! It was not very far though. Could have walked it with rolling luggage in about 15 minutes if need be.

[irenen]

We walked from the station to the port, and it took 10 -15 minutes. It was flat all the way and very easy to do. We did have a map with us to indicate which direction to walk, which made it much easier. As Chalon is such a small place you may not see taxis waiting at the station, so if you do need a taxi, you might need to order one, so best to come armed with phone numbers for local taxi companies. Here are some: Taxi La Via Romana Tél 0033 (06 87 51 59 69) claude.conchaudron@neuf.fr - http://www.laviaromana.fr .Taxi Autonome Tél 0033 (06 71 64 55 58).

[crule]

For those of you that have either departed the ship in Chalon or embarked in Chalon, can you tell me where the ship docked?

 

I'm eyeballing Google Maps, but I don't really see anything that's painfully obvious of a dock. And with it 10 minutes from the train station, it can't be too far up or down river - somewhere near the Avenue de Verdun bridge...

 

Reason I'm asking is that we're extending our trip another 4 nights in Paris (on our own, following some of the guidance here), and I'm going to need to do some laundry if I'm going to keep my luggage down.

 

I've found a coin laundry on Rue de Pasteur (just a few blocks from that bridge).

 

If I don't do laundry here, I've found a similar laundry place just off the metro from where we're saying in Paris - so that's an option. (Used Google Street View to even get the price and hours of operation off the door!)

 

So... where's that ship dock in Chalon?

 

Thanks!

 

(11 months until we go on this trip - but I'm going nuts planning it).