TGV from CDG to DLP?

[uksaint]

I read many posts referring to VEA and silvershuttle to get from CDG to DLP, but no-one seems to mention the TGV. Is there a reason for this?

We have pre-paid transfers with VEA for our May trip, but the thought of 1.5 to 2 hours potentially on the bus means I am seriously considering getting the TGV - 15 minutes sounds much better to me.

Has anyone done this? Experiences good or bad, please.

Thanks
Andy

 

[poohmadmum]

The VEA shuttle from CDG to DLP only takes about 45 minutes as we used it in January.

I haven't used the train to do the same route but I think you have to catch one train into Paris and then another out to DLP which I think would take longer but I might be wrong. I'm sure someone else can help you out in respect of the train.

 

[jodyb]

Yes, the VEA coach will only take about 45 minutes unless it's dead high season and/or bad weather. There is the TGV train, to be sure, but it only runs from terminal 2, you have to reserve tickets in advance, or queue up to buy them, and you have to plan your train trip to coincide perfectly with your arrival, which may be in another terminal. It always seemed to me that by the time we organized getting ourselves over to terminal 2 we may as well have been on the VEA for 20 minutes already an halfway to DLP! Also, if your flight is delayed....well, you see where I'm getting at. One other thing - both the VEA and the private shuttle services will take you directly to your hotel. The TGV deposits you at the station between Disney village and the Disneyland Park entrance. You still have to worry about shlepping yourselves and your bags to your hotel (there are free shuttles from there, but my point is that it seems to me you don't save much hassle by taking the train if anyway you have to drag everything on and off a bus when you arrive at DLP...

All of that having been said, if you have no luggage to speak of, the TGV train might be an option for you to consider. It does only take 10 minutes to DLP, once you are on it...

After having considered all the aspects of this important question of airport transfer, I have concluded (for myself of course - just my opinion) that private shuttle service is best (Silvershuttle has best prices, but there are others), and VEA is an perfectly acceptable second choice for less than 4 people in low season. (More people makes it just as cheap to take even one of the more expensive shuttles)

 

[dlrpm]

Last April I managed to get my family to agree to take the TGV instead of the VEA or a taxi. On the way from CDG to DLRP, we got to the TGV station at CDG and they said there weren't any trains to Marne-La-Vallée/Chessy for over an hour, so we got a taxi instead (the VEA shuttles had stopped running for the night). On the way back though, we went to the Marne-La-Vallée/Chessy TGV station in DLRP and asked them about trains to CDG and they gave us the times and so we got tickets. The train was one of the new duplex double-decker TGVs and was simply incredible. The journey itself took just under 9minutes! It'll cost you about €13 for the privilage though, but it is a very magical way to arrive/depart, so long as you are prepared to do a bit of research.

The main problem with getting the TGV is that there aren't any trains which simply go from CDG to DLRP and back. You have to either get a train going to the south of France or on the way back a train to perhaps Lille. This means that they aren't very frequent and can be quite complicated to arrange though.

I heard there are plans for a train line between CDG and DLRP, but as you can understand with the financial diffulties of the resort this probably won't be possible for a long time. Maybe the upcoming Hong Kong Disneyland train service will give them a chance to see how well it could work?

It's definately worth a try on the TGV though, since depending on the size of your family it can work out cheaper than the VEA and it so much quicker and more exciting!

I hope that helps, have a great trip!

 

[Cyrano]

I've always fancied the idea of TGV, but as with Jody it is the disadvantage of arriving in another terminal.
Now if UK flights would fly into Terminal 2

Reid

 

[tmp]

uksaint I have exactly the same query as you.
We have prepaid VEA shuttle tickets but the thought of a long bus ride is filling me with dread!I just want to get to the parks as quickly as possible.
Have you looked at the VEA website ?It lists the pick-up points and as we are staying at Cheyenne we may have to make stops at 7 other hotels before ours.
As jodyb says the TGV departs from terminal 2 and we are flying into that terminal with Air France so hopefully finding and boarding the shuttle should be straight forward but I think I may get a bit impatient if we stop every five minutes!
Who are you flying with?
Sorry to waffle but I am so relieved that I am not alone in my predicament

 

[eileds]

We have used VEA twice. It is a fairly acceptable way to travel from CDG to DLP but is not always the 45 mins people are talking about. The first time we used it we were 2 adults and 2 children aged under 3. When the VEA set off we were the only people on board. By the time we left terminal two which has many stops it was completely full and the children were sat on our knees. As we were staying at Santa Fe we were the last drop off and had been on VEa for between 1.5 and 2hrs - not good!

The last time we went was May 2003 this time with 3 children. We had just missed a shuttle and on looking at the time table it seemed we had a long wait until the next one. there was a lot of people waiting and we weren't convinced we would even get on the next one. My DH went off in search of taxis to see if they would take 5 people, in the meantime two shuttle buses arrived, but I couldn't get on without DH. Fortunately he arrived back before they left. This time we paid for the children to have seats and as the coach was pretty full we didn't stop at terminal 2. The journey took us about 45mins to 1hr and we got off first as we were staying at Newport Bay.

The journeys back to the airport have always seemed crowded but fairly quick.

This year we think we are going in August and I will definitely look to booking Silver shuttle which will hopefully make life much easier.

 

[uksaint]

Thanks for all your help. It is reassuring to hear you say the VEA only takes 45 min. I know that is the official time, but I have also read plenty of reports where it took longer, and looking at the VEA website, it would appear that the Explorer's is one of the last hotels they drop off at. For some reason, something in the back of my mind tells me that I also heard that traffic is particularly bad on Sunday afternoons - can anyone verify this??

We fly BMI into Terminal 1, so I guess it might just be too much aggravation to get over to the TGV, particularly with two kids in tow - I'll have to study the airport guide to figure out the logistics. There is also a novelty value in getting the TGV. Hmmmmm....decisions, decisions..

Cheers
Andy

 

[Cyrano]

Having a look at VEA web site it looks like trips to select hotels - Holiday Inn, Movenpick, Kyriad and Explorer - are now on reduced schedule.
http://www.vea.fr/uk/infos-lignes.asp
Perhaps the select hotels are not contributing to the costs?

Reid

 

[uksaint]

This is not good news - it potentially means a long wait or having to change at Disneyland Station and pick up the resort bus. I have e-mailed VEA to try and find out which four departures from CDG go to the Explorer's as this is not clear from their timetables.

On the return leg, there is a VEA shuttle departing Explorer's at 15.45. Would this be sufficient time to make an 18.55 flight?

Andy

 

[tmp]

It might be worth looking at the TGV timetable on www.voyages-sncf.com
just to see if any trains coincide with your arrival.
You can check on the UK flag in the bottom left of the website,then enter 'airport CDG 2 TGV' as departure and 'Marne La Vallee Chessy' as your destination.
I have just checked the site but the trains are quite few and far between and as our flight arrives at 12.25 we would have to wait over an hour for the TGV.At least that solved one dilemma - its the shuttle for us whether we like it or not!
Hope that helps.

 

[uksaint]

I looked at the TGV timetable - our flight arrives at 12.55 and the TGV departures are 13.42 and 14.03. I really don't know if we'll have enough time to collect our luggage and get over to terminal 2 so we can make either of these.

The VEA shuttle for the 'selected hotels' departs at 13.45, so again it will be tight to try and make this. The next direct shuttle to the selected hotels is at 17.25.

So it basically is looking like we will have to take the normal VEA shuttle, and change at Disneyland resort station to pick up the resort bus. Not the end of the world, but more hassle than I was hoping for.

Andy

 

[jodyb]

Andy, how many of you are traveling? If it is 3 or more, why not just take a private shuttle or taxi - in comfort and quickly! If I remember correctly, the price for 3 adults on the VEA roughly equals what you pay SilverShuttle for up to 7 people!

 

[Cyrano]

Andy
having used Silvershuttle for our November trip we would have given them strong consideration for return in July.
With VEA's decision on Select Hotels I see Silvershuttle as the number 1 choice now. With Silvershuttle it will be €48 for 2 adults and 3 children CDG - Hotel. Compares well with VEA of €62.50.

Reid

 

[uksaint]

Yes it certainly looks like Silvershuttle is the best option for a no-hassle door-to-door transfer to the Explorer's. We are two adults and two kids 4yo and 1yo, so looking at the website this looks like 35 euros.

My only concern is the reports I've read where Silvershuttle failed to show up. I guess if that happens we just fall back to VEA.

Thanks for your all your input.

Andy

 

[Distoney]

I tried to book the Silvershuttle before going away but unfortunately, it was already booked so we used the VEA shuttle.

Advantages of VEA shuttle.

The price is reasonable.

Your baggage is taken off you by the bus driver.

The bus leaves you right outside your hotel.


Disadvantages of VEA shuttle.

You can be quite long on the bus. We were picked up at terminal 3 at CDG airport. The bus then collected people from the rest of the terminals and then had to leave them off at all the different hotels. As we were staying at the Kyriad hotel, we were first on at Terminal 3 and last to get off.

When we were coming back, because we were staying outside the main disney park area, we had to pre book our bus to collect us at the hotel to bring us back to the airport. We booked for the bus to collect us at 1300 hours Sunday. We were told that because of the reorganisation of VEA that the only time we could be picked up at was 1200. We chose this option but had to waitaround for a long time at the airport for our flight home.

In saying that, we found this shuttle to be handy for us and would certainly choose it again.


TGV train probably gets you to Disneyland quicker but it only leaves you off at the station where the park is. You then have to catch the free shuttle which brings you to your hotel and if you have a lot of luggage with you, it can be quite awkward to carry on these buses if they are overcrowded.

I hope my comments are of use to people here.

 

[tmp]

Thanks for your comments Distoney.
It has put my mind at rest as we will be using the VEA shuttle in May.
We will be arriving at Terminal 2 which I think is the last pickup-was the bus very full by the time it got to that point?
I'm just a little worried that we may have a long wait if the bus is already full before it gets to us.
Hope you had a great trip.

 

[Distoney]

Hi TMP

Yes, the bus was quite full by the time it got to the last terminal but everybody did seem to get on. I did notice coming back that the bus was unable to pick some passengers up at one of the last hotel pick ups due to the bus being packed. I would say that these people probably ended up having to make their way to the Disneyland Park bus station and then had to catch a later VEA shuttle from there. We were told that there would be three VEA buses, one picking up from our hotel at 12.00, then another two buses picking passengers up at Disneyland Park station at 12.30 and 12.55. My advice to you would be to make arrangements for coming back well in advance, especially if you are staying at the Movenpick, Explorers, Holiday Inn and Kyriad hotels. When you are picked up at the terminal, on entrance to the bus, you will see leaflets with timetables on them and there is a form which you complete and hand in to hotel reception 48 hours in advance but it is only if you are staying at the above 4 hotels. I am not sure what way it works for hotels which are nearer the park.

I had a great time, thanks.