Paris<->Calais by Train

[TomDW]

I'm doing Ldn - Paris via Newhaven/Dieppe soon and was quite uneasy about getting back to Calais on the train.

I've now checked the Hauts-France website and you can actually book a bike spot. I don't think this has filtered through to the main SNCF site so it was a bit random I came across it. The K16 direct trains go straight to Calais in 3hrs.

I guess this does open possiblities for more journeys past Paris with some certainty. I'll report back if this actually does work in a few weeks!

( This is in light of the Eurostar stopping taking assembled bikes obviously. Have heard good reports from the Ldn-Brussels-Amsterdam route. )

 

[TomDW]

I got the 8:30 on Saturday morning from Gare du Nord direct to Calais Ville. It was packed. I reserved a bike space but I needn't have worried as it was easy to get on. In a way this was the easiest part of the journey as bike spaces are plenty and a bit of a free for all. Had to regrettably take a P&O ferry back to Dover. Queues for DFDS appeared to be much quicker. From arrival to the port until the ferry actually leaving was 4 hrs. NB this was without the EES checks ! At Dover station there was then too many cyclists for the Javelin train so standing all the way to London. Not sure what I would have done differently as it was the end of half term holidays and a saturday evening going to London.

I think the lesson is you could get a small group on the the Paris-Calais train but leave at least an hour for someone to get the next train but they're not every hour so check the timetable. Think that's why this one was so busy.

As a side note I don't know why any car driver would take the ferry, it takes hours!

 

[IO53]

In a way this was the easiest part of the journey as bike spaces are plenty and a bit of a free for all.

Roughly how many? I ask as I am organising travel for a largish number of cyclists. Thank you.

 

[TomDW]

Roughly how many? I ask as I am organising travel for a largish number of cyclists. Thank you.

Good question, depends what you mean by "large." I think the train had 12 carriages and at least 8 actual bike spaces, more in reality. With a large group you'd want to get different trains. Get there early etc. I think there was one an hour later. After Amiens the train is less busy. I think the whole EES thing coming in is another hurdle to contend with.

 

[T4tomo]

Roughly how many? I ask as I am organising travel for a largish number of cyclists. Thank you.

Transit van and Eurotunnel probably less hassle & angst of will we get on the train or not.

 

[TheDoctor]

I'm confused - if you're on the Newhaven - Dieppe ferry then how does Dover - Calais become a factor?
I agree the Dieppe ferry takes hours, but Dover-Calais takes 90 minutes IIRC.

 

[IO53]

I cannot answer for the OP, but I tested the London Paris route via Newhaven Dieppe with a return by train.To get to Dieppe from Paris you have to take a train to Rouen and change for Dieppe and the Rouen train, which also serves Le Havre IIRC, so it is fairly busy, only allows three spaces on hangers, which must be booked. You can book a man with a van Paris-Dieppe, but not a one-way self-drive van. I gave up tryng to book the train+bike to Dieppe with a smartphone in Paris and took myself down to a chaotic ticket office at Gare de Lazare with eventual success. A train to Calais is clearly an option, though the SNCF site only shows the four "K16" trains a day taking bikes.

 

[Brandane]

I'm confused - if you're on the Newhaven - Dieppe ferry then how does Dover - Calais become a factor?
I agree the Dieppe ferry takes hours, but Dover-Calais takes 90 minutes IIRC.

I was reading it as OP did the cycle one way, from London to Paris (via Voie Verte, probably), crossing the channel outbound on the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry. Return journey did not involve cycling, so quickest most convenient route must have been train from Paris to Calais, ferry to Dover, train to London.

 

[TomDW]

I'm confused - if you're on the Newhaven - Dieppe ferry then how does Dover - Calais become a factor?
I agree the Dieppe ferry takes hours, but Dover-Calais takes 90 minutes IIRC.

I'm viewing this as someone living in London, I should've clarified that. Return via Dieppe takes much longer since there are only 2 return ferries from Dieppe a day and the last one leaves you stranded in Newhaven late evening. Also it can involve 2 trains to Dieppe which is more hassle.

For the Calais route this the regional site to use, K16 trains being the direct ones. https://www.ter.sncf.com/hauts-de-france