TGV-Lyria train to Paris at Zurich HB. Print your own ticket or show it on your phone. Booking usually opens 4 months ahead. More info on how to book.
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What is TGV-Lyria?
TGV-Lyria is the company formed to run the high-speed trains between Paris & Switzerland, 76% owned by SNCF (French Railways) and 24% by SBB (Swiss Railways). TGV stands for Train à Grande Vitesse or High Speed Train, running at up to 320 km/h (199 mph). From city centre to city centre it's faster than flying.
What are TGV-Lyria trains like?
How to find times, fares & tickets
TGV-Lyria routes
Paris Gare de Lyon - Basel - Zurich in 4h03
Paris Gare de Lyon - Geneva in 3h09
Paris Gare de Lyon - Lausanne in 3h40
TGV-Lyria has 3 classes
In December 2017 TGV-Lyria switched from two classes (1st & 2nd) to three: Standard, Standard Premier & Business Premier. The trains physically have two types of seating, 2nd (standard) class & 1st class, but some 1st class cars are designated Standard Premier and others Business Premier. You will choose your class when buying your ticket. There are some seats upstairs and some downstairs in each class.
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Standard. 2nd class seating, access to cafe-bar car, power socket at seat.
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Standard Premier. 1st class seating, access to cafe-bar car, power socket at seat. Access to SNCF Salon Grand Voyageur at Paris Gare de Lyon. No at-seat food or drink included. Prices aimed at well-heeled leisure travellers. 1st class Eurail & Interrail holders travel in this class.
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Business Premier: 1st class seating with welcome drink, hot meal & drinks included in the fare & served at your seat, Access to SNCF Salon Grand Voyageur in Paris Gare de Lyon, access to cafe-bar car, power socket at seat. Prices are aimed at business travellers, tickets are changeable with no fee and 100% refundable.
What are the trains like?
Since December 2019, the TGV-Lyria fleet consists entirely of double-deck TGV Duplex high-speed trains, capable of up to 300 km/h on the Sud-Est high-speed line out of Paris and up to 320 km/h (199 mph) on the Rhine-Rhone high-speed line between Dijon & Mulhouse. TGV-Lyria no longer operates any single-deck TGVs. In Paris, all TGV-Lyria trains leave from the Gare de Lyon.
Each carriage has one wide entrance door into a downstairs hallway with toilet. There are 9 easy steps to the upper deck and there are luggage racks and a toilet upstairs as well as downstairs. You walk through the train at the upper level. Another reason for choosing the upper deck on a TGV Duplex is that the refreshment trolley comes along the upper deck from the cafe-bar, it cannot go downstairs. See TGV-Lyria seat map.
Video guide: TGV Duplex
The video shows a TGV Duplex in its original blue colour scheme with the original blue & purple 1st class seats, but the train & seats themselves haven't changed.
Travel tips
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All TGV-Lyria trains have 1st & 2nd class seating and a cafe-bar serving drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes. There are two types of first class, see the explanation of classes above. As with all western European trains, they are all non-smoking.
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Fares & reservations
Like Eurostar, reservation is compulsory for TGV-Lyria so all tickets automatically include a reservation on a specific train. Lyria fares work like air fares, cheaper in advance, more expensive as departure date approaches. Booking now opens 4 months ahead. Railpass holders must pay a special fare, see the Interrail & Eurail reservations page.
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Choose your seat from a seat map
If you buy a 1st class ticket you can choose your seat from a seat map if you buy at www.sncf-connect.com or www.thetrainline.com. This is only possible in 1st class. See TGV-Lyria seat map. Unfortunately, you cannot tell which seats face forward, as the TGV unit could enter service either way round.
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Book an upstairs seat for the best views
All TGV-Lyria trains are double-deck TGV Duplex and I recommend an upstairs seat for the best views. There are luggage racks & toilets upstairs as well as downstairs, getting upstairs is easy, just 9 wide and shallow steps from entrance to upper deck, with handrails. You walk through the train at the upper level and the bar car is at the upper level, so it's the best deck to be. You get a choice of upper or lower deck with booking sites such as www.thetrainline.com & www.raileurope.com and these sites show your car & seat numbers before you confirm and pay: Any seat number greater than 60 is on the upper deck.
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Lunch or a drink at Paris Gare de Lyon before you board?
TGV-Lyria trains to Switzerland leave from Paris Gare de Lyon. You can eat or just have a coffee or beer at the celebrated & historic Train Bleu Restaurant inside the Gare de Lyon itself in Hall 1, before boarding your express to Switzerland. It's an experience in itself!
Alternatively, consider the excellent craft beer bar L'Express de Lyon across the road from the station at 1, rue de Lyon, see the Express de Lyon Tripadvisor page. It serves a selection of beers from France Germany & Spain, and does good food too.
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Boarding the train
As with most European trains, there's no check-in, you just walk into the station, find your train and get on, any time before it leaves - although at Paris Gare de Lyon you access the platform through automatic ticket gates, simply scan the barcode on your ticket, print-out or phone to open the gates.
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Luggage
You take your bags with you and put them on any suitable luggage rack near your seat. If you can carry it you can take it, as within reason there are no baggage limits, nobody will weigh or measure your bags. Luggage must be labelled with your name and contact number.
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Bikes
Folding bicycles and bikes in zip-up bike bags no bigger than 120cm x 90cm are carried free of charge. Undismantled bikes are not carried. There's more detailed information at www.tgv-lyria.com. For information on taking bikes by train in Europe including alternatives between Paris & Switzerland, see the bike by train page.
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Dogs
Small dogs & pets in carriers no bigger than 55 x 30 x 30cm travel free, but larger dogs require a special ticket (not bookable online), see www.tgv-lyria.com for more details. UK travellers should remember that Eurostar doesn't take dogs, see the Taking your dog by train page for alternatives. Guide dogs go free.
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1st class lounges
At Paris Gare de Lyon, all 1st class TGV-Lyria passengers (both Business Premier & Standard Premier) may use the SNCF Grand Voyageur lounge with free WiFi, hot drinks and a water cooler, see details of facilities & location here. Though personally I'd still prefer a beer or coffee at the Train Bleu Restaurant's Big Ben Bar. There are no longer any first class lounges in Switzerland.
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Power sockets & WiFi
There are power sockets for laptops & mobiles (2-pin, 230v) at all seats in both classes. TGV-Lyria trains have free WiFi in all classes. The WiFi comes with a portal showing the train's progress in real time on a map of the route and journey information. If you have a 3G or 4G mobile data package this will work fine for most of the route.
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Baby changing facilities are available, as are wheelchair spaces & wheelchair-accessible toilets. More information at www.tgv-lyria.com.
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Station information: Paris Gare de Lyon station guide. Basel SBB station guide. Zurich HB station guide. Geneva station guide.
