TGV-Lyria train to Paris at Zurich HB. Tickets from €29 at  www.sncf-connect.com www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com Print your own ticket or show it on your phone.  Booking usually opens 4 months ahead.  More info on how to book.

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...

  TGV-Lyria routes

  The 3 classes explained

  What are TGV-Lyria trains like?

  Travel tips

  Route map

  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

See the route map below

What are TGV-Lyria trains like?

Since December 2019, TGV-Lyria's 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.

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.

• Standard.  2nd class seating, access to cafe-bar car, power socket at seat.

• 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.

• 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.

Double-deck TGV Duplex

All Paris-Switzerland TGV-Lyria trains are now operated by impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex.  TGV stands for Train á Grande Vitesse, French for high-speed train.  The 9 steps to the top deck are short, wide and easy, and there are luggage racks and toilets both upstairs and downstairs.  You walk through the train to the cafe-bar at the upper deck level.  TGV-Lyria trains leave from Paris Gare de Lyon.  I recommend an upper deck seat on a TGV Duplex for the best views of the scenery, you can choose decks if you buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  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.

TGV-Lyria euroduplex train at Paris Gare de Lyon. These 320 km/h double-deck trains now operate all TGV-Lyria services.

The cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwave-style hot dishes...		2nd class seats, this is upper deck seating.  There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating.  360º photo.

1st class on the upper deck, a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right.  Larger photo.		A TGV-Lyria for Geneva, boarding at Paris Gare de Lyon.  You enter on the lower deck, with 9 stairs up to top deck.

Business Premier meal... Courtesy of Roberto Rinaldi		Business Premier menu... Courtesy of Roberto Rinaldi

The stairs from upper deck landing down to the entrance, 9 easy shallow steps.		Power sockets at all seats, 2-pin 230v.		Luggage racks.  You put your bags on the racks, both upstairs & downstairs, at car ends & between the seats.

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Book an upstairs seat for the best views...  All TGV-Lyria trains are now 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.

• 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.

• Boarding & luggage:  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 now access the platform through automatic ticket gates, just scan the barcode on your print-our, ticket or phone to open the gates.  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.

• 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.

• There are power sockets for laptops & mobiles (2-pin, 230v) at all seats in both classes.

• WiFi:  TGV-Lyria trains have free WiFi in all classes from December 2019 onwards.  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.

• Baby changing facilities are available, as are wheelchair spaces & wheelchair-accessible toilets.  More information at www.tgv-lyria.com.

• Luggage must be labelled with your name.  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.

• 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 on both Eurostar & TGV-Lyria.

• Seat numbering plan for TGV-Lyria:  For seating plans click here.  You cannot tell which seats face forward, as the TGV unit could enter service either way round.

• Station information:  Paris Gare de Lyon station guide.  Zurich HB station guide.  Geneva station guide.

Route map