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st malo to lille earlier options via alternate routes? (and London Train strike question)

  • 28 October 2022
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Hi! I’m traveling to Lille from St malo and booked the only seat reservation left from 15:39 29/10 Saturday It’s refundable so I can explore my options.


I’m wondering if there are any other train stops that I can look into stopping through so that I can arrive earlier. I tried Versailles and booking individual from Rennes to Paris but no luck. Are there any other stations that I can intentionally stop through to arrive to my final destination earlier?
 

I just don’t know that much about train stations and I’m having a hard time finding that information, but this community has been really helpful in the past with giving me other alternate routes to take. Thank you!

 

PS. Train strikes

 When there are train strikes, does that mean we should completely take alternate transit like Uber? on the day I leave London Heathrow, there are train strikes and I believe the metro is also not working that day, 3/11 November 3. I’m staying over an hour away LHR by train and metro as is, so I want to be prepared as I’ve never been through this. Any helpful advice would be appreciated. This is For an international flight to America and my flight leaves at 12:05 PM

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Best answer by rvdborgt 28 October 2022, 08:01

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Depending on your onward train we had a nice breakfast walk round the old town rather than pay an extortionate hotel breakfast. Still able to walk back to station via the new shopping centre between the 2 stations. Our train was early afternoon.

The centre is about 20 mins steady walk from Lille Europe.

I don't think you will have trouble at 9pm but you will be one of last in. There is at least one open till late.

Aim for the old square and then streets off it.

Thank you so much!!! I actually went to the train station today in st malo and they had an earlier trip that wasn’t showing up in the website. So yay!!! 
 

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Depending on your onward train we had a nice breakfast walk round the old town rather than pay an extortionate hotel breakfast. Still able to walk back to station via the new shopping centre between the 2 stations. Our train was early afternoon.

The centre is about 20 mins steady walk from Lille Europe.

I don't think you will have trouble at 9pm but you will be one of last in. There is at least one open till late.

Aim for the old square and then streets off it.

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Re St Malo to Lille I recommend you stay with your reservation.

If you are staying in Lille you will find the centre delightful and there are plenty of excellent restaurants.
I assume you are travelling by Eurostar from Lille. Note the station is quite basic and they open access to the E* lounge about an hour before departure, so don’t get there too soon expecting more than modern concrete and a few shops/cafes.
There are 2 passport controls and a security check on entry so it will be slow. There is little more inside the lounge - think of an airport departure gate - toilets and a couple of vending machines.
 

Thank you @yorkie

I was hoping that I could arrive earlier so I could explore more of Lille!I’m actually quite excited! Hopefully there will still be some great restaurants open around 9 PM or later

Userlevel 7
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Re St Malo to Lille I recommend you stay with your reservation.

If you are staying in Lille you will find the centre delightful and there are plenty of excellent restaurants.
I assume you are travelling by Eurostar from Lille. Note the station is quite basic and they open access to the E* lounge about an hour before departure, so don’t get there too soon expecting more than modern concrete and a few shops/cafes.
There are 2 passport controls and a security check on entry so it will be slow. There is little more inside the lounge - think of an airport departure gate - toilets and a couple of vending machines.
 

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Best is to check the company's website to see what will be running.

For trains in the UK, check http://nationalrail.co.uk/ as soon as they the timetable has been updated for the strike days, 5 days before a strike day:

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/industrialaction.aspx

Thank you so much ! This second link shows the strikes on 3/11 was canceled and rescheduled 

 

will cross reference the first link. Before I leave. Thanks again

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Best is to check the company's website to see what will be running.

For trains in the UK, check http://nationalrail.co.uk/ as soon as they the timetable has been updated for the strike days, 5 days before a strike day:

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/industrialaction.aspx

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In FR the only workable ALT-quicker, far more options, is to go across Paris by metro (pay for ticket, 1.90) and allow at least 1 hr between arr and dep. You MIGHT save about 1 hr doing that, I guess the 1st train runs till P. And hence make 2 separate RES=pay double (though it seems there are a few cases, probably only if booked far longer advance, that SNCF itself proposes such trips-I pay today just 10€ for 2 TGV Bordeaux-Paris(change)-Lille.

How strikes work out vary a lot between countries-in some it means nothing at all runs, in others that there should be a ´garanteed´ min level (to let workers out of the conflict still get the chance to go to work-only in the normal peak hrs) in others that only 1 or 2 out of a multitude of workers-unions will not go to work. What ignorant outsiders often also do not realise is that much more strategic posts, like in the control-centres, can lame much more of whole networks, it is not just the drivers. For how this works in UK you had better ask people from there in the know.

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