Paris is the regional ICAO headquarter of the Europe and North Atlantic region. Their offices are located in Neuilly sur Seine on the main traffic axis that links La Défense to the Arc de Triomphe, and the Place de la Bastille and Gare de Lyon beyond it.

Getting to the Gare de Lyon

The ICAO offices in Paris are right next to Les Sablons station on the legendary Metro line 1. It’s fifteen stops to Gare de Lyon, but at least I don’t have to change. It’s such a nice day, though, that eventually I alight near the Arc de Triomphe at Étoile and walk down the Champs Élysées to Les Tuileries.

I still need to pick up my suitcase, which I left at the CitizenM this morning when I checked out. I figure the lounge at the station will likely be very busy. Therefore, I decide to get myself a cappuccino and a Perrier at the lobby of the CitizenM and settle in for an hour to do some work before heading for the station across the road.

From the CitizenM on the Rue Van Gogh to Gare de Lyon is a walk of only five minutes, even with luggage. There are two concourses that are dedicated to the high speed trains – they are referred to as Hall 1 and Hall 2.

Le Salon TGV Inoui Gare de Lyon

The TGV First Class and Première Signature Lounge is located in the long hall that connects Halls 1 and 2. As you turn the corner into the passage, you’re immediately hit by the delectable and alluring smell of freshly baked dough and melted chocolate which emanates from the confiseur at the far end, just before you reach Hall 2. And by the looks of it, he’s doing a roaring trade, with the queue about thirty patrons deep when I pass on the way to my train. As expected, they’re queuing to enter the salon.

TGV Boarding

The service to Zürich via Dijon, Mulhouse, and Basel is being readied for departure on platform 5 of Hall 2. Boarding usually starts between twenty and twenty five minutes before departure.

The red train standing to our left is the Freccia Rossa of the Italian State Railways, which operates multiple trains a day between Paris and Milan via Lyon, going head to head with the TGV on the busy Paris-Lyon corridor.

TGV Cabin & Seat

I’m travelling in La Première Signature Class, which is located on the upper deck of the first First Class carriage. The seats are arranged in a 1 + 2 abreast configuration. There are individual and facing seats on both sides. The seats have good recline, but without getting in the way of the person in the seat behind. There’s a net on the back of the seat to store small items, and individual power sockets at every seat. What they do really well on the TGV, I think, is the amount of storage space for large suitcases throughout the cabin.

TGV Service & Crew

There are two crew members serving the Première Signature cabin. One of them is a gentleman approaching middle age. I suppose he’s friendly enough, but it seems kind of forced. The other, though, is a young man in his mid-twenties and he’s great – very polite, friendly, and attentive.

As we pull out of the station at a snail’s pace, the crew pass through the cabin with lightly scented hot towels. Shortly after, they come to collect the hot towels, hand out vanity kits, set the tray table and hand out the menus for this evening.

TGV Première Signature Meal – Dinner

The meal service is nice. It consists of a starter, hot meal, cheese, and dessert. For the main course, there are three choices. I go with the vegetarian option, which is a steamed artichoke soufflé with spinach and a delectable tomato sauce that is really excellent – somebody obviously wasn’t being stingy with the garlic!

The meal is nicely paced and not at all rushed. Once I’m done, the young man removes my tray and inquires if perhaps I’d like a refill of my Perrier. He places a small, square napkin (the right way up) on the tray table and places the refilled glass on it. A short while later he passes through the cabin with tea and coffee. The service terminates with a packaged disinfectant towel and a small square of dark chocolate.

The route from Paris to Switzerland is quite beautiful, especially now that the days are getting longer. After the train pulls out of Gare de Lyon, it quickly enters onto the dedicated high speed line and accelerates to a cool 320km/h as it passes through beautiful Burgundy. After ninety five minutes we briefly call at Dijon, and then an hour later at Mulhouse, close to Basel airport.

Arrival in Basel

The overall journey time from Paris to Basel is three hours and four minutes. We pull into Basel’s Swiss station with a delay of only one minute. However, our train is coupled to another TGV for the last leg of the journey from Basel to Zürich. By the time the manoeuvre is safely completed and the doors open, we’re three minutes late. But that’s minor.

Conclusion

Three hours and four minutes is really not bad at all to cover the journey from Paris to Basel over a distance of 515 kilometres. On this route the TGV clearly has several advantages over flying – the stations in Paris and Basel are smack in the centre of the cities, and you can board up to five minutes before departure. The comfort on board is certainly far superior to that on a short-haul aircraft, with excellent seat pitch and a wide, comfortable seat.