Today we took a TGV Lyria train from Paris (GARE de Lyon) to Switzerland. The trains here depart exactly on time. They wait for no one. Luckily we were there with time to spare.
Our TGV experience was acceptable. The train was clean, had several bathrooms onboard which were clean and stocked. The seats were comfortable enough.
Some things to be aware of:
Seats do not recline.
There are European electrical sockets at the seats – one per pair of seats. So, if you absolutely need the outlet, get here early and snag it. There are no USB ports onboard that we could find.
There are snacks onboard, but they are expensive. A can of Coca-cola was 3 Euros today vs 1 Euro for a larger can at the store.
The ticket staff were kind. Be sure to have your ticket ready to show at all times. They come around after departure to scan tickets. If you’ve walked down to the food area and the ticket taker is walking toward you, you cannot pass without showing your ticket.
Each seat featured a fold down tray, a small garbage can, and a drink holder (to the side of the tray).
One down side was a 10 minute “unscheduled stop for safety reasons.” We weren’t given any explanation other than that. It delayed us and we nearly missed our connection. So, long story short, give yourself at least 30 minutes between connections when riding TGV or you may miss you train.
All around, I would take them again. I would just be sure to have plenty of my own snacks.