TRAVEL TO LE MOULIN BREGEON

TRAVEL LOGISTICS:

Security, Passports and Visas
Please check your airline for current travel restrictions. Make sure your passport is up to date. If you do not have a US passport, please contact your consulate for current travel information/visas for France.

Arrival

The high speed train line from Paris to the Loire Valley runs from Gare du Montparnasse.  A few trains run each day directly from Charles de Gaulle (except Sundays/Holidays).

To go directly by train from Gare du Montparnasse:  take the Air France shuttle (approximately 19 euros) because it is a lot easier with bags than the Paris RER train plus two metro transfers (no escalators, only stairs).  Follow signs in the airport for the Air France shuttle.  If you flew on Air France, the Montparnasse train station shuttle is free.

To go via train from Charles de Gaulle:

When you arrive at Charles de Gaulle airport, you will retrieve your luggage through customs, and make your way down to the TGV train station following the well-marked signs for “GARE” (marked with a train symbol). The train station is below the central connection between all air terminals.

You will need to purchase a round trip TGV (SCNF) ticket on the first possible train to Saumur.   They will route you either through:  Angers, Tours, or St. Pierre des Corps (in Tours).   The round trip ticket usually costs about 110 Euros for second class (which is very comfortable, clean and better than US trains), unless there are more people buying the tickets as a group you may be able to get a group discount. If you are travelling by yourself, you can use a credit/debit card. To travel as a pair or with a group, you will need cash or one person will have to put it all on their card.

Don't worry too much about the time of the return trip -- if necessary Bernard Levenez can help change the tickets during the week.   There isn't a fee for a ticket change; there may be some euros due if you wind up on a peak hour, higher cost train.  Try to get a train back to Charles de Gaulle, Paris or where ever you're heading around 8:30 am.  However, YOU MUST keep your train ticket -- all parts (including outbound ticket) are required if any modifications are to be made with Bernard/the ticket agent at the train station. 

​Train Payment

It is highly recommended that you obtain about 200 Euros at an ATM at the airport, or in the US, to be able to pay cash for the train ticket and your initial food expenses. This will also minimize the time required to wait in the airport exchange bureaus after obtaining the luggage, and allow you to get on the first possible train, etc. You can go to American Express in the states, a large bank, or an exchange bureau.

Note: the best exchange rates are available if you simply use your debit card to withdraw Euros in France from an ATM machine with your regular security code – and this is the best way to obtain additional cash for shopping in the markets, and places that will not take credit cards or Traveler’s checks. Please note, Amex is not as widely accepted in Europe as are Master card or Visa. There are ATM machines at Charles de Gaulle for taking out Euros in cash.  If you have more than one VISA/Mastercard -- bring all of them...  You should contact your VISA/Mastercard bank to let them know when/where you will be traveling.  Even if you pre-call your US bank before traveling, they don't always work in Europe.

Ticketing for the Train

The TGV ticketing staff will route you on the first available train to Saumur. You will need to transfer between trains usually once along the way.

Depending on what time of day you are travelling, or if you are coming from Paris (departing from the Montparnasse train station), you may be routed through one of 3 cities: Angers, St. Pierre des Corps or Tours, and transfer there for the local Saumur train. In any case, the train to Saumur from one of these three cities will take an additional 20-30 minutes. Train arrival and departure times are clearly noted on your ticket.

When you get your ticket, look for the TGV train number. You need this number to locate your train on the large display board in order to find the track and updated departure time. TGV train numbers are marked on the signage, not your destination/transfer city.

Reading Your Train Ticket and Next Steps

The train track will be posted in the main station by time and train number about 20 minutes before the train arrives in the station. “VOIE” is French for track. On your way out to the track level, there is a yellow validation machine. You need to time validate your ticket in this machine, in case a conductor wants to see your ticket on the train.

After you get down to the track, you will see an electronic board mapping the train cars by alphabetical letter to your ticket. “VOIT” is the car you need to be in, according to your ticket. The electronic board will help you see where to walk to on the track to enter that car. [For example, if your ticket says ‘voit 03,’ the orange electronic board may tell you to enter in area ‘G’ on the track.] Once you enter the train, you will find the racks to store your large luggage. Your reserved train seat is noted by number on the ticket. There are bathrooms, an area to use the phone and a food car on the train.

Please note, transfer times to move your luggage on/off the high speed trains is very quick – French trains are much more timely than American. It is helpful to keep your ticket and watch nearby, and stand near your luggage before the train announcement that you are arriving in your transfer station, so you can move everything off the train as quickly as possible. It may not even feel like the TGV high speed train is slowing down – but the train will be at the station at the stated time and you need to be ready.

Pick Up In Saumur By The Inn Owners

You will be met at 4:45-5 pm at the Saumur train station by Le Moulin staff. There are chairs in the waiting lounge, or a café across the street from the train station. If you have arrived very, very early -- the ticketing agent at the Saumur train station should be able to hold your luggage so that you might explore Saumur a bit – a very pedestrian friendly city across the Loire River (about a 15-20 minute walk).

When you know which train you will be arriving on, you should notify the inn before you get on the train, unless your cell works in France. Without prior arrangement, everyone and their luggage will be picked up at Saumur by 4:45-5 pm. Most people will fit in one rental van; they will bring additional cars for our luggage. Other touring days, Chefs Kathryn or Jessie will drive one of Le Moulin's cars and Bernard or Kathryn will generally drive the rental van.

The first day is definitely primarily a travel day... The trains via St. Pierre des Corps or Tours take about 1 ½ hours from the airport; the train from Angers will be about 2 hours. There may be a brief wait before the Saumur train arrives, and you will need to wait in Saumur for pick-up from Le Moulin Bregeon.  If you go via taxi or the Air France shuttle to Gare du Montparnasse, you can arrive earlier.

If you happen to have arrived earlier in Saumur, there is a cafe across the street from the train station. Or there is a waiting room in the train station, with luggage storage available through the ticketing agent. You can walk across the river to Saumur (a very pedestrian friendly city) in about 15-20 minutes.

When you arrive at Le Moulin Bregeon late afternoon, you will have time to explore everyone else’s rooms, settle into your own room, and walk around the grounds. However, we don’t advise a nap or acclimating to the time change is more difficult.  We will try to have a relatively early dinner the first night.


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