Cheap travel by fast TGV-Lyria trains from Paris to Switzerland

High-speed TGV-Lyria trains connect Paris in France with Geneva (Genève), Lausanne, Neuchâtel, Bern, Basel, Zurich, and Brig in Switzerland. Traveling time from Paris to Geneva by train is just over three hours and 4h30 to Bern or Zurich. Cheap tickets and bargain deals are available for early reservations and return journeys.

High-Speed TGV-Lyria Train from Paris to Switzerland

The most relaxing way to travel between Paris and Switzerland is by high-speed TGV Lyria trains. These fast and often luxurious trains transport passengers in comfort from city center to city center. By cutting out check-in times and transportation to airports, these TGV trains can easily compete with planes on most routes.

High-speed railways connect Paris on four routes with Switzerland:

Paris-Gare de Lyon to Genève-Cointrin.
Paris-Gare de Lyon to Lausanne (in summer and winter on to Brig).
Paris-Gare de Lyon to Neuchâtel and Bern.
Paris-Gare de l’Est to Basel SBB and Zürich-Hauptbahnhof.

Fast TGV-Lyria Trains from Paris to Geneva, Switzerland

The fastest TGV train connection between Paris and Switzerland is the Paris-Gare de Lyon to Genève-Gare Cornavin route. Up to ten trains run per day on this route with traveling times as short as 3h05. Trains on this route may stop en route at Mâcon TGV, Bourg-en-Bresse, and Bellegarde in France.

Standard, one-way fares on the Paris to Geneva route are around CHF140 in second class but special deals can be as cheap as CHF62 return.

Fast TGV-Lyria Trains from Paris to Lausanne and Brig, Switzerland

Four TGV trains per day connect Paris-Gare de Lyon with Lausanne on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Traveling time is generally 3h41 minutes. TGV trains on the Paris to Lausanne route may stop en route at Dijon, Dole, Mouchard, Frasne, and Vallorbe.

During the summer vacations (mostly July and August) and the winter ski season (mid-November to early April), three TGV Lyria trains continue on weekends past Lausanne up the Rhone Valley to reach Brig in 6h02 from Paris. Stops are then possible at Montreux, Aigle, Martigny, Sion (Sitten), Sierre (Siders), Leuk (Loèche), and Visp – all stations in the Rhone Valley with good train or bus connections to mountain resorts.

Fast TGV-Lyria Trains from Paris to Neuchâtel and Bern, Switzerland

The high-speed railway link between Paris-Gare de Lyon and Bern via Neuchâtel has been reduced to a single TGV-Lyria train per day. The TGV train leaves Bern early morning and returns from Paris in the late afternoon.

Traveling times from Paris to Neuchâtel is 3h50 and to Bern 4h30. Further stops en route are possible at Dijon, Dole, Mouchard, Frasne, and Pontalier.

Fast TGV-Lyria Trains from Paris to Basel and Zurich, Switzerland

TGV trains for Basel and Zurich depart from Paris-Gare de l’Est, which is very convenient for transfers from Eurostar trains to London and TGV Thalys trains heading to Brussels, Amsterdam, and Cologne from nearby Paris-Gare du Nord station.

Up to five TGV-Lyria trains connect Paris and Basel each day with four trains continuing to Zürich-Hauptbahnhof. Traveling times from Basel to Paris is 3h30 and an hour longer from Zurich. Basel to Brussels in Belgium, including transfer time in Paris, can be as short as 5h15.

Trains on the Paris-Gare de l’Est to Basel route usually stop en route in Strasbourg (Straßburg), Colmar, and Mulhouse.

Saving on TGV-Lyria Ticket Prices for Travel to Switzerland

Full-fare tickets on TGV trains are fairly expensive but few leisure travelers have to pay full price when making reservations early. The full range of French railways (and to a lesser extend Swiss Railways) discount fares are available. The options and restrictions are fairly confusing but it is worth working through all permutations as the savings can be enormous.

For example, on the Genève to Paris route in second class, the price in Swiss franc (CHF) can be:

CHF134 – normal, one-way ticket
CHF230 – Loisir 1, return ticket with compulsory overnight stay
CHF200 – Loisir 2, return ticket with compulsory Saturday night stay
CHF80 – Youth (Jeune), one-way for youths between 12 and 26
CHF90 – Senior, for travelers over 60 years old
CHF32 – Piccolissimo / Piccolo fares, one-way tickets booked 30 or 60 days in advance

Discount tickets are subject to availability and come with a long list of restriction. For leisure travelers, these restrictions are often not much of a problem and may result in very cheap tickets and fantastic deals for TGV train rides to Switzerland.

Switzerland has an excellent railway network and public transportation system. Although Swiss railway fares are often not low, many special deals are available to make Swiss train rides cheaper including the Swiss Half-Fare Card and the Junior Card travel bargain for children.