motorail

[vervialle]

My parents are in there seventies and have always driven to their house in the limousine, this year they are giving motorail a go as my Dad think it might be a good option as he gets older. I have real reservations as they are not the sort of people to be penned in and it certainly sounds as if it could. Can anyone give me any tips to pass on to them, is there a bar on board or any catering facilities, do they need to take luggage out of the car, how long is disembarkment, they are travelling to Brive. There is an option to book a meal, is this worthwhile. Thankyou.

[chrisb]

It's certainly worth paying a bit more to have a compartment to  yourselves.

When we last went to Brive breakfast on arrival (in the converted engine shed) was included - but that may have changed.

Checking in at Calais can seem a bit drawn out - but I suppose that it can't be made much quicker with all the cars to be loaded. You just need to bring your 'overnight essentials' out of the car - though for your peace of mind you might want to keep any expensive stuff with you. The train does sometimes pause in the middle of the night at Orleans and other stations so I suppose a really opportunistic thief might try and hop aboard the car wagons - but I've never heard of it happening.

[Porth]

Have travelled the route many times.  At least the last time there was no restaurant car on the train but yes drinks supplied normally by a University Student who was trying to earn some money as a guard during the summer.  Thus one could buy at a premium wine and cider and beer that sort of thing.

 

I absolutely agree that it is an imperative to have a 'cabin' to yourselves and you also have to ask for the cabin to be put together in such a way as the beds open out at ground floor level ( I am not sure of the technical phrase for this) for otherwise you find that you have one bed at ground floor and the other and first floor if you follow my meaning.  With elderly parents I do not think this is advisable?

There are to my knowledge no meals on the train but one books ahead and gets a meal from the station at Calais at takes it aboard.  Not bad but we tend to do some supermarket shopping ahead of boarding take things for the night as well as a bottle of wine a corkscrew plus lots of bags for the rubbish (which you give to the guard or deposit in the bin next to him) as well as kitchen towels.

Boarding at Calais is a bit of a pain and whilst you are taken back from the car loading by mini bus you still have to walk with your overnight kit from the station to the platform.

Brive next day is a good breakfast in the sunshine and if its a Saturday call at the market at Sarlat.

Overall we love it and prices have now come down?

Keep your door locked throughout the journey and if anyone is trying to get your car either whilst moving or stationary and en-route then they must be like Burt Lancaster and they are welcome to it.  Have travelled over 15 times this way and many differing locations with no problem.

As with everything common sense comes into play.

As an alternative you can also order your breakast on board we prefer the station the other end whiles away some time whilst they are delivering your cars.

 

 

[Alcazar]

The train does sometimes pause in the middle of the night at Orleans and other stations so I suppose a really opportunistic thief might try and hop aboard the car wagons - but I've never heard of it happening.

Last summer while at our property, I read an article in the local paper that claimed that breaking into cars on these services was now such a problem, that extra guards were going to be carried, and the article was unsure if they would be allowed to be armed.

Apparently, organised gangs target the trains as they pass the environs de Paris, and other large cities. They have even been known to interfere with signals to stop the trains for long enough to do their "work".

Certainly, sitting on the station at Beziers early one morning, a motorail service passed and at least 4 cars had smashed windows. At the time, I put it down to stone throwing youths.

Alcazar