Did we mention how awesome is the French train system? Bordeaux to Lille in five hours and we can see our bicycles from our seats, hanging at the end of our car (the bikes, not our seats).
None the less, there are quirks, as with any system. The platform's from which you depart is not posted until about 20 minutes before departure. This margin is burned up very quickly when you need to find an elevator or ramp for the bike, and everything on the bike must be removed and put into the giant striped bags prior to embarking. Composition of the train (i.e. where is car 18?) is revealed at the same time as the platform, as it is displayed on the platform itself on special long, thin (train-shaped) monitors.
Today, we got to the platform to find that we were at the exact opposite end from our target car. All of the other passengers seemed to have preceded us, and were busy standing about, saying goodbye. On the adjacent platform, another vast crowd awaited the arrival of their train; the consolidated mass of humanity presenting a bike-handling challenge extrordinaire and generating stress where there should have been none.
It could have been worse - we could have attempted to ride rather than push ...
sacre bleu!
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