The SNCF operates 11 Grand Voyageur lounges in France, which are one of the key elements of its commercial offering for business travellers. They are regularly updated and even extended. This will once again be the case for the Paris lounge at Gare de Lyon, the busiest in France along with the one at Gare Montparnasse. With a surface area of 800 m2 At present, this lounge, which sees around a thousand passengers pass through every weekday, is virtually saturated at peak times, particularly on Friday evenings.
" Passengers have different expectations. Some spend just a few minutes having a coffee, while others spend more time relaxing or working while waiting for their TGV. "explains Jérémie Zeguerman, Customer Experience Marketing Manager at TGV Inouï. Thanks to this work, the lounge should gain almost 100 m2 in the lower section, taken from the adjoining SNCF ticketing area. To accommodate more people, some of the sofas and armchairs will also be replaced. " The different areas will be better identified and clearly specified to cater for different types of use "he adds. In addition, discreet telephone booths will be created.
Closed from the evening of Sunday 8 February
Scheduled to last until early April, work will start on 9 February. The work will take place during the school holidays in the Paris and Lyon zones, to minimise the impact on business customers. During this period, business passengers will have a fallback solution thanks to an agreement with Mitwit Office, which will make available some of its coworking spaces located in the Tour de l'Horloge at Gare de Lyon. Customers in a hurry who do not wish to take up permanent residence in this temporary lounge will benefit from a "drinks voucher" that can be used in the station's Chez Paul bakery, according to the rail company.
A warm and practical new salon in Lyon Part-Dieu
At Lyon Part-Dieu, pro passengers, including those on the new Optimum+ class can enjoy the comfort and services of the new Grand Voyageur lounge inaugurated in 2024 as part of the renovation work at Lyon station. Situated on a mezzanine floor as close as possible to the platforms of TGV trains departing for Paris, this 280m2 has a seating capacity of 54, with a Zen work area and three phone booths. Open from 5.40am to 8.45pm, it welcomes more than 700 people every day, making it the 3rd busiest in France.th most widely used in France.
SNCF is also completing the renovation of the lounge at Paris-Est station, which is due to reopen this week. The timetable then calls for the Paris-Nord (operated with Regus) and Paris Montparnasse lounges to be overhauled, again to increase capacity.
A change of name planned in the coming months
Access to the lounges is reserved for passengers Optimum and Optimum+Flex Première tickets of the day or 1era class travel purchased with their Liberté card, as well as customers benefiting from a negotiated fare of 1era or with Grand Voyageur Le Club status. Faced with the incomprehension of many customers who are turned away when they think they can access these lounges, the SNCF plans to rename its 11 lounges Grand Voyageur Le Club in the near future.
