Ride the rails in France

May 23, 7:55 PMFrance Travel ExaminerDenis Denholm

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Late night TGV arrival at Montparnasse Station in Paris

Oftentimes I am asked for advice on whether or not to stay in Paris or go exploring in other parts of France. It’s not that people don’t know a whole country exists beyond the Parisian borders it’s that they are not sure how to get there. My advice to them is go, have a good time, enjoy the countryside. Getting there is not a problem.

Air France, the national airline, offers daily flights to just about anywhere your heart fancies going. You can catch a flight from Charles de Gaulle or Orly airport. Both airports can be reached by taxi, shuttle or RER B (the network of trains running between central Paris and the suburbs). Personally I prefer taking the train to and from the city. It is absolutely cheaper than a taxi and can be faster was well given the nightmarish traffic on the highways in and out of Paris. If you just cannot bear the thought of schlepping through the train station with your luggage phone your airline or check online for the scheduled shuttle service and pickup locations.

A fine alternative to air travel in France is the train. In fact I recommend it over air travel. France has over 25,000 miles of track laid to whisk you across the country. French trains are clean, safe, fast and, a great way to avoid the lines at the airport. You won’t have to stand in line for security screening. You can leave your shoes on and your laptop in its bag and, no one will thrust a wand where no wand should be.

Let’s take a look at some of the differences. Say you want to head south to Marseille and see the Mediterranean. Currently Air France can get you there in about 1h25 for around $155 RT. Now let’s add in 30 minutes travel time to the airport, arriving 2 hours early and your flight is now about 4 hours long. All that extra time added in is just one big ugh if you ask me.

Now that same trip on the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse- high speed), will cost you about $155 RT for a second class seat. The trip takes just over three hours depending upon your particular train. The station is probably 20 minutes or less from your location, has no check in lines or security lines and, no one cares if you have a laptop or a bottle of water. Sounds like a winner to me. Try this option and you will be thankful you did.

Whether you are headed to Giverny (home of Money), Versailles, Bordeaux (wine country), or Marseille, there is a train to take you there. They involve much less hassle than flying these days, you get to see more, and well, if you are American you probably have never been on one so try it.

Train travel can be done a couple of ways. If you are planning on doing much train travel across the country over several days you may want to consider a Rail Pass. This is a good option if you are travel with a companion and plan several trips. A four day Saver Pass can run about $288 per person. The Saver Pass from SNCF, the French rail authority, can be purchased online in the US for use in France. These passes must be validated before use when you arrive for your first trip and are good for a specified number of days, usually consecutive.

If you are planning one, maybe two trips, or even various side trips out of Paris with an undetermined schedule you should probably purchase your tickets point-to-point at the station when in France. Locking yourself into the price of a pass with consecutive day use may not be the best thing for you. Point-to-Point tickets are easily purchased on line, at the station or, from an SNCF boutique. You can check their web site for locations. If you’re planning one trip as opposed to several this option will save you money.

So leave the flying to big things like crossing the Atlantic and hop aboard a train to see France. France currently holds the speed record for conventional wheeled train travel at over 574 km/h. Your average TGV travels at speeds approaching 270 km/h when outside the city on high speed rails. It is amazing and so pleasant to sit back, enjoy a grand crème and watch the beautiful countryside unfold before you. One final note, not all train travel in France is TGV, or high speed. If you are traveling great distances across the country chances are you will travel on a TGV. Shorter trips are likely to be on a conventional train on conventional tracks. Still fun and still worth it.

I have included some valuable links for more information on train travel in France as well as air travel in case you have not been convinced. Remember these sites are in France. Don’t be surprised if the link opens up in French. Look for the English version at the top of the page, often represented by a UK or American flag, and click. Voilà, English. Happy traveling.

SNCF – the French rail authority
Rail Europe
Air France
History and Maps of French rail network