France is the largest country in Western Europe, so traveling by train makes sense. Happily, France has a fast and efficient train system and the French government has invested massively in high-speed trains (the TGV train or Train a Grande Vitesse ) and high-speed lines (LGV or Ligne a Grande Vitesse) .
There are more than 1700 km (1056 miles) of dedicated high-speed lines and thousands more of main lines and smaller lines, so almost everywhere is accessible by train in France.
The French rail network connects all major cities while connecting many small towns in rural France. With careful planning, you can get around simply using the train ride during your vacation. In general, the trains are punctual, comfortable and relatively cheap.
However, some trains run only at certain times and on certain days, so you need very careful planning if you are traveling in rural France by train.
Getting around France from Paris
Like many capital cities, Paris suffers from not having a central railway hub, but a series of main terminals. These are some of the main destinations from the main stations.
- Gare du Nord: Nordeste de Francia, London (Eurostar), Bruselas, Amsterdam (Thalys), Lille, Valenciennes, Calais
- Gare de l’Est: Nancy, Metz, Reims, Estrasburgo, Alemania, Luxemburgo
- Gare de Lyon: Lyon, Dijon, Besançon, Ginebra, Mulhouse, Zurich, Clermont-Ferrand, Marsella, Niza, Nimes, Montpellier, Perpignan; Italia y el este de españa
- Gare d’Austerlitz: Tours, Poitiers, Limoges, Burdeos, Toulouse, Biarritz, oeste de España
- Montparnasse station: Todos los TGV occidentales, Bretaña, Brest, Rennes, Nantes
- Gare St. Lazare: Caen, Cherbourg, Rouen, Le Havre
Types of trains in France
All types of trains run in France, from the impressive TGV train and other high-speed trains to smaller branch lines. While there are still a few lines that operate vintage carriages, most trains are now comfortable, modern, and have high-tech additions like WiFi. Many have huge panoramic windows on the sides; others have an upper deck that gives you a wonderful view of the French countryside you are passing through.
The main types of trains in France are:
- The TGV ( Train a Grande Vitesse ) train network extends to the main cities of France and Europe.
- Intercités trains cover many routes as average distance between cities Amiens, Orleans, Bordeaux, Caen, Lyon, Reims, Troyes, Toulouse and Paris. They connect cities in French regions such as Nantes, Bordeaux and Lyons-Nantes-Tours.
- TER is the French regional service covering cities and towns of more than 21 regional networks in France.
- The AutoTrain sleeper service runs from Paris Bercy station to the south of France and takes you and your car.
International train services
TGV train technology is used by other national railway companies in Europe
- TGV Lyria trains pass through France to Switzerland
- Eurostar runs between the UK, Lille, Paris and Brussels
- Thalys trains run to Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany
How and where to buy tickets
Like most countries, ticket prices vary widely. If you can book early, you’ll get good deals, but you may have to stick to a specific schedule. If you book that and miss the train, they may not refund you.
Ticket prices are no higher on a TGV or express train than on a normal local line. And to compete with low-cost airlines, TGV trains offer good prices for early bookings and less popular train times. Booking online is always a good idea.
All French train tickets can also be ordered online and then you can print them out on your computer as an electronic ticket, exactly as airlines do.
Visitors from the US can shop online with Rail Europe and visitors from the UK can shop online with Voyages sncf (formerly Rail Europe UK).
Train station tips
- Get there early to find out which platform the train is going from. Paris train stations can be quite confusing.
- There may not be good refreshments on the train; check in advance and, if necessary, buy your own snacks / light lunches at the station.
- You will need to validate your ticket . Look for the yellow machines ( ‘compostage de billets’ ) usually just before reaching the platform. Insert your tickets into the slot and retrieve them. Ticket inspectors will check your ticket on the train and if it is not validated they will probably find it.
