Travel

The French rail system

Thanks to its size and location a number of European trains pass through France en-route to other countries. France itself is hugely popular, with millions of tourists visiting cities such as Paris, Marseille and Nice every year. The French rail network ensures they are well connected by train.

The trains

The TGV service more than lives up to its excellent reputation. TGV stands for train à grand vitesse – a very fast train. It’s certainly that (Europe’s fastest, in fact), but it’s also brilliantly designed: some have interiors by Christian Lacroix; others have an upper deck for spectacular views of the countryside.

And all, you’ll be pleased to hear, have plenty of legroom.

The tickets

You can book France train tickets online up to three months in advance of your travel dates.

Which is a good idea, especially for TGV services. Prices are lower in advance, and trains can get busy – especially at weekends and during the holidays.

You’ll often get e-tickets to print out at home, or you can choose to pick them up at the station: there are 1,400 self-service machines across France.

You have to reserve a seat on TGVs – this is done automatically if you book online. Regional and local services don’t require seat reservations, but…

Always buy and stamp your ticket (composter le billet) before getting on the train: look out for the yellow boxes dotted about the station.

There’s one exception: you don’t have to stamp a print-at-home ticket.

If you are travelling on a rail pass, you’ll need to pay a supplement (which includes a reservation) to travel on the TGV.