Rail Travel in France

­With its diverse landscapes, world-famous cuisine and vibrant cities, France is the perfect country to explore by train. The railway networks are convenient and efficient and the trains spacious and comfortable. Train travel allows passengers to concentrate on admiring the ever-changing scenery from the comfort of their carriage. For those in the south of Britain, it is often quicker to reach France than other parts of the UK, making it the perfect destination for a low-cost break. It is now also possible to buy through tickets from over 100 other UK towns and cities via London to Paris, making it much easier for those that live outside the capital to enjoy this route too.

The Eurostar is a wonderfully stress-free way to travel from London to Paris or Lille, where you can then connect with a high speed TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) train to almost any city in France. Eurostar rates compare favourably to other transport methods, with London to Paris starting at £69 return and £109 return tickets available from London to Lyon. Moreover, with city to city connection, no departure taxes and no waiting around departure lounges, the whole experience is much more enjoyable than flying as well as being far kinder to the environment. Departures arenapproximately every hour during the day from St Pancras station and the journey time to Paris`s central Gare du Nord station is only 2 hours 15 minutes. Ticket options from Eurostar include single and return fares in either first or second class carriages as well as fully-flexible tickets that allow passengers to travel at any time.

Once in France, the best way to connect to other towns and cities is by TGV, which will whisk you quickly to your next destination. Direct TGV services from Paris are available in all directions including links to Dijon, Lyon, Nice, Marseille, Biarritz, La Rochelle and Brest. Be aware that Paris has several stations so double check which one your route departs from. In general, the Gare de l`Est serves eastbound trains and the Gare de Lyon and Gare Montparnasse serve TGV trains heading southeast and southwest respectively.

Buying tickets is straightforward, even if you do not speak French as most stations have self-service machines with an English language option. For local journeys you can just turn up, buy a ticket and travel straight away, however for TGV routes you must reserve a seat. It is often possible to do this on the day but doing so will preclude you from any advance purchase discounts. Booking in advance can be done either from a station or online using the French Railways or Rail Europe websites. Always remember to validate your ticket in the yellow machines marked `Compostez votre billet` before travelling otherwise you may be fined.

If you really want a low-cost adventure, camping trips by train around France are a lovely way to see a lot without breaking the bank. Train travel makes it much easier to transport your camping gear around and many French towns and cities have centrally located campsites. When choosing which tent to pack for your trip, go for a lightweight model that will be easy to carry from station to campsite and use a backpack rather than a suitcase for your luggage.­

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