Travelling in France on the TGV

A cornerstone of European integration, France’s TGV connects France to the UK and her other continental neighbors in a high speed and very reliable way. The TGV – Train à Grande Vittesse – network enables travelers to go across the country within a few hours. And if you wish to leave France for a tour of England, you could take the TGV as well, which will have you arriving in central London within two hours and fifteen minutes.

If you are hoping to meet up and chat with other travelers while on the TGV, you might want to book a second class ticket. This is because the first class ticket tends to have a majority of business travelers. Do not wait to buy your ticket at the kiosks found at the train stations as you might have a hard time going about it. This is because most vendors will only accept European credit cards which tend to come with a chip that is absent from American-issued credit cards. Be sure to purchase your France Rail Pass before you get to France, or alternatively buy point to point tickets at the offices at the train station. A France Rail Pass will get you anywhere between 3-9 days of travel. Therefore, if you are planning a one or two day trip, you should instead go for the point-to-point tickets for that specific leg of travel as this is will save you more money. For a longer journey, go for the Rail Pass.

Reservation in advance

You should be aware that all high speed TGV trains and night trains always require advance reservations, as well as the paying of a nominal fee. You may also find that the space on the train may be capacity controlled. So in order to ensure that you get a seat, especially during peak hours, reserve your train early in advance. If you are purchasing your ticket from a travel agent, you could have them also make reservations in advance on your behalf. Alternatively, you could do this yourself online by going to the Rail Europe reservation webpage. It is important to take note of the platform from which your train will be leaving and arrive there early enough. This is so as to ensure that you are ready to board the train once it gets there for its brief stop at the station. You should also remain alert about when you will need to get off the train so that you don’t wake up to find yourself at another destination.

The train cars on the TGVs have an informal dining car which offers drinks and snacks for sale to travelers. However, these can be rather expensive, so you are better off buying some fresh baguette, cheese, fruit and drinks before boarding your train. You could also grab a sandwich from the good patisseries found at most train stations. Try to avoid carrying excess luggage as much as possible on the TGV. This is because you will end up struggling to lift your bags onto and off the train all by yourself. Moreover, you may be forced to store your luggage at the end of the train car and you could end up losing something if you are not keeping an eye on it.

You can book you TGV tickets here at cheap rail tickets

Continue to Italy by rail  or by train in Austria

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