Rail in France, especially from Paris, is preferred as it's quicker than driving and often less stressful than flying. Photo / Getty Images
Rail in France, especially from Paris, is preferred as it's quicker than driving and often less stressful than flying. Photo / Getty Images
After flying to the other side of the world, the last thing anyone feels like doing is boarding another plane. So, after exploring the boulevards, boutiques, bistros and museums in Paris, continue your travel through France by rail, writes Ruby Boukabou.
The French Government has banned short-haul domestic flights as part of its climate action plan. And even for slightly longer travel, rail has become the favoured mode of transport when travelling in France (particularly from Paris) — it’s less stressful than flying and quicker, and usually cheaper, than driving. So book a window seat and get ready to marvel at the scenery: sunflower fields; olive groves; medieval hamlets; pine forests; snow-capped mountains and the dazzling Mediterranean Sea.
Ruby Boukabou is a writer/reporter and entertainer based between Sydney and Paris. Photo / Olivia Rutherford
Good to Know
TGVs are the high-speed trains running up to 320km/h, but keep in mind the differences between the inOUI (dining/snack bar, drop-down tables, more power points, more comfortable and a first-class option) and OUIGO (low-cost, more cramped, extra luggage fee, no dining car, longer transfers). Tickets open up three months in advance and prices differ dramatically depending on demand, so book as early as you can. “Inter-cités” are the slower long-distance trains and TERs are regional trains.
Le Havre (meaning the harbour) was founded in 1517 by King Francis I, bombed in 1944 and rebuilt in the 1950s, giving it a curious feeling of being simultaneously old and quite new. The two-hour train ride north from Gare Saint-Lazare passes Renzo Piano’s mesmerising, massive 2017 Tribunal de Paris then zig-zags over the Seine, passing fields, stone houses, ancient farms and viaducts. Look to the left at Rouen to glimpse the cathedral, famous from Claude Monet’s 1890s series. Once in Unesco-listed Le Havre, visit the Impressionist-rich MuMa museum, go op-shopping, then head to a trendy port-side bar for oysters — try Chez Lili.
Gare Saint-Lazare is one of Paris's historic train stations, from which travellers can embark on a picturesque two-hour journey north to Le Havre. Photo / Ruby Boukabou
Paris - Burgundy (Montbard and Semur-en-Auxois)
Burgundy in east-central France is famous for its wine, cheese, mustard and chateaux. It only takes an hour on TGV, or less than two on a regional train. You’ll pass fields of sunflowers and cereal, hamlets with stone houses and cute little churches and green pastures with creamy Charolais cows. In Montbard check out the statue of the Comte de Buffon and the cloisters of Fontenay Abbey (dating back to 1118). Then bus to the pretty medieval village of Semur-en-Auxois by the Armancon river…. or continue half an hour by rail to Dijon, the capital of Burgundy.
Paris - Nice (then Ventimiglia)
Bustling, sun-kissed Nice, in the southeast of France n the French Riviera, is a popular destination for its colourful buildings, art galleries, long-stretch pebble beach and al fresco dining. It’s a six-hour TGV trip and you’ll want to book a window seat on the right-hand side of the train. If you do need a nap, now is the time (as you pass the wind turbines, fields and cows), as from Marseille on is the best bit, with tantalising glimpses of blue that finally open up to dazzling Mediterranean views with yachts, beaches, palm trees and locals lounging on the sand.
The journey from Paris to Nice offers travellers mesmerising glimpses of the Mediterranean, with views of yachts, beaches, and lounging locals. Photo / Supplied
After spending some time in Nice and exploring the Cote D’azure (Villefranche-sur-Mer, Antibes, Juan-les Pins), continue to the Italian border. This 50-minute train trip to Ventimiglia is spectacular. You’ll gaze over pastel villages, Art Deco villas and a sea so enticing you’ll want to plunge into it … which you can after a seafood lunch (and great coffee) at a beach-side restaurant , a stroll from the station in Italy.
Puget-Théniers - Annot: ‘Train des Pignes à Vapeur’ ( Provence Alps)
Step back in time on this volunteer-run, historically classified steam train. The journey starts in Puget-Théniers (an hour and a half from Nice) and winds through pine trees and olive groves, over steel bridges and through mountain tunnels. At Annot you’ll have time to lunch and stroll through the narrow streets and charming squares with old stone fountains before catching the next train back. The service is limited to Sundays with extra dates in summer. www.traindespignes.fr/en/
Villefranche-de-Conflent - Latour de Carol-Enveitg: ‘The Yellow Train’ (Pyrenees)
Be wowed by the Pyrenees in the southwest of France on this open-air yellow train that runs towards the Spanish border. The Train Line of Cerdanya was constructed between 1903 and 1927 and the trip reaches its peak at Bolquère-Eyne (1592m above sea level) before descending into the valley. You’ll cross the Gisclard suspension bridge, the Pont Séjourné and the Plateau Cerdan, all the time surrounded by the breathtaking mountain range.
Paris- Barcelona
When you’re ready to explore France’s neighbouring countries, do so by rail. Paris to Barcelona now takes only six and a half hours with a constantly changing landscape. You’ll see the Rhone River, the Alps, the Massif Central (highlands of south-central France), sunflower fields, the Mediterranean, flamingos in the marshlands, and experience a spectacular moment with water on both sides of the train.
Bon voyage!
Checklist
FRANCE
GETTING THERE
Qatar, Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific all fly from Auckland to Paris with one stopover.
