Train a grande viteese or TGV as it is widely called is a high speed train in France and is well known for its speed and for the comfort it provides. Five major tracks are used by TGV.

The south-east TGV line connects the cities of Avignon, Dijon, Lyon, Nice, Marseille and Perpignon of south east of France and this make its way through the French Alps and also has a stop at Geneva in Switzerland.

The TGV Atlantic line links the capital city of France to the west coast. Major stops on this TGV train line include Nantes, the Loire Valley, La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Toulouse and the French Basque country.

The TGV northern line is linked between Paris and Lille and Calais which are the main towns in northern France.

Eurostar, probably the most well known train line, runs between Paris and London via the Channel Tunnel, stopping at Lille, Calias and Ashford in Kent on the way.

The high speed TGV Thalys line serves main European cities such as Brussels, Cologne and Amsterdam, making travel to several European countries from France much easier.

The past several years have seen improvements in high speed train travel in France. It is no longer necessary to go through Paris in order to travel between many of France’s major regional cities. The high speed TGV train in France now runs directly between Lyons and Nantes, Bordeaux and Lilles and several other destinations.

The highest speed record for the TGV is 515 km p/h; however, the TGV typically operates at between 280-300 km p/h when it is in service.

Securing a train ticket in France is an intricate affair as it involves numerous special offers for the European and the non-European citizens. For a non-European national a pass known as Eurailpass is provided that allows one to travel for over a 2-week period but this pass costs more in France than in other countries where it can be bought 30% cheaper.

The Paris metro ticket is a cheap and convenient way of travelling inside Paris. . For more information on the TGV trains in France click on the preceding hyperlink.


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