All of France is connected by a high-speed train network and other regional train systems. There are more than 20,000 miles of train rail and each day 14,000 trains run. Considering that France is just slightly larger than California, this means you are never too far from anywhere! The Atlantic Coast, Provence, and the Cote d'Azur are just a hop, skip and jump away from Paris using the highly sophisticated French railway system. Full disclosure — that it's our favorite way to get round France, so we're somewhat biased in our recommendations.
Board the TGV at Gare de Lyon and you'll be in sunny Provence in less than 3 hours. If you were to drive from Paris to Avignon, you'd have to spend up to 9 hours in the car. We've always found that there's no need to rent a car from Paris. We simply arrange to pick up a rental car when we arrive at the gare in Avignon, Bordeaux, Lyon, Trouville, or whatever our final destination.
In the time of the average Vancouver (British Columbia) commute by car — about 67 minutes — you could hop from Paris to Reims and spend the day sipping champagne at Moët et Chandon, where Napoleon drank his champagne.
In little longer than the average Montreal commute (80 minutes) you could train travel from Paris to Nantes. There you could pick up a car rental and spend the day exploring the magnificent chateaux of the Loire Valley.
Luckily for us travelers, train travel from Paris also connects to all of Europe. You could take a romantic overnight train and wake up in Barcelona or Florence.
Although there are many cheap flights from Paris, you'll wonder about the true cost of them when you're stuffed like sardines into a flying tin can. (We know this from experience!) Instead, enjoy the comfort, speed, and convenience of train travel. And it's so much more pleasant to leave Paris from a centrally-located train station.
If you plan to do any train travel from Paris, it's best to purchase your online and in advance. That way you have your tickets with you when you arrive in France.
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