High-Speed Train Travel From Paris – To France & The Rest Of Europe
All of France is connected by a high-speed rail network and numerous regional train systems. There are more than 20,000 miles of track; 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 train away from Paris using the highly-sophisticated French railway system. And it's amazingly easy to buy train tickets online.
Provence – Tout de Suite
The departure board at Gare de Lyon, gateway to points south
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 a 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, Nice or whatever our final destination.
A Champagne Day Trip From Paris
Spend a day in Champagne visiting historic houses and smaller producers, walking through vineyard villages, and tasting the wines that made the region famous. It's an easy way to see another side of France beyond Paris.
Train Travel from Paris… To France
A French high-speed train zips long the Mediterranean coast
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.
A Classic Seine Dinner Cruise
A dinner cruise is one of the easiest ways to see Paris lit up at night without racing across town. This 2.5-hour cruise serves classic French cuisine on an all-glass boat, so the views stay with you as the landmarks slide by.
Train Travel from Paris… To the Rest of Europe
It's a fast trip by train through mount passes into the rest of Europe
Luckily for travelers, trains from Paris also connect 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 after spending hours at an airport. (We know this from experience!) Instead, we prefer to luxuriate in the comfort, speed, and convenience of train travel. It's so pleasant to leave Paris from a centrally-located train station.
If you plan to do any train travel from Paris, be sure to purchase your online and in advance. That way you have your tickets with you when you arrive at the station. (Note that many high-speed trains are only bookable 60 to 90 days in advance.)
Find Your Paris Hotel: Choosing The Right Area
Paris hotels book up fast, and a good location saves time every day. This search pulls together 4- and 5-star stays with strong reviews across key neighborhoods, so you compare options quickly and book with confidence.
Popular Train Travel Destinations from Paris
The villages and vineyards of Bourgogne are an easy train ride away from Paris
- Paris to Dijon — in just 1 hour and 35 mins, a direct TGV gets you to Burgundy Wine Country.
- Paris to Brussels — clocking in at 1 hour and 17 mins, the high-speed Thalys train will deliver you to this fabulous Belgium city.
- Paris to Amsterdam — 3 hours and 18 minutes by the Thalys high-speed train.
- Paris to London — 2 hours and 15 minutes on the Eurostar and you'll be saying hello to Big Ben.
- Paris to Avignon — 2 hours and 37 minutes and you'll be soaking up the sun of Provence.
- Paris to Bordeaux — 3 hours and 10 minutes to the center of wine country. From there it's an easy train ride to St. Emilion (30 minutes or so).
- Paris to Lyon — 2 hours and 30 minutes hours gets you to the culinary capital of France.
- Paris to Marseille — 3 hours later you'll be wandering the port city of Southern France.
- Paris to Geneva — take the 3 hour 30 minute train ride and rent a car at the station to visit Chamonix, Val de Bagnes, and Gruyere.
FAQs – Train Travel from Paris
WHY IS TRAIN TRAVEL FROM PARIS A GOOD OPTION FOR EXPLORING FRANCE?
France has an extensive high-speed and regional rail network, with thousands of trains running daily, so you are never far from destinations like Provence, Bordeaux, Normandy, the Loire Valley, or the Atlantic coast when you depart from Paris.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO REACH POPULAR REGIONS BY TRAIN FROM PARIS?
You can reach sunny Provence in less than three hours on the TGV from Gare de Lyon, travel from Paris to Reims in about the length of a typical 67-minute Vancouver commute, or go from Paris to Nantes in a bit more than an 80-minute Montreal commute.
DO I NEED TO RENT A CAR IN PARIS FOR REGIONAL TRIPS?
You generally do not need to rent a car in Paris itself; a common approach is to take the train from Paris to cities such as Avignon, Bordeaux, Lyon, Trouville, or Nice and then pick up a rental car at the station to explore the surrounding countryside.
Start With a Paris Adventure
A dinner cruise on the Seine River
Before you head out for Burgundy, Bordeaux, or Berlin, have some fun in Paris.
🎨 Skip-the-Line Louvre Masterpiece Tour →
🗼 VIP Tours of the Eiffel Tower →
🚢 Toast Paris on a Seine River Dinner Cruise →
👑 A Royal Day at Versailles →
⚜️ City of Paris Website: News & Happenings →
Find Your Hotel In France
Traveling beyond Paris? Find good places to stay across France, from city neighborhoods and vineyard hotels to Riviera hideaways and small-town inns. Compare locations and see what's open for your travel dates.
