PARIS, France: A few memorable moments during my first 24-hours back in Paris. The girls and I are so happy to be home! We’ll be here for about a month until I return to our country home in Bretagne for the summer.
NEW YOUTUBE VIDEO! How To: Use the train system in France; Traveling in France 101 – SNCF and TGV trains.
Visit the YouTube link in my Instagram bio, or search for “This French Life” on YouTube to find my channel!
In my new YouTube video, I share a detailed step-by-step on using the train system successfully. My goal was to break down each moment at the gare (train station), so you can confidently navigate the process and enjoy the entire experience.
Suggested timeline:
IN PARIS – I try to arrive at the train station about 45 – 1 hour in advance to accomplish all my little preferred tasks before departing.
OUTSIDE of PARIS – If driving, I add a thirty-minute buffer for traffic, parking issues, and delays on the weekends. I add an hour or more if I try to get to a major city with rush hour and traffic issues as Rennes does.
TER/RURAL FRANCE – These stations are small and do not offer the same services as a large station. I generally arrive 20 minutes before departure.
Types of trains in and around metropolitan cities in France:
° RER – These trains take you out of Paris and into the capital’s suburban and immediate outlying areas.
°Metro – The suburban commuter trains within the city limits.
Types of trains that traverse France:
°SNCF – Société National des Chemins de fer Français. This is France’s national train network.
°TGV – Trains à Grande Vitesse (high-speed trains) connecting France’s major cities.
There are also TER trains, which are regional, generally in rural France, and move from one small town or village to another.
For the SNCF and TGV trains, I use the app @trainline to book my tickets.
Bisous and big hugs from Paris,
Shannon