version française

The national railway network, known as the S.N.C.F. (Société nationale des chemins de fer) is a long-standing state owned institution, that the French are generally very proud of - and rightly so. Speaking from my own experience, the trains run on time, stations are clean and the staff are very professional both on and off the trains, and the safety record is also very good. France is also the inventor of the TGV , which is actually the fastest train in the world , running regularly at around 300 km/h, but which has the Guiness world record at 515.3 km/h !

To get away from the traffic and enjoy the countryside in a relaxed and quiet environment there can be nothing better! Except of course if you have very small children - I have memories of a nightmare trip through the channel tunnel with two of our children when they were just infants... they just wouldn't sit still, and we kept getting very grumpy looks from harrassed and stressed-out looking fellow travellers.

Useful links:

www.sncf.com : For information, timetables and online booking in English for the French rail network

www.tgv.com  : For information, timetables and online bookings for the TGV

Comments may also be sent by email to: webmaster@gofrench.com

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