
France by Train
Your Eurail France Pass is the key to the world's most popular travel destination. Explore the romantic capital Paris, relax at the beach in the French Riviera and visit beautiful castles in the Loire Valley. Traveling by train through France is a guarantee for beautiful and varied scenery.
Please keep in mind that French high-speed and night trains always need reservations in advance and often have limited seating for Eurail Pass holders.
Train types in France
- Route map
- Domestic trains
- High-speed trains
- Night trains

Regional and intercity trains in France
Reservations for regional trains are not required (except for the TER trains).
TER
Connects most French cities and towns, with frequent services.
TER trains in the Normandy region (€1.5 reservation fee, which can only be made at train stations).
InterCité (InterCity)
- Connects major cities and towns in France.
- Reservations are not required for most InterCité trains.
- The SNCF website has a map of InterCité trains that do require a reservation (in French only: Blue=reservations required; green=reservations not required; Purple=night trains)
Paris: suburban RER trains
RER trains connect central Paris with suburban areas of the city. Please note these trains are NOT included in the Pass. Keep this in mind when you're travelling to:
- Orly Airport
- Charles de Gaulle Airport
- Disneyland Paris
- Versailles
Domestic high-speed trains in France
Connects popular destinations like Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille and Nice.
Travels at speeds of 320 km/h (200 mph).
Features luggage racks, power sockets and snacks or a restaurant car.
Reservations are required.
International high-speed trains in France
Connects Paris and Lille to London (Great Britain) via the Channel Tunnel, and Lille to Brussels (Belgium).
Reservations are required.
- Connects Paris to Amsterdam (Netherlands), Brussels (Belgium) and Dortmund (Germany).
- Reservations are required.
- Connects French cities to various destinations in Germany, such as:
- Paris – Frankfurt, Freiburg, Stuttgart & Munich (Germany)
- Marseille – Frankfurt (Germany)
- Bordeaux – Frankfurt (Germany) Running on Saturdays 08 July – 26 August
- Bordeaux – Freiburg (Germany) Running on Saturdays 01 April – 02 September
- Reservations are required.
TGV to Barcelona
- Connects Paris with Barcelona (Spain).
- Reservations are required.
- Connects Paris to Geneva and Zurich (Switzerland).
- Reservations are required.
TGV to Brussels
- Connects various cities in France with Brussels (Belgium), such as:
- Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Rennes & Strasbourg to Brussels.
- Reservations are required.
TGV to Luxembourg
- Connects Paris and Montpellier to Luxembourg City (Luxembourg).
- Reservations are required.
TGV to Italy
- Connects Paris to Turin and Milan (Italy).
- Reservations are required.
Train stations of bordering countries
An Interrail Pass valid in France covers travel to some train stations of bordering countries:
Basel (Switzerland)
Geneva (Switzerland)
Portbou (Spain)
- Ventimiglia (Italy)
Domestic night trains in France
Connects Paris to various destinations in the east, west and south of France.
- Paris - Gap - Briançon
- Paris - Marseille - Cannes - Nice
- Paris - Rodez - Albi
- Paris - Toulouse - Perpignan - Portbou (Spain)
- Paris - Toulouse - Latour de Carol
- Paris - Toulouse - Tarbes - Lourdes
Reservations are required for these trains.
International night trains in France
- Paris - Munich - Vienna
Popular connections
- Domestic routes
- International routes
- Ferry routes
France has an extensive high-speed train network, which will get you where you want to go a lot faster compared to the regional train system. However, for the high-speed trains you'll need to book a seat reservation. We'll explain you more about reservations a bit further down on this page.
View approximate train travel times between top cities in France with regional and high-speed TGV trains:
Route | Regional | High-speed |
---|---|---|
Paris to Bordeaux | 11h 30m | 2h |
Paris to Lyon | 5h | 2h |
Paris to Marseille | 10h 30m | 3h |
Paris to Nice | 16h | 5h 30m |
Paris to Nantes | 5h | 2h 15m |
Paris to Strasbourg | 5h | 1h 45m |
Paris to Lille | 3h | 1h |
Route | Which train? | Travel time | Reservations |
---|---|---|---|
Lyon to Geneva (Switzerland) | Regional | 2h | None |
Paris to Amsterdam (Netherlands) | Thalys | 3h 30m | Required |
Paris to Barcelona (Spain) | TGV | 6h 30m | Required |
Paris to Brussels (Belgium) | Thalys | 1h 30m | Required |
Paris to Cologne / Dortmund (Germany) | Thalys | 3h 30m / 5h | Required |
Paris to Munich (Germany) | TGV / ÖBB Nightjet | 5h 30m / 11h (overnight) |
Required |
Paris to Frankfurt (Germany) | ICE & TGV | 4h | Required |
Paris to Geneva (Switzerland) | TGV | 3h | Required |
Paris to London (Great Britain) | Eurostar | 3h 30m | Required |
Nice to Genova / Milan (Italy)(via Ventimiglia) | Regional and InterCity | 3h / 5h | Optional |
Paris to Turin / Milan (Italy) | TGV | 5h 30m / 7h | Required |
Perpignan to Barcelona (Spain) | TGV | 1h 30m | Required |
Paris to Vienna (Austria) | ÖBB Nightjet | 15h (overnight) | Required |
Paris to Barcelona (Spain) via Latour de Carol | Intercités de Nuit and Rodalies de Catalunya | 15h | Required only for Intercités de Nuit |
International ferry connections to and from France
Great Britain to France
Get a Eurail discount of 30% off Irish Ferries journeys from Rosslare in Ireland to Cherbourg (19.5 hours) or Roscoff (18.5 hours) in north-west France.
Reservations
Many French trains require an advance reservation, including TGV high-speed trains, all international high-speed trains, and night trains (prices depend on desired sleeping accommodation). You can make reservations up to 3 months in advance.
Please note that the number of seats available for Eurail Pass holders is limited on TGV, Thalys trains, certain InterCité trains, Eurostar trains and the Paris-Frankfurt ICE train. We advise you to reserve these trains as far in advance as possible.
How to make reservations for French trains
You can make reservations for domestic and international high-speed trains and night trains:
Through our Reservation Service.
At a ticket desk or self-service machine at local train stations.
By phone through one of the railway call centers.
Get your Pass for France
Tips and tricks for France
Quick facts
Capital: Paris
Population: 65 million
Language: French
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Dialing code: +33
Ferry travel
Discounted ferry travel to Ireland is an extra benefit of a Eurail Pass valid in France on these routes:
Roscoff – Rosslare (Ireland)
Cherbourg – Rosslare (Ireland)
Other benefits
Eurail Pass holders also get discounts on several hostels, city cards and even Disneyland!
French hub stations
France has several hub stations in Paris including:
- Lyon
- Nord
- Austerlitz
- Bercy
- Est
- Montparnasse
From these train stations it's possible to connect to trains to most of France's main cities.
Station facilities
The main train stations in France usually have excellent facilities, often including:
Luggage lockers
Foreign exchange desks
Restaurants and cafés
Tourist information offices
ATM cash machines
Elevators and escalators
Access for disabled passengers
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