Jump on a train to your French home and you’ll enjoy a more relaxing experience as you take in the diverse landscape, and a rapid journey thanks to two new high-speed TGV routes.
The convenience of jumping on a plane to visit your holiday home in France or Spain is clear to see. But not everyone enjoys cramming their stuff into an overhead locker! Train travel is a great alternative, especially for property owners in France just the other end of a short channel hop. Travelling by train allows you to enjoy the gorgeous French landscape before arriving in the heart of the city.
If you choose to drive, you are now required to display an emissions sticker on the windscreen of your car when travelling through some areas, such as Paris, Lyon or Grenoble
New high-speed TGV routes
Two TGV – France’s high-speed trains – routes have come into operation this July, making the journey between Paris, and Bordeaux and Rennes significantly quicker, as you hurtle through the French countryside at speeds of up to 360 miles per hour.
Around 60 minutes has been shaved of the 570 kilometre journey to Bordeaux in the south-west of the country, which now takes just over two hours – a popular destination for overseas property buyers. To put this into context, the 534 kilometre journey between London and Edinburgh takes nearly five hours by train. The trip from Paris to Rennes in Brittany in the north-east of France is now just 85 minutes.
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The TGV arrives at Bordeaux station, just two hours after leaving Paris
These new routes, which cost €11 billion and took 11 years to build, are still very competitively priced:
• A single between Paris and Bordeaux will cost around €110
• A single between Paris and Rennes will cost around €90
Cheaper tickets can be purchased when booking in advance.
Two TGV – France’s high-speed trains – routes have come into use this July, making the journey between Paris, and Bordeaux and Rennes significantly quicker
Beware the Crit’Air
If you choose to drive, you are now required to display an emissions sticker on the windscreen of your car when travelling through some areas, such as Paris, Lyon or Grenoble. This initiative is part of the Crit’Air scheme and aims to reduce pollution. They cost just €4.80 and can be purchased online at this government website. [LINK: https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/en/] Failure to do so will incur an on-the-spot fine of €68.
