Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice. All these French cities are connected to the French rail network.
Tasting wine in famous vineyards, hiking in the French Alps, enjoying local cuisine, all of it is possible with an InterRail Pass for France.
How to get there
France has direct train connections to bordering countries Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium. It also has ferry connections to Great Britain and Ireland.
The Eurostar high-speed train connects Lille and Paris with London, the later via the Calais-Dover channel tunnel. This train is not included in the InterRail Pass, but a special Pass holder fare is available. The Thalys high-speed trains connect Paris to Brussels and onward to cities in the Netherlands and Germany.
Paris
Paris has several train stations. The most important ones are:
- Gare du Nord: the main railway hub for international high-speed trains like the Eurostar from the UK and the Thalys from the Benelux and Germany.
- Gare de Lyon: for (TGV) trains to Lyon, Aix en Provence, Marseille, the French Riviera, Geneva, and Italy.
- Gare d'Austerlitz: for destinations in southwestern France (Toulouse, Bordeaux), the Loire Valley, and Spain.
- Gare Saint-Lazare: for trains in the direction of Normandy (central Northern France).
- Gare de l'Est: for trains towards Eastern France (Strasbourg, Alsace), parts of Germany, Luxembourg and Central/Eastern Europe.
- Gare Montparnasse: for TGV trains serving Nantes and Bordeaux.
Touristic trains
With your InterRail Pass you get 50% discount on the touristic trains in Corsica operated by Chemins de Fer Corse and the train on the route Digne-Nice operated by Chemins de Fer de Provence. See the page Pass Benefits France.
Train types & reservations
- TGV: high speed trains, reservations are required
- Thalys: high speed trains, reservations are required
- TEOZ: intercity trains, reservations are required
- Corail: intercity trains, reservations are recommended but not required
- Eurostar: high speed trains, reservations are required
- TER: regional train, reservations are not required.
There is a limited number of seats reserved for InterRailers at the € 6 fare. If they are fully booked, you can travel at the 18 € peak price, which can only be booked last-minute locally. Or you can look for alternative connections with Corail and TER services.
For details see the pages:
- reservation fees for domestic trains (TGV, TEOZ, Corail)
- reservation fees for international day trains (Eurostar, ICE, Riviera Day, Talgo de Jour, TGV, Thalys)
- How to make reservations
