France by train
How to travel in France by train: information, connections, blog and travel reports. Help in our forum to buy train tickets.
train types
- AVE Elipsos Spain - France (AVE Elipsos)
- Eurocity Thello(THELLO)
- Eurostar(EST)
- EuskoTren(EUSKO)
- Flixbus(FLIX)
- ICE Alleo Germany - France(ICE Alleo)
- idTGV(idTGV)
- inOui(INOUI)
- Intercités(IC)
- Intercités - Ex-Téoz(IC)
- Intercités de Nuit(ICN)
- Ouigo(Ouigo)
- Regio(R)
- TER Bus(TERB)
- TGV Alleo France - Germany(TGV Alleo)
- TGV Elipsos France - Spain (TGV Elipsos)
- TGV France - Belgium(TGV)
- TGV France - Italy(TGV)
- TGV France - Luxembourg(TGV)
- TGV Lyria France - Switzerland(Lyria)
- THALYS(THY)
- Train à Grande Vitesse(TGV)
- Transport Express Régional(TER)
night train
- ICN 3730 Cerbère - Paris
- ICN 3731 Paris - Portbou
- ICN 3750|52 Toulouse - Paris
- ICN 3751|53 Paris - Toulouse
- ICN 3754 Rodez - Paris
- ICN 3755 Paris - Rodez
- ICN 3756 Albi - Paris
- ICN 3757 Paris - Albi
- ICN 3980 Latour-de-Carol - Paris
- ICN 3981|83 Paris - Latour-de-Carol
- ICN 5773 Paris - Nice
- ICN 5774 Nice - Paris
- ICN 5789/93 Paris - Briançon
- ICN5790/92 Briançon - Paris
- ÖBB nightjet NJ40424 Berlin - Paris
- ÖBB nightjet NJ40469 Paris - Berlin
- ÖBB nightjet NJ468 Vienna - Paris
- ÖBB nightjet NJ469 Paris - Vienna
train connections
popular connections travelled by other users
search for train schedules here
Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
train company
- ANDB Andorrabus
- CFC Chemins de fer de la Corse
- CP Chemins de Fer de Provence
- DFDS DFDS Seaways
- Elipsos Elipsos
- EST Eurostar International
- EUROLFR Eurolines France
- FLIX Flixbus
- IRFE Irish Ferries
- LYRIA Lyria
- MEGA Megabus
- MFLI MyFerryLink
- Ouibus Ouibus
- P&O P&O Ferries
- RZD Российские железные дороги
- SAA Stadtbahn Saar GmbH
- SEAFR SeaFrance
- SNCF Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français
- THALYS Thalys
- THELLO Thello
France - Andorra
To travel by train from France to Andorra, the last part has to be done by bus. First by train to L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre (France). There you change to the bus to Andorra la Vella.
The bus journey time is about 1:30h. The bus ticket price one-way: EUR 12,50.
Find the exact schedules and buy your tickets via the given booking links.
France - Belgium
TGV inoui high-speed-trains connect many French cities with Belgium (Brussels). The Thalys high-speed-train connects Paris with Brussels in 2:20 hours. In addition, there are many regional train connections from Lille (France) across the border to Belgium. In Belgium there are connections with InterCity and regional trains.
Buy your train ticket via the booking links provided. There you will find the exact fare with timetable.
France - Switzerland
There are three main train routes to travel from France to Switzerland. The "TGV Lyria" high-speed train from Paris to Basel and Zurich. And the regional trains from Strasbourg to Basel and from Lyon to Geneva.
The ticket fares for the "TGV Lyria" start at 40 EUR. For the connections from Strasbourg and Lyon to Switzerland, ticket prices start at 24 EUR.
You can find the best route for you, the timetable and ticket prices via our booking links.
France - Germany
To travel from France to Germany by train, use a route either via Paris/Lille to Cologne by Thalys train. Or from Paris via Strasbourg/Saarbrücken to Frankfurt or Stuttgart by TGV/ICE. There is also a direct train from Marseille in direction of Frankfurt. Please use the given booking links to find schedules and ticket prices. Prices are usually the same, but sometimes vary slightly.
If you want to use a night train, have a look at the Russian night train Paris to Moscow (exit in Berlin). A very nice experience and high quality, but does not run daily!
The Europe Special price of Deutsche Bahn (German railways) is available from EUR 39. As earlier you book, as cheaper the ticket prices are.
France - Spain
To travel by train from France to Spain, use first one of the direct high-speed-trains from France (Paris) or southern France (Marseille) to Barcelona. There you change to your destination in Spain.
Another option is to cross the border at Irun/Hendaye and to continue from there to your destination in Spain. Some routes run via Latour-de-Carol.
Find train schedules, ticket fares and the best routes via the given booking links.
In some cases you have to buy two tickets. One from France to Barcelona (Spain) and a second one from Barcelona to your destination in Spain. Book early to get discounts and saver fares.
France - Italy
To travel from France to Italy, you have on the main travel routes direct trains from Paris and Marseille to Milan. From Milan you have good train connections to all over Italy.
We recommend the night train from Paris to Milan and Venice. It saves you travel time and it is comfortable.
To find the exact train-schedules and ticket fares, use our booking links. As earlier you book, as cheaper the tickets are.
France - Luxembourg
Travel from France to Luxembourg by direct train. You can travel by TGV high-speed-trains from different French cities to Luxembourg. Or you travel by local train.
The journey time from Paris to Luxembourg is 2:15 hours. There are several train connections daily. The train ticket fares start from 31 EUR.
Find the exact train schedules and buy your ticket via the given booking links.
France - Monaco
To travel from France to Monaco by train, you use the network of French railways SNCF.
France - Netherlands
To travel from France to the Netherlands by train, use as fastest option the direct Thalys/Eurostar high-speed trains on the route Paris and Lille to Rotterdam, Schiphol and Amsterdam. Usually you can book the journey from your departure station in France to your destination in the Netherlands in one step via the following booking links. There you also find schedules and the exact ticket prices.
If you avoid peak travel times, you will find attractive discount fares. If it is not possible to book your journey in one step, first book a train ticket from your departure station in France to Paris or Lille. And then a second one to your final destination in the Netherlands.
France - Poland
Travel from France to Poland by direct overnight train or with a change of train in Germany.
There are trains with departure from Paris and Nice (France) in direction of Warsaw (Poland) and on to Moscow. The journey time by this comfortable overnight train from Paris to Warsaw is 21 hours. Tickets are available from 175 EUR. These trains do not run daily.
It is also possible to travel from your departure station in France to Germany (Berlin, Cologne or Frankfurt). Buy a saver fare ticket from 39 EUR. And then by a second train ticket from Germany to your travel destination in Poland. Train tickets are available from 39 EUR as well.
Find exact train schedules and buy your tickets via the given booking links.
France - Portugal
To travel from France to Portugal by train, there are two main routes. It depends on where your departure railway station is located in France.
The first route is by high-speed-train to the french-spanish border at Hendaye/Irun. There you change to the night train from Hendaye/Irun to Lisbon. From Lisbon you continue to your final travel destination.
Buy three tickets via the given booking links:
1. From your departure station in France to the border at Hendaye/Irun. Tickets from 25 EUR.
2. From Hendaye/Irun by night train to Lisbon. Tickets from 25 EUR.
3. From Lisbon to your final travel destination in Portugal. Saver fare tickets available.
The second route is by high-speed-train from France to Barcelona. There you change to a high-speed-train to Madrid. From where you continue by night train to Lisbon. And finally by train to your final travel destination.
Buy four tickets via the given booking links:
1. From your departure station in France to Barcelona. Tickets from 39 EUR.
2. From Barcelona to Madrid by high-speed-train. Tickets from 39 EUR.
3. From Madrid to Lisbon by night train. Tickets from 25 EUR.
4. From Lisbon to your final travel destination in Portugal. Saver fare tickets available.
All train schedules and the exact ticket prices are available via the given booking links.
France - Russia
There are two direct long-distance night trains from France to Russia. One train runs from Paris via Germany to Moscow and a second one from Nice via Italy and Austria to Moscow. Both do not run daily. Tickets are available from 175 EUR. The ticket price depends on your travel date and the comfort class. The journey time is about 36 hours.
Additional tickets are necessary from your departure station to Paris or Nice and from Moscow to your final destination.
Buy your train ticket via the given booking links. There you find as well ticket prices and schedules.
France - United Kingdom
To travel by train from France to Great Britain you have several options. The fastest one includes the direct Eurostar train from Paris to London. A cheaper but much slower option could be a bus. The ferry Calais to Dover isn't an option anymore as it became too complicate and expensive for foot passengers.
To buy train tickets for your travel journey from France to the United Kingdom, use one of the following booking links. First try to book your whole trip in one step. If this is not possible, split it with tickets from your departure station to Paris (1), one ticket for the Eurostar train Paris to London (2) and from London to your destination (3).
Find schedules and exact travel times via the booking links. Try to book your tickets in advance to get saver fares. If you pretend to travel several routes in Great Britain, a rail pass like Britrail, Eurail or Interrail could be an option for you, as single tickets are quiet expensive.