| Vacation
time is precious. It's meant to be relaxing and
pleasurable.
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Learn
More About
French
Train Travel
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That's why, on your next trip
to Europe, you shouldn't miss out on the trains.
In France, the TGV, or high-speed train, flies
through the countryside, while you sit back and
relax. Once at your destination, if you want
to poke around in little villages, you can rent
a car for a few days. That way, you have the
best of both worlds.
To travel from Paris to Marseilles, which equals
approximately the distance from San Francisco
to San Diego, now takes just three hours on the
new, non-stop TGV Mediterranee, which clocks
in at 186 miles per hour.
I took that trip recently. I read, worked on
my laptop, and ate a picnic lunch. I chatted
with some of the other American travelers in
the restaurant car when I strolled down for a
cup of tea.
Back at my seat, I stared out the window at
the passing farms and sheep under a light dusting
of snow. I snuggled under my warm wool coat and
watched clouds change shape in the gray sky as
I fell asleep.
I awoke, relaxed and refreshed, to see the bright
sun sparkling on the Mediterranean as we pulled
into Marseilles. I'd just traveled halfway across
France in just a few pleasant hours.
In a tiny rental car, paying gas and toll road
costs, it would have taken at lest eight hours
of tense driving, and that doesn't count time
for getting lost! Which sounds like more fun
to you?
Sadly, in America, we don't have the option
of traveling by high-speed train, and Amtrack
is fighting to stay alive. Most Americans, who
are used to driving, assume that getting around
on vacation means renting a car. Driving the
long stretches in France means you miss out on
the high-speed trains and the chance to enjoy
the fun and ease they offer.
These trains
are fast, efficient, on time, and provide transportation
to most places. They are
an extremely good value, especially for Americans,
who are able to buy different sorts of rail passes,
including "Rail'n Drive," from Rail
Europe.
A few years ago, I traveled with five other
women who spanned three generations in age, on
a rail and drive escapade through France. We
had all purchased first-class France Rail'n Drive
passes before we left the States for our trip
through Paris, Normandy, and the Loire Valley.
On one leg, the TGV gave us the salon, or private
car, that seats eight, at the head of the train.
We picnicked, partied and giggled our way through
the beauty of passing vineyards and castles.
Once in the Loire Valley, we used our several
days of pre-arranged rental cars to explore the
chateaux of the Loire, even staying in one private
castle for three days.
In this case, driving was a pleasure. Each day,
we savored the few kilometers we drove and the
treasures this time offered. We explored the
castles of Chenonceau, Blois and Chaumont.
We wine-tasted in roadside tasting rooms, touched
by the hospitality of the family-run wineries.
We picnicked along the Loire. We had energy left
over for cocktails on the terrace before the
elegant dinners each evening in our own castle.
Last year, I spent eight months living in Aix-en-Provence,
France, without a car. I toured all over France
safely, economically, and with ease. Many of
these times I traveled alone, using the trains
and their connecting network of busses.
During this time, my sister and I traveled from
the south of France to the Alps, near Briancon.
As we left Aix-en-Provence, farmlands stretched
out, their rows of fruit trees covered in white
and pink blossoms. The train followed the Durance
River, past fields of lavender, which in summer
would be bright with purple flowers.
Farther on, the scenery became more rugged,
with the craggy peaks of the Alps surrounding
little hamlets tucked into the mountainsides.
As we climbed in elevation, a late spring snowstorm
turned everything white, with its fluffy, fat
flakes. I was thrilled not to be driving in it.
I could watch it all from inside the cozy train
as we whizzed along.
Once in Briancon, a bus was waiting to take
us the 30-minute drive up the mountain to the
village of Moneteir-les Bains, known for its
hot springs. Then it was back down the mountain
on the bus and onto the train for the ride home.
I don't know anywhere in America where such
a scenario could happen and it was pure delight.
Unlike in America, France and most of Europe
are set up for you to do just fine without a
car, and the trains make it easy, economical,
and fun. With the Rail'n Drive option, you don't
have to feel like you are missing out on the
charming villages hidden down a winding back
road.
Trains evoke adventure, romance, and excitement.
They're also a chance to kick back and let someone
else be in charge. Isn't that what vacations
should be all about? If at the same time you're
actually saving money and time, well, why not?
You might even find yourself enjoying
some cloud-watching time. Now
that is a precious commodity.
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