France offers many transportation options
including the French lease buyback
Train Transportation in France - Riding France's Rails
France is served by an extensive national rail system called SNCF. You
can make reservations or buy tickets from the SNCF website.
You don't really need to make reservations on local trains within France
if you're buying point to point rail tickets. French local trains are
frequent enough that you can check the train you'd like to ride on and buy
tickets the day of your journey. Remember to validate your ticket.
Just about any city or village in France of interest to travellers will
have a train station or will be accessable by bus from the nearest larger
town.
You may save money by purchasing a French rail pass. A variety of Rail
Passes are available for travel within France. Here is a partial list:
- France Railpass: Provides 4 days unlimited train travel in 1 month.
- France Saverpass: A pass for 2 or more people traveling together (4 days
unlimited train travel in 1 month).
- France Rail 'n Drive: Combines 3 days unlimited train travel plus 2 days
of AVIS rental car.
- France Youthpass: Travelers under 26 get any 4 days of unlimited train
travel in 2 months.
- France Senior Pass: Special pass for Senior over age 60.
- France Saver Senior Pass: Special pass for 2 or more Seniors traveling
together.
- Paris Visite: For travelers to Paris and its regions--gives you access to
the buses and Metro including airport busses. A better, athough more
difficult to procure pass for Paris transportation is the Carte Orange.
Rail Passes are available from RailEurope. Passes offer savings for
people making longer trips around France. You can also get a combined France
and Switzerland Rail Pass if you're travelling between those two countries.
Driving in France - Auto Transportation, Rental and Leasing
French roads are quite good, although the toll roads (autoroutes) can get
expensive. Read more about the nuances of driving in France with our
article: Tips for Driving in France.
If you are planning to rent a car, remember that you can make use of the
French lease buyback plan if you're staying over 17 days. This allows you to
lease a brand new car with full insurance, usually for less than the cost of
a rental.
You can also get around France (and the rest of Europe) by long distance
bus services like Eurolines. |
