Travel inside France
Trains, cars, city transport, domestic flights and island ferries — plus the fastest rail links from France to London, Brussels, Barcelona, Geneva and Milan.
Most trips mix two or three modes: fast rail between the big cities, then a hire car or regional train for the countryside.
TGV INOUI and OUIGO link Paris with Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Strasbourg and Nice in 2–5 hours. Slower TER trains reach vineyards, coastal towns and ski valleys. Book 2–3 months ahead for the cheapest fares; seat reservation is compulsory on TGV.
Paris has seven mainline stations — check whether you leave from Gare de Lyon, Montparnasse or Nord.
A car is the best way to see Provence, the Dordogne, Brittany and Alsace. Autoroutes are fast but tolled (roughly €8–€12 per 100 km); a télépéage badge saves queueing. Low-emission zones in Paris, Lyon, Grenoble and other cities require a Crit'Air sticker.
Rural fuel stations often close on Sundays — fill up before leaving a motorway.
Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Toulouse and Bordeaux all have metro or tram networks with day and multi-day passes. Long-distance coaches (BlaBlaCar Bus, FlixBus) are the cheapest way between cities when you have time to spare.
In Paris, Navigo Easy or a t+ carnet works out cheaper than single tickets.
Flying makes sense for Paris–Nice, Paris–Toulouse or reaching Corsica and the overseas islands. On routes where the train takes under 2h30 the law now favours rail, so check the timetable first.
Add transfer time: Beauvais and some regional airports are far from the city centre.
Corsica sails from Marseille, Toulon and Nice (5–12 hours, or overnight with a cabin). Short hops serve Île de Ré, Belle-Île, Porquerolles and the Îles d'Or in summer.
Taking a car to Corsica in August needs booking months ahead.
France has 26,000 km of signed cycle routes: La Loire à Vélo, the Vélodyssée along the Atlantic and the ViaRhôna from Lake Geneva to the Med. Regional trains carry bikes free on most TER services.
Vineyard greenways around Bordeaux and Burgundy are flat and family-friendly.
France sits at the centre of Europe's rail map, so adding a second country to your trip is usually a single train away.
| Route | Service | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Paris → London | Eurostar | 2h16 |
| Paris → Brussels | Eurostar/Thalys | 1h22 |
| Paris → Amsterdam | Eurostar | 3h20 |
| Paris → Barcelona | TGV/Renfe | 6h35 |
| Lyon → Geneva | TGV Lyria | 1h50 |
| Nice → Milan | TGV/Trenitalia | 4h45 |
| Strasbourg → Frankfurt | TGV/ICE | 1h55 |
| Marseille → Corsica | Ferry | 6h–11h |
Journey times are typical direct services and vary by date and operator. Arriving from abroad? See our guides to trains, ferries and driving to France.
Best value if your dates are fixed. Fares open 3–4 months out and rise as trains fill.
Worth it for multi-country loops. TGV still needs a paid seat reservation on top of the pass.
Discount cards pay for themselves in around three return journeys if you travel often.
Navigo Découverte, Lyon City Card and Marseille City Pass bundle transport with museum entry.
We book rail, private transfers, chauffeur days and hire cars alongside your tours and accommodation, so every connection is already handled when you land.
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