Mathijsvdm
Traveller
1 comments
Posted 6 years ago
I want to travel in France with an Interrail one country ticket.
I start in Antwerp and travel to Paris, Bordeaux, Carcasonne, Avignon and back to Antwerp. So I think I need a Interrail-ticket for 6 days.
I want to know, what is the best way to travel in and out France? I guess it can\'t with the One Country Pass.
Any tips for this and any tips for my route in general?
Mathijsvdm
Traveller
1 comments
I bought a global pass for 5 days instead, it was even cheaper. Now I am searching to avoid expensive reservations.
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hi and welcome to railcc!
If you do not want to buy reservations you will have to avoid TGV/inoui [ux]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation/tgv-sncf/42[/ux], [ux]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation/inoui/336[/ux] and Intercités services with compulsory reservation [ux]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation/intercites-teoz-sncf/46[/ux]
Also, Interrail is not valid on low cost services Ezy and ouigo.
Paris to Bordeaux is best done by TGV/inou trains (with reservation), as travelling with regional trains only (TER [ux]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation/ter-sncf/37[/ux] is very time consuming on this route. You can try and find schedules on [ux]https://rail.shop/sncf[/ux], either via Orleans - Tours - Poitiers - Angouleme or via Orleans - Vierzon - Limoges; best is to search for individual parts of the route instead of the whole route Paris - Bordeaux at once.
Bordeaux - Avignon frequent regional trains are available, no problem.
Bordeaux - Carcassonne is also possible by regional trains, usually with a change of trains in Toulouse.
Carcassonne - Belgian border...many options; for instance night train to Paris; but probably the most scenic option would be to travel from Beziers via Millau - Neussargues to Clermont-Ferrand; or from Nimes via Ales to Clermont-Ferrand; from there by local trains to Paris.
Another option is to go from Carcassonne via Narbonne - Montpellier - Avignon - Lyon - Dijon by regional train: [ux]https://rail.cc/blog/paris-lyon-marseille-train/[/ux]
Paris to border is easy; Intercités or regional train via Amiens to Lille, then SNCB/NMBS Intercity via Kortrijk - Gent to Antwerp.
Flo