France's Train System - Paris - TravBuddy

France's train system is one of the best in Europe, with clean modern cars and frequent service. The standard trains are pretty fast, but there are also the high-speed TGV trains for longer distances. Beware that in some cities, there are train stations for standard trains, and DIFFERENT stations for TGV's (I learned this in Avignon the hard way). When looking for tickets between cities, use the website (http://www.sncf.com/indexe.htm) to determine if these cities are in different regions. If they are, it is wise to buy the tickets ahead of time online, in case they run out. If they are in the same region you can buy them the day you leave at the train station. Be sure to validate the tickets on the platform. If you are under 26 and will be using the train a lot, you can buy a 50 Euro pass which often allows you to purchase tickets at half price.