Cross the continent without hurrying, letting yourself be guided by the railways. The train has everything to attract travelers for whom the path is as important as the destination. If it is already privileged to go to Amsterdam (3 hours 19), Brussels (1 hour 22) or London (2 hours 15) from Paris, it is the plane that we choose for the more distant destinations. At a few tens of euros for the two-hour flight, there is a great temptation to make a round trip to Barcelona, Berlin or Rome over a weekend.
"Between the journey to the airport, baggage check-in, security checks and boarding, travel time by plane is constantly interrupted ," says Etienne, founder of the lemondeentrain.fr site. In the train, all these time-consuming stages are eliminated: from the ascent to the descent, one can read, work, wander or rest without being interrupted, " summarizes in Le Figaro this academic, who did not wait for the fashion of " flygskam ” (the shame of flying) to prefer the rail, including when traveling for business.
»Read also - Travelers who are" ashamed of flying "and prefer the train
At high speed or by night train
Without a unified rail network, crossing Europe in one go is not so simple. It is often necessary to make several reservations and to multiply connections with the fear of train delays. Even if it is possible to cross several countries for around sixty euros (if you book well in advance), the train is generally more expensive than low-cost flights. What discourage even those passionate about rail.
Le Figaro has selected 15 European destinations accessible from Paris by train (day and / or night, high speed or not) or thanks to the combination of train and ferry. For each destination, we indicate the best prices and journey times by train and plane, as well as the minimum number of connections by train.
»Read also - Five night trains that can still be taken from Paris
Barcelona (Spain)
The festive capital of Catalonia is accessible without change from Paris Gare de Lyon. Each day, two TGVs (10:14 am and 3:08 pm) connect the two cities in each direction in 6.38 hours, making a stop in Montpellier, Figueras and Girona. A slightly longer journey than by plane for a similar price: € 39 if you book early.
»Read - 48 hours in Barcelona: our addresses to escape the crowds
Berlin (Germany)
The journey between Paris East and Berlin Hauptbahnhof (photo) takes around 7 hours 30 minutes and requires only one change. 244108859 / hanohiki - stock.adobe.com
Departing at 7.20 am from Gare de l'Est, you arrive in the center of Berlin at best at 3.49 pm. The first part of the journey is by TGV inYes to Frankfurt (3:40), then by ICE to Berlin Hauptbahnhof (4:47). Thanks to SNCF-Deutsche Bahn cooperation, journeys between France and German cities are financially advantageous. A Paris-Berlin (878 km, from € 44.90) can cost only a few euros more than the Paris-Frankfurt (479 km, from € 39.90).
»Read also - Night trains: an already effective recovery in Germany
The most attractive offer is Sparpreis Europa: the ticket is cancellable and refundable (with deduction of € 10) and includes a journey by public transport from the city of departure and arrival. On January 1, 2020, Deutsche Bahn lowered the price of its long-distance train tickets by 10% in order to fight global warming.
»Also read - 48 hours in Berlin: history is on every corner
Copenhagen (Denmark)
To go by train to the land of hygge , a way of life that advocates slowness in particular, it is better to take your time. The journey of more than 14 hours begins in Paris Est with the TGV inOui 9561 at 7.20 am. From Karlsruhe take the ICE 76 to Hamburg, then the Intercity 392 to Copenhagen, where you arrive at 9:33 p.m. The route includes a rather unusual stage: pending the opening of a tunnel in 2027, the train boards a ferry to cross the Fehmarnbelt Strait (20 km) which delimits the German-Danish border. Want to go further in Scandinavia? Once in Copenhagen, high-speed trains allow you to reach Stockholm in five hours (direct) and Oslo in eight hours (with a change to Gothenburg).
Corsica (France)
The Corsica Railways are a 232 km network which serves the four main cities of the Isle of Beauty: Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Corté. Shutterstock / Leonid Katsyka
A route combining the train and the ferry makes it possible to reach Ajaccio or Bastia from Paris. To start, go to Marseille by TGV inOui or Ouigo from the Gare de Lyon (3:20). At Saint-Charles train station, reach the ferry terminal. From there, a Corsica Linea ferry takes you daily to Ajaccio or Bastia in 12 hours. The crossing is certainly long, but remains economical at any time of the year. The price of the crossing fluctuates very little. Even at the last minute, places for pedestrian passengers are available for less than 50 euros. Note that crossings are also operated from Nice and Toulon by Corsica Ferries. To explore the picturesque and steep landscapes of the Ile de Beauté, take one of the Corsican Railways trains.
»Read also - Corsica: travel guide, info and advice from Le Figaro
Dublin (Ireland)
Two routes combining train and ferry lead to Dublin from Paris. The longest (almost 24 hours!) And the most economical: reach Cherbourg by train Nomad (formerly Intercités) from Saint-Lazare station, then board a boat from Irish Ferries to Dublin. Since summer 2019, the crossing has been made on board the WB Yeats, the latest arrival in the company's fleet.
The most in a hurry will go through England. This route has three stages: Paris-London by Eurostar, London-Holyhead with Avanti West Coast and Holyhead-Dublin by ferry with Irish Ferries or Stena Lines. Allow 11 hours for the entire trip.
Read also: Ireland from Connemara to Donegal: green for the road
Edinburgh (Scotland)
The Caledonian Sleeper company operates every night (except Saturday) between London and the main cities of Scotland. Here, a Caledonian Double cabin. Caledonian Sleeper
Leaving Paris early in the morning and arriving in the capital of Scotland in the middle of the afternoon is possible. We start with a Eurostar trip to London St Pancras International. From there, you can reach the adjacent King's Cross station in a few minutes, from where trains depart for Scotland. No site sells Paris-Edinburgh tickets. It is therefore necessary to make two separate reservations: a Paris-London Eurostar (2 hours 17 minutes, from 39 €), then London-Edinburgh with London North Eastern Railway (4:20 hours, from 35 €).
Travel between London and Scotland is also possible by night train. Every evening (except Saturday), several trains of the private company Caledonian Sleeper leave London Euston station bound for several Scottish cities (Aberdeen, Glasgow, Inverness ...). The journey from London to Edinburgh takes approximately 7 and a half hours. Departure times vary depending on the day. From Monday to Friday, he leaves London at 11:50 p.m. to arrive in Edinburgh at 7:23 a.m. In addition to the reclining seats (from € 56 per passenger), trains have three categories of private cabins (between € 170 the Classic and € 395 the Caledonian Double for two passengers).
»Also read - 5 good reasons to go to Scotland by train (even when you're not green)
Lisbon (Portugal)
To reach Lisbon from Paris, only one change is necessary. First take the TGV inOui from 12.52pm at Montparnasse station to the Hendaye terminus, on the Spanish border. From there, climb aboard the Trenhotel Surexpreso, operated by Renfe. Departure is at 6.35 p.m. After 1:55 p.m. journey, notably via Salamanca and Coimbra, you arrive at dawn (7:30 am) at the Santa Apolina station in Lisbon. In all, the journey lasts 19 hours 38.
»Read also - From the Jeronimos Monastery to the Castle of St. George, the unmissable sites of Lisbon
Madrid (Spain)
Spain has the first high-speed network in Europe ahead of France. Here, an AVE in Purroy, near Zaragoza. Shutterstock / pedrosala
Paris-Madrid in less than ten hours, it is possible by taking two high-speed trains: the TGV to Barcelona (6.38) then its Spanish equivalent, the AVE, to Madrid (2.5 hours) . Departing from the Gare de Lyon by the TGV at 10:14 am, you arrive at 7:55 pm in the Spanish capital. Main disadvantage: the price. Difficult to find a Paris-Madrid for less than 150 €, even in anticipation. From April 6, 2020, the journey between the two capitals could become more attractive: the new company Avlo (the “Spanish Ouigo”) will offer Barcelona-Madrid from € 10. Note that Madrid is directly connected to Marseille in 7 hours 39 once a day by a Renfe-SNCF train.
Majorca and the Balearic Islands (Spain)
Six and a half hours by train and approximately eight hours by ferry. This is the route to follow to get to the Balearic archipelago from Paris. By taking the TGV 9713 from 10:14 am to the Gare de Lyon (from € 39), you arrive in Barcelona at 4:53 pm. In good time to reach the Moll Adossat quay, where the ferries cast off at around 10 p.m. In Barcelona, two companies connect the continent to Ibiza and Majorca every day: Balearia (from € 58.50 per seat in a wheelchair) and Trasmediterranea (from € 49). For Formentera and Menorca, the route includes a stopover.
Read also: Mallorca, Ibiza, Formentera, Menorca: which one to choose?
Moscow (Russia)
Russian Railways operates a weekly service between Paris and Moscow and between Paris and Nice. Russian Railways
From the Atlantic to the Urals, or almost. Every Thursday evening, the EN 453 / 24J train leaves Paris Est station at 6:58 pm, direction Russia. The arrival is the next day, Saturday, at 11:44 am at the Moscow Belorusskaya station, after a journey of 3200 km and 38 hours 36. The easiest way is to make the journey in the direction Moscow-Paris, departure Tuesday at 6:14 p.m., arrival Thursday at 9:40 a.m. Indeed, non-Russian and non-Belarusian nationals are not allowed to enter Russia by land from Belarus, a country crossed by train. In the Paris-Moscow direction, travel is therefore only possible up to Orcha station in Belarus, provided you have a Belarusian transit visa.
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If the train journey is ten times longer than by plane (40 hours 46 against 3:40), the basic prices are almost identical (307 € against 327 €). Tickets are on sale on the website of the Russian railways (RZD) and with the travel agency Les Trains des Tsars. In Moscow, train lovers can continue their journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway to Vladivostok or Beijing.
Rome (Italy)
Once in Milan, take an Italian high-speed train (the Frecciarossa of the national company Trenitalia or the Italo of the private company of the same name) to reach Rome. Shutterstock / GoneWithTheWind
To arrive in Rome at the start of the day (at 9:25 am at the earliest), take the Paris-Venice night train from the Thello company to Milan. Then, board a high-speed train Frecciarossa (from the national company Trenitalia) or Italo (from the private operator Italo-NTV). The journey is also possible during the day. If you take the TGV inOui 9241 at 6.30 a.m. (or the 9245 at 10.39 a.m.) to Turin or Milan, then an Italian high-speed train, you will arrive in Rome at 5.10 p.m. (or 9.10 p.m.).
Read also: Rome: tailor-made itineraries in the eternal city
Warsaw (Poland)
The most comfortable route (but also the most expensive, from 215 €) is to climb in Paris-Moscow on Thursday at 6.45 p.m. at Paris Est station (EN 453 / 24J). The train arrives the next day at 3:08 p.m. in the Polish capital. The advantage is that you have a berth for this journey of 20 hours 10. Another solution, faster, more economical (from € 74.80) and achievable during the day: go to the station of Berlin, then take a Eurocity to Warsaw (5:37). Departing from Paris at 7.20 a.m., you arrive in the Polish capital at 11.26 p.m.
Venice (Italy)
The best way to get to Venice is to take the Thello night train (221), one of the few that still leaves from Paris. He leaves the Gare de Lyon at 7:15 p.m. daily and arrives at the Venice Santa Lucia station at 9:35 a.m., notably via Dijon (9:52 p.m.), Milan (6:00 a.m.) and Verona (7:53 a.m.). The trains have sleeping compartments with four or six places (from € 29) and private Standard sleeping cabins with one, two or three places (from € 67). The Premium sleeper cabins (from € 171) have a private bathroom with shower. Animations (concerts, tastings ...) sometimes take place in the dining car. Since December 2019, a welcome drink and a breakfast have been offered to all passengers (except in the six-person berth compartment).
Read also: The journey reinvented: Santa Cristina, the mysterious island off Venice
Vienna (Austria) and Bratislava (Slovakia)
The Austrian capital, Vienna, is the main hub for night trains in Europe. Harald Eisenberger
To reach Vienna from Paris, there are two routes requiring a single change. By day, go through Frankfurt by TGV (3:40), then take the ICE (6:23). At night, go to Zurich by TGV Lyria (4:04 am), then take a Nightjet (10:15 am) from the Austrian company ÖBB, very involved in the promotion of night trains in Europe. Once in the Austrian capital, it takes just one hour by bus or train to reach the Slovak capital, Bratislava.
Read also: Why Austria remains attached to night trains
Zagreb (Croatia)
It takes almost 17 hours to reach the French and Croatian capitals. First step: in Paris Est, take the TGV inOui 9577 from 3:54 p.m. to Munich, where you arrive at 9:36 p.m. Time to dine and stock up for the night, then board the EuroNight 50463, departing at 11:20 p.m. While you sleep, you cross Austria and Slovenia before arriving in Zagreb at 8:36 am.
Convenient
Reserve
Oui.sncf, Trainline, Omio, RailEurope (in English) ... These online platforms sell the tickets of several European railway companies. Take your time by researching multiple sites. Indeed, some fares and routes only exist on the official website of the companies (Deutsche Bahn for Germany, Renfe for Spain, ÖBB for Austria, etc.).
inquire
Who better than "ferrovipaths" to talk about the train? Étienne, a university student, made numerous train journeys as long as they were improbable, such as Paris-Shanghai across interior Asia. On the World by train , he shares tips, anecdotes and itinerary ideas inspired by his own travels.
Another mine of information, The Man in Seat 61 . Created by Mark Smith, a British traveler, the site explains how to travel by train on each continent. By browsing his site, you will have the impression that this enthusiast has visited all the stations and taken all the trains in the world.
The rail.cc site (mainly in English) is fueled by train enthusiasts since 1996. Beyond tips and tricks, the site has many travel stories aboard night trains or tourist trains.
Advice
Some companies offer on their site to choose intermediate stops and the duration of connections. Convenient if you want to visit a city for a few hours or a whole day before reaching your final destination.
To avoid missing a connection, allow sufficient time (at least 30 minutes) between two trains and preferably book a single ticket for the entire journey. If the missed connection is established between two trains of the same company or between two high-speed trains of the Railteam alliance (DB, TGV, Eurostar, ÖBB / Railjet, Thalys, TGV Lyria), you are authorized to take the following train .